Are you a MIF or a TIF or a DTMWTD? Read on to discover where your tea drinking preferences lie.

Oh dear, there are so many perceived rules and regulations regarding tea drinking!

The aristocracy in Britain used to judge the calibre of the man by whether he put his milk in the cup first or the tea. If he had a discerning palate, he would NEVER put the milk in first, as this would cool the cup and spoil the tea. Those who could not afford bone china cups would always put the milk in first to prevent the cup from cracking. MIF therefore became a derogatory term, suggesting a humble background. Whereas the tea-in-first gentleman would be displaying his noble upbringing. Having said that, the true sign of an aristocrat would be the man who requested lemon rather than milk. Lemons were the privilege of the well-to-do as they were expensive and therefore unavailable to the poorer classes.

What would the Queen do?

Should our tea drinking gentleman happen to be invited to a tea party at Buckingham Palace – beware! The rules are many and rigid. It is necessary for him to stir his tea without his spoon touching the side of the bone china cup. Silent stirring is apparently de rigeur. It is expected that he will drink two cups of tea. Three is too many and one is not enough. A word of warning to our gentleman, do not dunk your biscuit and wiping your nose on your napkin is sure to be frowned on.

For those who choose not to follow rules, you are DTMWTDs.

What is DTMWTD?  Don’t Tell Me What To Do!

We think Billy would align himself with the this tea drinking school of thought. As do we. At Ripple Effect Gifts we provide the tea, but no rules. Milk, sugar, lemon, even a dram of whisky to warm the cockles of your heart, the choice is yours. And speaking of choice, we have a dozen organic blends of loose leaf tea to choose from. Refreshing, cleansing, zesty, calming, immune boosting. And to ensure that perfect brew, we have a tea infuser to ensure the richest and smoothest of cuppas.  Something to suit all MIFs, TIFs and DTMWTD’s!

We have beautiful porcelain Bohemian Dream Tea Pot and a set of two mugs.
All of which are microwave and dishwasher safe.

If your preference is tea for one, we have our Tea for One Gift Hamper.
Perfect for these dark and chilly Autumnal mornings.

Happy tea drinking!