In the last issue of the Upton Tea Quarterly, I recounted the story of how I first happened upon the original Chatsford® teapot at a coffee and tea shop in London. It was 1989 and I was anxious to find a teapot source for the American loose tea enthusiast. With the look of a classic British teapot and a copious mesh infuser insert, the Chatsford teapot was the perfect product.

    Originally, the Chatsford teapot was available only in white and “Rockingham” brown, (i.e., the color of the classic Brown Betty). The sizes were limited to the two-cup and six-cup versions, based on the British market projections. The two-cup size is ideal for individual service in a cafe, while the six-cup size is considered the best size for normal household use.

    Many found the two-cup size too small for domestic use, and likewise the six-cup too large. One good customer, who purchased both sizes, quipped that he felt like Goldilocks every time he selected a teapot. Relief soon came when the four-cup version was introduced. Several years later the ten-cup version was introduced, and this is the size we use daily at Upton Tea Imports.

    In the ensuing years a variety of ceramic bases were introduced, some with floral patterns, some with exotic colors, and some designed specifically for the Food Service industry. Many of our customers remember the German porcelain version, with ceramics produced by Carl Schumann of Arzberg, Germany. They were produced only in white porcelain in the three basic sizes, and were of exceptional quality. Unfortunately, the factory closed soon after producing a limited number of Chatsford teapots.

    In an attempt to produce a teapot of comparable quality to the Carl Schumann line, The London Teapot Company commissioned Queen’s Fine Bone China to produce bone china versions of the Chatsford teapot. Teacups and saucers, as well as small plates, creamers, and sugar bowls were also produced as a matching tea service. But, as has been an unfortunate pattern in the British bone china industry, rising production and materials costs have resulted in elevated retail prices at a time when consumers are becoming increasingly price conscious. For this very reason, the basic earthenware Chatsford teapot continues to represent the majority of our teapot sales.

    While nearly a dozen different companies have produced ceramics for the Chatsford teapot, the infuser baskets have always been produced in England by the same manufacturer and, perhaps more significantly, they have remained exactly the same in both materials and quality since the first production run.

Happy tea drinking...

... Tom and The Staff at Upton Tea Imports

 Other Quarterly Notes:

• Difficult 2010 Season, Commodity Teas
• Upton Tea Imports Moves to Holliston
• The Price of Tea in China
• Artificial Flavoring
• FDA, pre-Chingming Tea, Tragedy in Japan
• Quality Indian Teas, Update on Japanese Tea
• Japan Tea Alternatives
• Chatsford® Teapots
• Chatsford® Teapots, further history
• Show me more topics