Beatons Petersfield - A Second Visit to the Jungle!

Inside The Jungle Show -

An elephant's coming to Beatons Petersfield on June 1st 4pm!

Local Beatons children's author Charlotte Brightwell returns to the tearooms in Petersfield on Friday 1st June at 4 pm for another mix of story-telling and activities for young children.

Her last event, launching with us
'The Jungle Show' was a huge success and requests for more have been granted! FREE with your drinks.

Charlotte’s always loved creating: from drawing and painting to up-cycling and renovating. 

She also loves children and is a local Primary School teacher. Read more about her on our Hampshire Authors Page here.

We’re right with Charlotte in believing it’s important to nurture a love of words, rhyme and story in young children. Read more on her website by clicking here and see you in the tearooms very soon. Remember we have a lovely stock of children's books, including Charlotte's along with milkshakes, smoothies and our sparkling sodas.

Fifi
Beatons Tearooms Owner

Poem for the young royal couple...

This month's Beatons Bulletin has a celebratory Royal flavour, including the poem - dedicated to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on their forthcoming marriage. We wish them great content!

The Easiest Way to Learn the History of Tea!

Dedicated to our new Tea Ambassador, Harry McGookin, our House Poet's recording of her longest poem to-date (an epic is brewing we understand) here's a short history of tea in rhyme!

When Liz's book, 'Distinguished Leaves' had its charity launch (she shares our spirit of giving) at the Savoy, the entire audience chanted the chorus. And Nigel Havers had  'his poem' - Earl Grey - read to him too.

See if the rhythm gets your feet tapping and dare to join in with the refrain 'brewing up a steaming cup of loose leaf tea!'  Somewhere at a Beatons in the Wiltshire countryside someone else is also chanting it under his breath as he wonders at the remarkable story that is 'tea'...

Mothers Day Poem You Can Use!

Is Your Mum a Sheep?  Or a fox? 
Here are some verses you're welcome to use to add a unique and personal touch to your Mother's Day card as I've waived copyright on them. If you want to copy the words out, pop into any Beatons and you'll find it printed in the March Bulletin or e-mail me direct at enrichingconnection@gmail.com

Liz Darcy Jones

Beatons House Poet

#listen - Rooting for Romance

Increasingly you'll find content in audio form here on our blog, especially verse and poetry, usually read by our House Poet, Liz Darcy Jones. 

Here's some inspiration that might prompt you to write your own Valentine's 'dittea' and touch the heart of someone special in a unique way!

#beatonstearooms: Celebrates World Poetry Day every March!

Here at 'Beatons Central' (our HQ) we believe poetry belongs everywhere, including the business environment. Poetry is part of our brand and we raise a cup of our finest loose leaf tea to all UK poets celebrating World Poetry Day.

As well as a poem postcard being commissioned for each location we launch a new tearooms in, every new Franchise Business Owner is presented with a copy of  'Distinguished Leaves: Poems for tea-lovers' so they can get to know their teas and (possibly for some) discover poetry can be fun and inspiring! Written by our House Poet and Non-Executive Director, Liz Darcy Jones - who also happens to be a Tea Poet -  it's a delightful book which brings the characters of different teas to life in a most poetic way.

Take a look at this commissioned poem below also by Liz. It is functional! We use it to seek out initial interest from potential franchisees to join Beatons in the next step of their success story.

Could You Be Our Cecil?

Are you our Cecilia? Or could you be our Cecil?

Name and gender? Irrelevant, but don't stay nestled

fast asleep in dreams of elegant spaces where you'd serve high tea

Wake up! Today is full of opportunity...

At Beatons, books, tea, coffee, calm and carrot cake

give the best of everything guests take their time and pleasure

while we enable you to serve with grace the kind of customers we all treasure

Beatons offer you their brand of care and expertise

benefitting you as Beatons franchisees

Are you our Cecil, friend of Cha and teabud Ms Camellia?

Is being organised a joy, and serving cake to rival Delia?

then, like Beaton make your mark and set yourself apart

from creatures of the commonplace, align yourself with those who value art

do you want a business that not only makes you money but warms your heart and satisfies the rumble in your tummy?

Join Beatons' founder - Patrick - help the British economy

make serving a profession! Are you nodding Cecil, smiling Cecily?

Perhaps you are our kind of franchisee?

Reproduced courtesy of the author

Copyright © 2013 Elizabeth Darcy Jones

For more information regarding Franchising click here.

Beatons Central

#tea: Subtle, Soft and Sweet and our Founder's Favourite

What is it? Green Cherry Sencha

Beatons Tisbury's house tea, Green Cherry Sencha, is fragrant and sweet. It's also our founder's favourite tea.  If you try it, we think you'll know why. Paying homage to its Japanese roots, here are three haiku:

Like cherry blossomed trees

The Tisbury bunting flutters

in the wind

Rose and cherry petals fragrance

Sencha green -

Japan to your table!

And you our honoured guest

receive our smile

serving well - what we do best

Haiku by Liz Darcy Jones.

Sweet and delicate, 'Sencha' refers to the process of steaming young green tea leaves for about fifteen seconds, sealing in their freshness.

What to have with it?

This is NOT a tea to have with strong flavours since it's simply too subtle. Flavoured with cherry and blended with rose petals, this is a perfect choice to accompany the delicate finger sandwiches of our Afternoon Tea.

#tea : for writer's block and staying awake!

What is it?  Gunpowder Green

Gunpowder, a delicious, cleansing loose leaf organic Chinese green tea with a hint of bitterness is a powerful beast!

Gunpowder Tea is a classic green tea from China - one of the first styles of tea that floated back from China way back in the 1600s. Rolled into dark green balls it was reminiscent of explosives, hence the name.

A tea naturally high in antioxidants, it cleanses and is said to increase your metabolism so those looking to lose weight may feel inclined to try...

And according to House Poet and Tea Poet, Liz Darcy Jones

 'this tea stalks sleep in snakeskin shoes
  busts writer's block and online blues.'

Perhaps it will get a few pens scratching!

#behindthescenes: social media tip - why use rhythm & rhyme?

David Bamber reading his
winning poem Blandford 

Well, you can see how effective it is if you think back to all the advertisements you really love!  Our #rhymesnocrime week a few years' back increased our twitter followers three times more than a usual week, with more retweets too!  We also think - from the number of tweets that were favourited that they added some sparkle.

Remember:

'A Mars a day helps you work rest and play...'

And how about Classic FM's use of it?

The psychology is really simple - we associate  rhyme with being children and that means PLAY.  We like play... it adds sparkle, the beat ignites heart, passion and inspiration.

Beatons uses rhyme, rhythm and poetry as part of its brand.  Pop in and pick up a free poem postcard and share it with your mum, your children or just read it out loud and see if it doesn't bring a smile to faces.

#tea: the one which kicks you healthy!

What is it?  Lemongrass and Mint Herbal Tea

Lemongrass tea is good for your weight

It's healing and research is showing it's great

For curing cancer - hip hip hooray!

What's more it's rich in Vitamin A...

And to give it a kick

It's blended with mint

Which gives a pale green to its lemony tint...

© Liz Darcy Jones

Pop in and try some this week...

Posted by Liz

#beatonstearooms: What's Inside a Beatons?

Curious? All these you will find...

High Tea, scones and gorgeous cake,
Bowls of soup or stew
Fine coffee, lots of loose-leaf teas
Our house blend - Beatons Brew

Come in for breakfast, lunch or tea
And lovely things on toast
Which of our daily specials
All home-made will you like most?

Fresh restorative food and drink
And books to feed the mind
With titles chosen to delight
All these you will find...
                                                                        ... inside Beatons Blandford  

Winning Poems from Our 2014 Poetry Competition

David Bamber reads his winning poem

So here they are! The three winning entries on the theme of 'Restoration' - which we encouraged poets to interpret loosely (and they did!)  Sadly, we only had half the entries we did last year (limiting entries to the UK and running the competition later in the year may have been a contributory factor).

At a splendid Launch Soirée and Awards Ceremony on Friday 5th December at Beatons Blandford David Bamber had the thrill of receiving his award from internationally acclaimed poet, travel writer and Blandford Forum resident Paul Hyland.

Hear the poem on Saturday 13th Dec from 10 to 10.30 am
at Beatons Blandford  2 Market Place

David Bamber's winning entry (adults) tells the Blandford based story of its Great Fire - throbbing with rhythm and rhyme.

David spent many hours researching and crafting his entry.

Judges said, 'This is a great description of Blandford's fire. Relevant, well written with a natural flow. Good metre.' 'A strong narrative and a well handled 'arc', I like the personification of the fire and the water and felt the conflict very effective'.

The runner up in the competition was Russ Berry of Coventry for his poem 'To the Blackthorn' (scroll to end to read) and we added an extra 'Highly Commended' prize and certificate to London's Charles Evans whose poem 'Restoration' vividly described a 'restorative experience' at bath time... slightly too adult for our website unfortunately!

Anna Wilson is the seventeen year old who entered our 'Young Aspiring Wordsmiths Category'. We're not going to hide the fact that she was the only one who entered. That alone makes her a winner in our eyes, although our judges looked critically at her entry before deciding to award her the prize.

Anna's entry 'The Returned Timepiece' is clearly influenced by the focus on the war in this Centenary period of WW1 and has a rich sense of nostalgia about it.

You can hear Anna's poem being read at our Free Open House on Saturday morning, 13th December 10 - 10.30

Judges said, 'Very relevant in this year... very emotive and well thought out.' 'A promising reflective poem.'

Runner up, Russ Berry wrote 'To the Blackthorn', reminding us of the nature poetry of John Clare and shifts the sense of Restoration to the seasons. Russ couldn't get down from Coventry to the launch but can't wait to get down to Beatons to use up his voucher!

Paul Hyland read the poem on Russ's behalf.

#beatonstearooms: celebrating the poetic form - alphabetagram!

Poetry Competition Awards at Tisbury
in 2014

Here at 'Beatons Central' we believe poetry belongs everywhere, including the business environment.

Every new Beatons Franchise Business Owner is presented with a copy of  'Distinguished Leaves: Poems for tea-lovers' so they can get to know their teas and (possibly for some) discover poetry can actually be fun and inspiring!

They'll also find out first hand how well it goes with tea and cake.

We're always looking out for local poets. One we've unearthed is Wiltshire poet and local solicitor Nigel Brodrick-Barker who is master of the alphabetagram. Nigel created this form and it strikes me as a wonderfully poetic way to encourage children to become word-smiths. My inner alphabet is itching to have a go at one...

And here, having its debut outing, is Nigel's latest offering inspired by Beatons! 

'Appetising Beatons’ cakes delicately evoke favoured good housekeeping. ‘IF’ junior Kiplings languish midst nervous odeon poets quizzically relishing Siam tea, until vespers whisper xenoglossial yarns zanily.'

          © Nigel Brodrick-Barker, used with permission 

Why don't you pop in to your nearest Beatons or a local independent bookshop near you and buy a volume of poetry that catches your eye and simply 'dip in'... 

Remember, poetry is always best in slow small sips.

#Tisbury: Seen us on Twitter? Meet our House Poet

Friday 21st February  from 3.30 pm ... A ‘House Poet’ special invitation to meet local twitter friends to enjoy some live interaction in the shape of tea and talk at my third ‘home’ down in the charming village of Tisbury. Entertainment free, tea and cake down to you.