Press release

"Come into the garden, Maude " cried Tennyson's lovelorn suitor. He should have had English Garden to seduce his beloved. This is a new retailing idea, about to be unleashed both on the internet and in a singular resort in London's West End. In other words, an immediate example of the "Flight to quality" as described in the business pages of a recent daily paper.

Barclays Bank survey reckons an ageing, more discriminating shopping public is increasingly looking for distinctive premium products. English Garden has magically appeared at a crucial moment in the current retailing scene, not to sell clothes, but the necessary accessories to gracious living - and shopping. No ordinary fantasy therefore to ease the feet of flustered shoppers, but a soothing atmosphere selling the finest quality teas - and coffee, whilst flattering the eye with a plethora of luxury products.

An English Garden tea party, for example, conjures up images of crisp linen, delicate china, Great Aunt's revered silver service, and, as dusk falls on a setting too romantic and comforting to leave, tea infused candles and reed diffusers casting an intriguing scented glow over the scene.
Too late! Master has returned early. But all is well - glistening crystal glasses are at hand - uniquely coloured to evoke English garden colours in a different medium. And given the rural setting, not only lightweight, but virtually unbreakable. Perhaps a different beverage is called for. Iced tea perhaps?
It should be worth a try.
The name English Garden is not accidental. It is one of the fastest growing specialist tea brands on the market - quality leaf tea, Fairtrade certified, home packed in London. It is the chosen brand for many leading hotels and steadily building up loyalties amongst independent retailers and caterers.

English Garden's founder, John Williams, declares "We are English and ethical, with a fabulous quality product. With our partnership with Fairtrade we are able to treat our suppliers with respect and dignity and you will not find us in any supermarket!"
He states his own philosophy, This is not a 'roses round the door' notion. It is a modern life-style brand meeting contemporary tastes. The passion for tea is certainly modern in many countries, not least Italy."

A glossy weekend magazine recently declared "tea is the new coffee".
That may be so, but coffee is just as vital a part of an English Garden experience, and with the same ethical fervour, the owners have secured a cooperatively grown Fairtrade Colombian specialty, along with a Roman "Caffe Parana" blend, incidentally the first Italian "organic and Fairtrade certified" coffee to be offered in the UK.

John Williams began his career as a coffee trader, then five years ago moved into the premium quality tea market when he bought one of London's speciality tea suppliers, and founded English Garden - comprising a wide range of loose leaf and tea bag varieties from East Africa, India and Ceylon.
Inevitably the concept of a luxury tea meant serious accessories and the Williams network was fortunate in acquiring the marketing expertise of Simon Collins, with more than 25 years experience of building luxury brands. This collaboration was crucial in reviving an historical English connection with the Madeira embroidery, first developed and marketed in 1850 by an English woman, Miss Phelps. The result is the finest hand embroidered linen , bespoke tableware. Despite nearly two decades of absence from the market, these linens remain the hallmark of Madeiran skills. Now the sheer quality and modern interpretations are clearly "something the Chinese can't emulate." Bespoke table linens are back at the top end of household desirables.

Something akin to the famous Italian "slow food" movement has been growing in the field of quality crockery and appliances - hence the new "soft brew" invention of a stainless steel soft-mesh filter in a porcelain jug, banishing pressing, steaming or forcing the bean, coupled with the discovery of a local pottery revival in the shape of specially commissioned English Garden bone china from Stoke-on-Trent. Similar excursions have led to the Italian coloured acrylic and polycarbonate 'crystal glass ware" and the return of fine classical English silver tea services.
By the way, if you have not had enough tea to drink the famous favourite aromas of Orange Pekoe, Royal Jasmine, Green Tea and Peppermint also come as candles and reed diffusers. No nasty toxins either - all candles made in natural wax.
English Garden has its own motif - apparent on the packaging and the corners of its linens, to say nothing of the range of ultra-soft bathroom, guest and dining linen from Thessaloniki.
In the spirit of reviving the best of English crafts and taste English Garden is thus presiding over a unique marriage of contemporary living with classic skills - green shoots in the garden indeed.

PRESS CONTACT:
David W Harvey
cuxhammill@f2s.com
Ph: 01491 612381
Mob: 077 94 90 27 01