Tea Ceremony at August Moon Tea

I was invited to take part in a tea ceremony at August Moon Tea in Cheltenham recently. I jumped at the chance, because, you’ve guessed it, this sounded just my cup of tea!

Estelle Liu of August Moon set up her delightful tea shop in Cheltenham’s Montpellier Arcade earlier this year. Not to be confused with an English-style tearoom, this tea shop sells exquisite Chinese tea ware (including fine Jun porcelain) and a varied selection of Chinese tea leaves. It is also the perfect place to take part in the ancient tradition of Gong Fu tea ceremonies.

Stepping inside August Moon Tea from the cold, dark, rainy street, I felt an instant sense of warmth and calm. Estelle suggested we take off our coats and shoes before showing us to a semi-circle of floor cushions. The five of us tea-tasters all belonged to the Cotswolds Bloggers group.

Chinese tea culture

Estelle explained a bit about the history and philosophy behind the Chinese tea ceremony, which has been enjoyed for centuries by people from all walks of life. Legend has it that tea was discovered in 2737 BC when Chinese Emperor Shen Nong was boiling water and a leaf fell into it.

In China today, when people invite friends or family over for dinner, they often invite them a little early to enjoy the tea ceremony first. We discovered the ritual of the tea ceremony is not just about drinking tea, but it is a social occasion to chat, swap stories and unwind after a busy day at work.

The Chinese tea ceremony at August Moon

Before we started, I asked Estelle if she had any decaf tea because caffeine keeps me awake at night. She told me not to worry. The tea she had chosen for us was very low in caffeine. In fact, the first tea we’d be drinking would be white mountain tea which is high in L-theanine. It turns out this compound, often present in tea leaves, can help with relaxation and sleep.

Estelle recommended we enjoy the first part of the tea ceremony in silence so we could fully immerse ourselves into the experience. She sat cross-legged with a blue cloth in front of her, upon which she had neatly placed a row of tiny, white, porcelain cups, a glass teapot, a porcelain teapot and a selection of other little pots.

She passed the tea leaves around for us to silently smell and then placed them in a small porcelain teapot, over which she poured boiling water from the kettle. After steeping for just a short time, this tea was poured into a small glass jug, through a dried vegetable tea strainer. She then poured the finished tea into the tiny, paper-thin, porcelain cups for us to try.

White tea

The first round of White Mountain Tea (2013) was very pale and only lightly fragrant. After we’d finished it, Estelle poured more boiling water onto the leaves in the porcelain teapot. With each subsequent round, the tea grew a little stronger in colour and fragrance. I found it to be delicately sweet and not at all bitter.

During these further rounds, we silently passed the teapot from person to person, pouring for each other and handing and receiving the teapot with two hands (as is polite in Chinese culture). Estelle encouraged us to slurp the tea (which didn’t feel quite so polite). Similar to wine tasting, she explained sucking in air while drinking aerates the tea to reveal more depth of flavour.

Black tea

After we’d exhausted the white tea leaves, Estelle selected a black tea for us to try. Big Red Robe tea is picked high up on Wuyi Mountain. I discovered it had a completely different flavour to the white tea. A deep amber colour, it wasn’t as delicate, but had a toasty flavour, probably due to the fact it’s been roasted.

Estelle explained the importance of eating seasonally throughout the year for health and wellbeing. This, she said, also applies to the type of tea you drink. Red Robe is a good choice for autumn as it is warm and comforting.

Tea ceremony meditation

“Everyone should take 40 minutes out of their busy day to make and drink a pot of tea.”

Reflecting on the time we had spent at August Moon, I realised what a calming and meditative experience the tea ceremony can be. Estelle recommends everyone should take 40 minutes out of their busy day to make and drink tea. As we discovered at August Moon, selecting your leaves, listening to the kettle boil, picking which cup, quietly pouring and savouring the tea can be a mindful experience to help you switch off and recharge.

If you would like to experience a tea ceremony for yourself, you can book onto one of August Moon’s tea ceremonies, which also include mindful tea ceremonies.

Thank you to Estelle Liu of August Moon for kindly hosting my visit. All views and opinions are my own.

Have you ever experienced a tea ceremony? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below.