Tea Level Dropping

[bedlamhouse]

Moved the last sealed box of Yorkshire Tea to the tea caddy this morning. This will definitely not last us until February, and likely won't even get us to OVFF without Strict Rationing. We are 160 bags away from being thrown upon the mercy of cheap USian tea.

Well, we could GET Real Tea, but the local Kroger wants $6 for 40-count PG Tips and doesn't carry anything else really useful other than Twinings in twee boxes meant to make you think you're getting more for your money. I can get an 80-count Yorkshire (not even Gold) for $9 plus shipping by internet ordering. Both of these options are easily double the actual price.

If any of our friends across the pond happen to be coming this way in the next few months, a box in your luggage would not go unrewarded...

The good news is that, despite it having been cast out from our local grocery, I was able to get Branston Pickle direct from Crosse & Blackwell (who are distributed by Smuckers here) at a somewhat reasonable price of $4.25 per jar plus shipping (only a dollar or so higher than UK prices).

Our stock of HP sauce and Colmans Mustard remains adequate, so all is not lost.

Comments

[oreouk.livejournal.com]

Grin. Would only that we were!

Twinings currently are selling boxes of Earl Grey teabags in nice metal tins and I've been considering laying in a small stock for fannish friends various.

[musicmutt.livejournal.com]

I sympathize with your plight. Becca genuinely feels your pain and is having mild panicky spasms on your behalf.

[smoooom.livejournal.com]

Yorkshire tea? I assume that is a specific blend. Next time I'm in my British candy shop I'll have look and see what they have. Any particular brand?.

[bedlamhouse]

It's a specific brand, from Taylor's of Harrowgate. Yorkshire strong tea and Yorkshire Gold (which I so far don't think is quite worth the price uplift, I'm satisfied with the common stuff).

If you find it in Canada for a reasonable price, we shall talk...

[smoooom.livejournal.com]

I shall check and let you know.

[smoooom.livejournal.com]

We've been to Newmarket, where among other things is the British candy store. They have Taylor's of Harrowgate Gold and Regular. Gold was 12.95 for 80 bags 6.95 for 40. Regular was 10.35 for 80 bags. they had loose leaf but I didn't check on that price. Since we are practically at par these days. it's about the same in us or can dollars. (G)

[markbernstein.livejournal.com]

Amazon has them. (They have both Yorkshire and Yorkshire Gold - I just used the first link that came up.)

I haven't bought tea bags in a long time. I go to a good tea shop to buy loose tea, and use something like this. That's if I'm brewing a mug of hot tea. This time of year, I just put the loose tea into my iced tea maker. (Well, mine is an older model, but you get the idea.)

[markbernstein.livejournal.com]

OK, I skimmed the original post, and missed the bit about price. Still, $17.88 for 160 bags of Yorkshire Gold doesn't seem that high to me. After all, it's less than you'd pay for one round at the hotel bar. :)

[bedlamhouse]

After all, we're talking about tea, not The Nectar of the Gods.

It just grates me to figure it costs about $8 US give-or-take for a 160 count box if I buy it in the UK (well, discounting the transportation cost, but I charge that against the beer...)

[keristor.livejournal.com]

Well, you could steal it, because everyone knows that proper tea is theft *g*.

Have you tried their official USA distributors?

Brands of Britain LLC
2410 Camino Ramon
Suite 265
San Ramon
California CA 94583
Contact: Mark Rajeski
Tel: + 1-800-646-6974
www.brandsofbritain.com

http://www.brandsofbritain.com/taylors_yorkshire.html

(They don't give any prices online, but dropping them an email at info@BrandsofBritain.com or calling on their toll-free number would hopefully get them.)

[bedlamhouse]

Well, you could steal it, because everyone knows that proper tea is theft

Note to self: commit mayhem upon Keris in February.

[madfilkentist]

I'm reminded of the filk (don't know who wrote it) which is often heard at German filk cons:

Bring me (bring me)
Yorkshire tea (Yorkshire tea)
Rescue me
From Schwarzer Tee.

[ericcoleman]

Look at www.amesbritishfoods.com. They are my local shop. If you see something you want, I can pick it up for you and send it on.

[bedlamhouse]

Pretty much the same prices as other US sources. Looks like they double the price number in UKP (to "convert") and then double it again.

I am all about the Bah.

[ericcoleman]

If you can't find a better price, I can save you shipping, I could bring some to Musecon and send it on (or are you folks coming?)

[bedlamhouse]

ladyat will be there, I'm a GenCon attendee myself.

It isn't so much the availability - we have a UK foods shop in Indy that I know I can get various things from - it is the ridiculous price. A slight premium I'm willing to pay, but double?

Perhaps my best solution is to explain to some Teapartier that they can make a statement by getting this English tea and sending it to me to fiercely dunk in water on their behalf. It would tend to mean they were good for something, at least.

[were-gopher.livejournal.com]

If you're really desperate I could send you a care parcel from Leeds. Maybe even pop in some Bettys Tea Room Blend to try though that may be evil since I don't think you can get that outside Yorkshire.

[bedlamhouse]

Thanks for the thought, but probably not necessary (especially the Special Tea, which would just get ladyat all drooly and end up costing me any amount of money and/or luggage space :)). If no one with free import space is heading this way, I'll likely just bite the bullet, curse all Profiteering Tea Merchants, and buy a box.

[ladymondegreen.livejournal.com]

I'll keep an eye open here in NYC. There are a lot of tea import shops. My usual source (http://www.canadianfavourites.com/Taylors_of_Harrogate_Yorkshire_Tea_Traditional_p/harrogate001.htm) online doesn't have it any cheaper than any of the others.

[mlplouff.livejournal.com]

I'll look, next time I'm at R.Hirt in Detroit -- possibly the *best* nearby place to find large quantities of tea at reasonable prices. I am currently stocked up and feeling happy about it.

[starmalachite.livejournal.com]

Wegman's grocery stores tend to have fairly large British import sections with pretty reasonable markups. (Proper tinned beans! Jammy Dodgers!) In fact, I'll be in 1 tonight -- I'll see if I can find your tea for future reference. Should you run low, I can mail it or deliver it at OVFF, as you prefer.

[daisy-knotwise.livejournal.com]

We have an international grocery nearby. Their tea selection is pretty diverse. I'll take a look at what they have and what prices run.

Roper got me some Barry's Irish decaf tea there recently. It's what I'm using for iced lately and I like it a lot.

GHR

[billroper]

I know they don't have Yorkshire, having already looked for it there. :)

But they do have a lot of different varieties of tea.

[poltr1]

Hey! When are you, ladyat, and I going to make that road trip to Jungle Jim's in Cincinnati? I think they should have Yorkshire tea in stock. I know they have boxes of PG Tips, both regular and decaf.

[catalana.livejournal.com]

I am addicted to Typhoo, which I order from Amazon. I just shut my eyes when it comes to prices for British tea. *grin*

[fleetfootmike.livejournal.com]

We're in FL the last two weeks in August, and I should be in San Fran the week before. If you fancy a road trip.... :)

[bedlamhouse]

Road trip isn't in the cards, unfortunately, as finances are a bit strict at the moment.

If you could see your way clear to carrying a 160-ct and posting it once you get here, though, we would be moved to show our considerable gratitude come February...

[jhayman.livejournal.com]

You probably don't want to hear that we can get Yorkshire Tea and Branston Pickle at our local supermarket. And just about any other British product about 2 miles further on at (gasp) the British specialty store.

[jerusha.livejournal.com]

Judith,

anach and I are in eastern Ontario now, and will be heading home next weekend, taking the 401 through the Greater Toronto Area. Is your local supermarket part of a chain, or is the British specialty store, such that we might find one either out here or on our route home?

If not, if we could work out a Mongol connection on our trip home, that would get it to Musecon and thus to ladyat.

An alternate Mongol route would be via the Canadians known to be coming to Musecon.

[jhayman.livejournal.com]

There are friends in Toronto, where they have an even bigger and better British store, going to Musecon (we are not). I'll alert them

[braider.livejournal.com]

Consider www.teasource.com, which has many, many *awesome* teas.

[samwinolj.livejournal.com]

80-count PG Tips are $6--$7 at Jewel here in Chicago. I seem to remember seeing Yorkshire Gold as well, don't recall the price. I'll check the next time I go shopping.

You shouldn't have too much trouble getting stuff mongoled in from Chicago.