As I was walking through the back streets on London, bear Oxford Street and Bond street, I stumbled upon a cafe called Postcard Teas.

Tim d'Offay runs Postcard Teas and says "Our teas are from people and places we know. The reason I travel is to learn more about tea directly from the small family producers we work with. In my experience it is these smaller producers who make the best tea and do the most to protect both the local environment and the local tea traditions. We are concerned that ancient tea culture and heritage is under threat in Asia from ever larger tea farms and factories. By buying our teas you can help small scale traditional tea production and culture survive."

Postcard Teas sells an array of interesting tea from around the world, from Green teas to Pu-erh tea (which I had never heard). I popped in for a cuppa, and rthoroughly enjoyed the experience.

 Tim writes about his love of travel "

Our teas are from people and places we know. The reason I travel is to learn more about tea directly from the small family producers we work with. In my experience it is these smaller producers who make the best tea and do the most to protect both the local environment and the local tea traditions. We are concerned that ancient tea culture and heritage is under threat in Asia from ever larger tea farms and factories. By buying our teas you can help small scale traditional tea production and culture survive.  

The majority of our tea farmers use natural farming methods and these we have distinguished by putting an asterisk after the tea's name. Many are far too small for organic certification to be economically variable. Furthermore as most of our producers get a premium price locally for their tea because of its quality, they are usually uninterested in international certification for export. We always pay the prices set by them. When we find tea growers whose tea quality, ethics and environmental philosophy match our own ideals we establish long-term partnerships. The growers benefit from a good steady annual income from us and we benefit by being offered their very best teas. Postcard Teas also works with some of these producers to make financial contributions to the local communities. In India, we support the work of Doke Estate’s educational foundation and David Earp’s charity Shuktara, and in Sri Lanka we have helped Handunugoda Estate to buy boats for the local fishing village devastated by the tsunami in 2004 and have made regular contributions to a workers' sinking fund.

My first tea travel was to the famous Japanese tea town of Uji in 1993 but it was visiting the mountains around Pin Lin in Taiwan a couple of years later that made me want to work within the tea industry. The misty mountain setting perfectly suited the teas I had come to see being made and from that time onwards, I have wanted to visit and work with the best small estates and master tea makers in Asia.

I hope the photographs and descriptions from my tea travels make you want to try some of the wonderful teas we import and maybe to travel and discover these very special tea cultures on your own or with us in the future.

Timothy d'Offay"

Whilst I was on Google, serching for their website, I also found the Postcards Cafe, based in Hawaii. This is what their guests say about Postcards:

"When we leave Kauai, we dream of the seafood rockets and pasta Francesca at Postcards. "

"A perfect blending of flavors and textures, beautifully  presented."

"This was the best seafood we've had in the islands."

"Our favorite restaurant - three nights in a row!"

"Wish there was a Postcards Café in our town."

Here is Postcards Cafe menu. Anyone hungry?

E N T R E É S


Prices range from 19.00 to approximately 31.00 (market price)

Ingredients are subject to change

 

FROM THE SEA

Fresh island fish grilled or blackened to perfection, served with special rice or potatoes and our fine fresh vegetables. Choose a luscious sauce: honey ginger Dijon, macadamia butter, or peppered pineapple sage

 

THE FRANCESCA

Our puttanesca features tonight’s pasta with sun-dried tomatoes, pepperoncini, mushrooms and Kalamata olives, sautéed in a sherry marinara sauce

Another fine choice: The Francesca with Shrimp

 

WASABI CRUSTED AHI

Hawaiian tuna with a mirin shoyu ginger sauce, served with rice pilaf and tonight’s fresh vegetables

 

THE SOMBRERO (GF) and (V ~ without shrimp)

Luscious enchiladas! Corn tortillas layered with vegan jack cheese, veggies, spices and mole sauce, topped with a macadamia sauce and served with pinto beans

or try the Shrimp Sombrero, with savory grilled shrimp

                         

SAFFRON RISOTTO (GF)

A colorfully divine rice dish with shrimp, mussels, scallops, mushrooms, and pesto, perfumed with white truffle oil

Or you may replace seafood with diced tofu and vegetables

 

SEAFOOD SORRENTO

A divine seafood pasta with fish, shrimp and scallops, oven-dried tomatoes, braised organic greens, goat cheese, red onions and garlic, sautéed in a light Chardonnay sauce

So I have now realised nthat there is more to a Postcard than a Postman!