Kokova Magazine

Just recently we were earnestly encouraged to move away from the current trend of drinking copious amounts of coffee - and gently pleaded with to try and give tea back some of the attention it appears to have lost in recent years.

So it is great news to hear that leading travel company Kuoni has joined forces with the recently re-launched East India Company, to bring alive the ancient art of tea drinking at two exciting customer events.

These events will be hosted in The East India Company's chic store at 7-8 Conduit Street, London, W1S 2XF on 6th and 15th November 2012, along with a one customer event to be hosted on the stunning SS Great Britain, a former passenger steamship now permanently docked in Bristol's Great Western Dockyard, on 13th November 2012.

Granted a Royal Charter by Queen Elizabeth 1 in 1600, The East India Company was founded by a group of enterprising merchants and businessmen to explore the mysteries of the East.

It quickly began exploring new territories, mapping trade routes and discovering exotic goods all over the world and its pioneers and adventurers established trading posts which would eventually grow into iconic world cities such as Singapore, Hong Kong and Mumbai.

It introduced tea to Britain and India from China, indeed to the world and gave fine cottons, silks and chintzes to America and beyond, as well as introducing woollens to Japan, spices to the West Indies, porcelain to Russia and even polo to Persia.

The East India Company changed customs, tastes and ways of thinking, influencing the very fabric of our lives today.

So now Kuoni Travel, with a heritage that dates back to 1906 when explorer and adventurer Alfred Kuoni opened some of Europe's first travel agencies, is to bring alive the exotic destinations where the East India Company's tea is grown to an audience who are interested in travel, discovery and the story behind how tea travels from plantation to porcelain cup.

Tea master, Lalith Lenadora who started at the age of 18 as a tea planter in his native Sri Lanka, will guide customers through the many exotic varieties of tea.

The journey will include some of the world's most interesting teas: rare white varieties such as Golden Tips, subtle green teas such as Dragonwell and Buttery Oolongs from Taiwan, rich black teas such as Rainforest Lumbini and Darjeeling First Flush to some romantic flowering teas such as Sacred Heart, and Thousand Year Red.

Each tea is hand-selected by Mr Lenadora who will explain how to develop an understanding of the seasonal qualities of the teas and how to fully enjoy their unique flavours.

On the evenings Kuoni's Personal travel experts will be on hand to bring alive the far flung destinations these teas are grown in and to talk to customers about holidays to these locations.

Kuoni have been tailor-making holidays since 1906 and their award-winning team's expertise and knowledge span an amazing 88 countries, including all the destinations where The East India Company have tea plantations.

Kuoni makes a point of hand-picking the best retreats, authentic travel experiences and hotels and tours that are exclusive to Kuoni guests.

At the events customers will be able to taste not only teas but also some of the exotic canapés, biscuits and chocolates that the company creates using their worldwide palette of influence. Customers will also have their names entered into a prize draw to win a flavour of the East India Trading company.

If you would like to attend one of these events please phone Kuoni's Rebecca Leech on 01306 744 010 or email rebecca.leech@kuoni.co.uk giving your full name, address details and phone number so tickets can be posted to you.

Tickets are on a first come, first serve basis and this is a free event, so book early to avoid disappointment.

The event details are: -
The East India Company Shop, 7-8 Conduit Street, London, W1S 2XF on 06 and 15 November 2012 from 6.30pm to 9.00pm
SS Great Britain, Great Western Dockyard, Gas Ferry Road, Bristol, BS1 6TY on 13 November from 6.00pm to 8.30pm