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Classic
Harts Love
Brown Betty Teapot
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See our large range of teapots in every colour as well as brown at www . hartsofstur . com
T he British were late to the tea party , relatively speaking . The Chinese were drinking it in 2737 BC , and it became fashionable under the Tang Dynasty in 618-907 AD . The first imports of this restorative leaf into Europe were in the 17th Century alongside Chinese porcelain teapots , but Britain was later than many countries on the Continent to take to the drink . When we did fall in love with tea though , we fell hard . A dramatic reduction in tax on tea leaves saw it become the British drink by the mid-1700s .
What was missing was a standard teapot to make it in . When it was the drink of the rich , expensive Chinese porcelain or English silver teapots were used but as its appeal broadened a more down to earth vessel was required . Enter the Brown Betty .
A type of red clay discovered in Stoke-on-Trent in 1695 was found to make a ceramic that retained heat well and so was a natural choice for the first native teapots . They were tall and shaped more like coffee pots , to begin with . In the 19th century , as tea grew even more in popularity , the pots became rounder , and the Brown Betty came into being .
But where did she get her colour from ? Swinton Pottery , located in the estate of the Marquis of Rockingham , developed a distinctive brown glaze made from manganese and iron that created a streaky finish when the pot was fired .
The origins of the name have been lost , but it ’ s clear Betty was socially mobile , with the pleasingly rounded teapots finding their way into Queen Victoria ’ s court as well as the homes of the majority of her British subjects in the Victorian era . It ’ s no wonder the nation took the Brown Betty to its heart . The rounded shape gives the leaves more room to circulate as the tea brews . The Betty simply makes a better tasting cup . Time to put the kettle on .
London Pottery 6 Cup Globe Teapot Rockingham Brown RRP : £ 21.75 Harts Price : £ 17.40
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