Hello, it's your host, Andrew here. If you're enjoying Send Me To Sleep so far and you'd like to help support the show, the best way to do that is Send Me To Sleep Premium. Over there you'll get ad-free episodes as well as access to all of our bonus episodes. You can find a link to a seven-day free trial in the description notes. Thanks so much for listening and here's just a few ads before the show begins. Aisha owns a bistro. She loves it, but the admin, not so much. Luckily, her Monzo Business Bank account takes some of the strain, like expensing, with real-time visibility and spend limits all managed in one app. So she's free to cook up a storm without having to make a meal of the admin. Make the switch and join over 800,000 other UK businesses already banking with us. Search Monzo Business today. Team plan starts from £25 a month. UK Soul Traders are limited company directors only. Teas and seas apply. Hey, it's Andrew here. And I'm excited to share with you the newest show from Slumber Studios. It's called Sleepy History and it's exactly what it sounds like. Intriguing stories, people, mysteries and events from history delivered in a supremely calming atmosphere. Explore the legend of El Dorado. See what life was like for Roman gladiators. Uncover the myths and mysteries of Stonehenge. You'll find interesting but relaxing episodes like these on Sleepy History and the same great production quality you've come to know and love from Send Me to Sleep. So give it a listen and perhaps you'll have another way to get a good night's rest. Just search Sleepy History in your preferred podcast player. Hey, it's Thomas here. I'm the host of Get Sleepy, another sleep inducing podcast from the Slumber Studios Network. On Get Sleepy, you'll find hundreds of original bedtime stories and meditations to fall asleep to. Some of our listener favourites are our trips to the rainy day bakery, our Sleepy History series and our adaptations of classic tales like Beauty and the Beast. Everything is designed with your sleep in mind. So if you're looking for another great way to ease into a restful night's slumber, then just search for Get Sleepy on your favourite podcast player. I'll see you there, my friends. There's just something so inherently cosy about a warm cup of steaming tea for some reason. And not just because tea is regularly used as a medicinal sleep aid, although if you look in my cupboards right now you'll see plethora of sleepy teas. Although I've not always been into drinking tea so much, I'd say that that was something that came a little bit later in my life. I can't remember the first time that I started enjoying a cup of fruity or minty tea before bed. I wouldn't say it's a ritual so much, but if I'd had a particularly hard day, I'll certainly boil up the kettle and steep myself. A nice warm cup of my favourite at the moment is apple and cinnamon tea. Something really cosy about a cinnamon flavour, closely followed by the minty flavour. You know, supposedly according to Chinese legend, tea was invented by, I always forget his name, Emperor Shenanong, I think, some nearly 3000 years BC. And supposedly he accidentally dropped some leaves into a boiling pot of water and then decided to drink it. Now, I'm dubious as to how true that legend is, but I like it as a myth. You know, the idea that something so prevalent and globally adored today was invented nearly by accident. It's quite humorous to me. I'm sure in reality, there must have been a little bit of thought put behind it. Although I'm not quite sure what the true history of tea is, I do know that for some time it was used medicinally before it was drank recreationally. And of course it's still used medicinally today, as I say. It can be a really, really useful sleep aid. Very comforting. Certain active ingredients. Chamomile, nettles, this is another ingredient, I forget the name, you may know what I'm talking about. Maybe it begins with a Z. Then it's supposed to be very good at helping you fall asleep. There's other things that tea can do for us. Sand teas are meant to be full of antioxidants. When my partner was pregnant with our son, she would drink raspberry leaf tea. And this was supposedly because it's meant to if-drank quite regularly some months up to labour. It's meant to ease the process of giving birth. And not just as some sort of old wives tale, there is some truth behind that. Supposedly. My love for tea now makes me wish that I'd picked it up a little bit earlier. And to be honest, I had every opportunity to do so when I was a little bit younger. It used to work in a tea shop. Quite a fancy tea shop. Or at least it took itself quite seriously. It was quite a famous London chain. At least it's famous here in the UK. If you happen to be from the UK and you've got a famous prestigious tea purveyor in your mind, it's probably the one that I worked for. I won't say. Just in case. But it's probably that one. And I didn't work there for very long. I think it was probably only three months or so. You know, one of those jobs you get when you're young. Just because you need a job for the meantime. I don't think I was particularly interested in tea. Although they did sell coffee as well. Which at the time I was much more into. So more for its, let's say, medicinal qualities. They're helping me get up in the morning. I think my acquired taste and dare I say snobbery for coffee came a little bit later. Not that I'm too snobby about coffee, to be honest. I'll drink anything. I really will. I don't mind. But if I have the choice, I have preference. But as I say, I worked there for probably only three months altogether. But I was infused in the world of tea completely. Excused the pun. Like I say, they took their tea selling pretty seriously. And I remember the uniform there was quite formal. You know, it was a pristine white shirt and black suit trousers, shiny black shoes and with wear these embroidered dark navy aprons with a big pocket on the front. I remember I used to like it because I could keep all sorts of things in there without it appearing too much like I was carrying anything with me. And it made you look like someone who was there to serve tea most certainly. I felt professional wearing that uniform. And their professionalism did not stop at nearly the clothes they made us wear. I remember when I first started and I went into the small little back room that was the staff area slash stock room and had to sit there amongst shelves of tins of various tea leaves ready to be stocked. And me several boiling kettles ready to be producing tasters for the customers. The manager who hired me at the time presented me with this thick folio. A plain black cover with the name of the company written on the front. And it was essentially a laminated ring binder with the name of every tea and every coffee that they sold. And two or three paragraphs about how it's made, where it came from, how best to drink it. Bearing in mind that the variety available at this shop was immense. There were perhaps 250 different kinds of tea and coffee. And the expectation as they explained to me there and then on my first day was that during my lunch breaks I should sit and read this folio so that should anyone come in and ask me about the teas or the coffees. I'd be able to explain. Now, my older self looking back sees this as quite an ambitious and perhaps over much thing to ask of a young employee. And at the time I took this quite seriously. I wanted to be able to know about these things. I think I took a certain pride in any work that I did. I think I still have that as an affectation and I wanted to not have to stand there in front of a customer asking me a question and say, I don't know, I'm sorry. So I did my best to learn where I could. And at the time I remember learning quite a bit about the many varieties. Now, I think I could probably write what I remember on a post-it note in its entirety. One of my sticking memories from that folio was about the making of Jasmine tea. I think because it shattered an expectation of mine that also ended up being an expectation of many customers in that there was a belief that the Jasmine tea itself contained Jasmine, which is not true. Jasmine tea is actually made by taking the leaves, the tea leaves. And stacking them horizontally with layers of Jasmine in between. The idea being that the Jasmine in hot and humid climates will give out this aroma that then seeps upwards through these woven stacks of leaves and infuses the tea leaf with its aroma rather than actually putting any Jasmine in the tea itself. Which I found quite interesting. And I certainly relished telling customers that they were mistaken in believing that there was Jasmine in their Jasmine tea. Like I say, I didn't spend very long in that tea shop. I enjoyed it when I was there, I think. In some ways. Especially when I became more competent. I think any job is more enjoyable when you feel comfortable. When you feel like you know what you're doing. But the element of relaxation in the process of selling tea. There was a really particular process that had to be adhered to when making the testers. For people to come and try as they entered the shop. The water had to be boiled but then left to rest. Until it was a very particular temperature. 70 degrees, I believe. So hot where you'd burn the leaves, it would affect the taste. And so the job involved a lot of waiting. Even when the water got to the right temperature, you were slowly steeping the leaves. And you again had to wait a certain period of time. For exactly the right amount of flavour to infuse into the water. Before you could pour it out. And there's something quite meditative about that process. Even the process of making it and then alone drinking it. Is a calming one. But I do believe there was a certain amount of, should I say, pomp. That came along. Those particular customers who came to buy fancy and expensive tea. People were very particular. And honestly not very forgiving of an uninformed, dough-eyed young employee at a tea shop. I remember whilst I was there. There was a particular event around this specific kind of Da Zhilin tea. I think they refer to it as first flush. Being the very first pick of the spring season. And it's meant to have the most balanced, light, delicate but sort after taste. And we had a very limited supply of it. But we made a big event of it and of course it was much more expensive than any regular Da Zhilin. And for some reason. If people were unable to buy perhaps as much as they wanted. Or came too late and unable to buy any at all. It's cost a lot of anger. A lot of... Supposed entitlement in them. And I think that sort of sums up a lot of what it was like to work in that shop. I think if the people that I worked with went so lovely. I wouldn't have stayed half as long. Short as my stay was. But I enjoyed learning about tea. Being around tea. As I say. That would have been ample opportunity to have begun to enjoy drinking tea. And whilst I certainly admit that I tasted plenty of it whilst I was there. And appreciated some of the flavours that came through and the process of making it. I can't say I ever began to love it. I'd never really been a fan of tea. Since I was little. Though I feel that there is this element of British culture. Or be it. Very subtle. That applies a little bit of pressure. To enjoy tea. Specifically black. British breakfast tea. What some people might call builders tea. You know it's quite a part. Of the culture. In England particularly. To come home after a long. Journey. And put the kettle on for a cup of tea. If you have someone coming to your house. One of the first things you'll offer them is a cup of tea. But. I never really enjoyed the taste so much. Though I wanted to. Cause like I say. It was something drank. By my whole family. So I tried to give it. My best girl. I can't count the number of cups of tea. I've drank. Politely. As a means of fitting in. In my life. Although I've always enjoyed a cup of tea. With something sweet. I honestly believe that that is the best way. To enjoy. A cup of tea. With a nice slice of cake. Or. Perhaps some chocolate. And biscuits. There's something complimentary. About the deep. Earthy flavour. Of tea. And. Anything soft. And sweet. I still enjoy that. To this day. If there is. A pot of tea. At an afternoon tea. Another great British tradition. Where there's plenty of cakes and sandwiches. I will almost certainly drink. That whole pot of tea. The first time I remember. Really enjoying. A cup of tea. Was when I first had Earl Grey. For those of you. Who haven't. Had the pleasure. Of drinking a cup of Earl Grey. Although if you have tried it. It's not to everyone's taste. You may disagree. But. Something about that. Bergamo flavour. Floral. Addition. To your normal. Black tea. Really did something for me. I thought it was very unique. Enjoyed it a lot. That was kind of my entrance. Into. Slightly more frequent. Tea drinking. You know when I think of tea. One of the first things. That comes to my mind. Is the character. Of Uncle Iroh. From the children's cartoon series. Avatar the last airpender. I don't know if you're familiar. Perhaps you are. Perhaps you aren't. But um. Well if you are. You'll know that he has. A deep philosophy. Around tea making. It's quite a central element. To his character. And his character has such a. Warm. And. Inviting presence to it. Feels very spiritual. And in many ways he does embody. The archetype of. A tea lover. I think. Or at least. What is represented. In tea. Sometimes I. Like to imagine. Being a character. Like Uncle Iroh. Like it older. Like I say you might not know but he's. He's an elderly character. Quite a round pot belly. Wrinkled eyes. Always joking. Laughing. Smiling. Creating levity for a situation but not in a foolish way necessarily. In a wholesome. In a wise way. And. He's the type of fellow who would. Just wander the countryside. Through the forest. Tending to himself. Building a fire. Bringing his pot. At his leaves. And making tea out in the open. To sip. Peacefully. As he watches the world go by. That appeals to me. Very much like the idea. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And.
