Nice Cup of Tea and a Sit Down

by Stuart Payne

Put a cup of tea in your hand, and what else can you do but sit down? This new book celebrates that most British of life’s the tea break. There is, however, another element to this ritual that is a biscuits. Finding the right biscuit for the right occasion is as much an art as it is a science, and it is a task that Nicey has selflessly worked on for most of his tea-drinking life. From dunking to the Digestive, the Iced Gem to the Garibaldi, everything you’ll ever need to know about British biscuits is in this book, and quite a lot more besides. So go on. Put the kettle on, take a weight off, and enjoy.

Genres: Nonfiction, Humor, Food, Tea, Reference, Food and Drink, Cooking

179 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[LeeAnne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this little book! It is quirky and funny and who doesn't love tea and a biscuit to go along with it? If you read British mysteries and have wondered at the various biscuits and cakes that are consumed at alarming rates by the various sergeants and DCIs, this book is the answer to your questions. You'll never again wonder why someone scoffs at a Marie while gazing longingly at the chocolate Rich Tea and various digestives. The choice Jaffa Cakes and Battenberg will be easy. You'll know you've arrived when you find yourself face to face with a plate of Club biccies. Fun stuff and highly recommended if you enjoy tea and biscuits...or British humor!

[Tweedledum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three years ago hubby subscribed me to "The Random Book Club" as he thought it would be fun to see my reaction when a random book turned up in the post each month. Lo and behold in Jan 2015 this curious little gem arrived. I have been reading it in a desultory way since then. Most of the book focuses on biscuits! Fun fact s about their origin or just loving decriptions and at times this has led to the purchasing and consuming of the biscuits currently being described in such a delicious and memorable fashion! In fact tea itself gets relatively few pages....

So yes quite a delicious gently humorous and fun book. If you happen to see it on a book stall do give it a go. A great gift for elderly relatives I would say.....

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYI_S_...

[Susann · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author has a blog of the same name, and book and blog are both about the pleasures of tea, biscuits, and...sitting down. Nicey walks the perfect line of treating these subjects quite seriously, while writing with tongue planted firmly in cheek. An ideal read for someone like me, who has given hours of consideration to the vast differences between US cookies and UK biscuits. I strongly suggest, though, that one always read this book during meals or snack-time. There is no way anyone can read about HobNobs and Jaffa Cakes, without needing something to nibble on.
Bought my copy at The School of Life shop in London.

[Hyarrowen · Rating 5 out of 5]

An invaluable guide to one of life's great cornerstones. It elucidates some of the great mysteries of tea, for instance why tea from dark-coloured mugs never tastes right, and points out others which are forever unsolvable, such as why emergency-services tea always tastes glorious.

But despite the title, with its emphasis on the life-giving beverage, the great triumph of this book is the Venn Diagram of Biscuits. I firmly believe this should be available as a poster for the kitchen, and ideally also an apron. I for one would do more cooking if it were!

[Angelique · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a delightful and amusing little book. I’ve been eyeing it up at a friend’s house for ages and I finally snatched it. It makes for good quarantine reading. It’s funny and I’ve learned a few things. I’ve also never drank so much tea in my life while reading it! It’s quaint and English (with a brief stop in Norn Ir) and brought back memories of my first adventures in England, trying alllll the biscuits. I look forward to having a look through the biscuit aisle next shopping trip.

And the hardback is absolutely adorable.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love tea like I love books, have over forty teas in the cupboard at any one time mmmmm.

This book will make you smile and especially for my American chums find out why tea is better than coffee. Once you have discovered this please campaign for real TEA and NOT that grey watery piss they serve in restaurants and caffes.

And for those who call it a small coffe table, it's not, it's a small Tea Table book.

Always serve tea and biscuits with a good book, but tell everyone to leave first.

[Siân · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 and a half stars! Lovely and amusing little book about tea and biscuits. Reminded me of my own "worst cup of tea ever" incident. I'd totally forgotten about the existence of the Sports biscuit, was pleased to see that these are still available at the supermarket (and promptly bought some). A slight negative was the book had some sections which were orange letters on a grey background- it made my eyes go funny and I actually couldn't read those parts.

[John Frankham · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pleasant enough 175-page about the obsession of the English with drinking tea with a biscuit or two. The etiquette of office tea-clubs is amusing, but the bulk of the book is about biscuits - rich tea, Lincoln, shortcake, chocolate digestive, Hobnobs, Penguins, tea cakes (marshmallow and chocolate, wafers, etc. Not to mention a robust dismissal of the vile Oreos! Fun.

[Isabella · Rating 1 out of 5]

i'm more of a coffee drinker. could not fully comprehend others passion for tea. sorry, i tried.

just too much details over
1) tea leaves
2) sugar
3) milk

[Kate McGhee · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Read this library book for some easy summer reading fodder and to tickle a nostalgia itch. I like tea, biscuits are diverting enough and it was quick enough to get through. However, humour books can be so subjective and they don’t always age well. This one hasn’t, for me.

It was ok, but I lost interest halfway through the biscuit section. Provided the occasional laugh, but the obsessive (not funny obsessive, actually obsessive) detail was a bit much for my taste, especially for such a lighthearted topic. I found the two author style and contributions grating and inconsistent. Then I thought: I’m vastly overthinking this. It’s not as if it’s Hemingway or ever intended to be such. It’s one of those in-law birthday gifts.

ANCoTaaSD tested my 2020s sensibilities more than I expected. I didn’t enjoy the pace or tone and found myself skim reading to get through it. I just don’t care *enough* about biscuits, it seems. Lesson learned. More fool me. I certainly wasn’t up for a rehash of the Jaffa Cake, is it a cake/is it a biscuit argument.

What did I expect? Perhaps, I’m being too demanding. Perhaps it felt funnier at the time when some of the jokes were fresher. Perhaps it was better appearing in episodic blog form, with some good and bad days (to avoid that reading-the-dictionary energy, and who wants to attempt that?) or as someone’s disposable, middle of road, inoffensive stand-up routine, not a book.

[Anita · Rating 3 out of 5]

I could not have been more excited to read this book! Apparently Nicey & Wifey had a blog, from which much of this book was derived and to which several references were made. The beginning was so adorable, I actually laughed out loud. After the Introduction, the book is divided into four segments, with the first segment being, “A Nice Cup Of Tea.” The into and the first section joked about the British author’s culture shock with the American tea, or rather the lack of it, and about tea in the workplace. Then, the book moved onto the next section, which is almost three times larger than the other sections and consisted of a comparison eaterie companions to tea. I must confess that I was almost done in by the boredom. Six pages about cake, followed by about twenty five pages on sitting, standing, and other challenges to tea and eating. Was disappointed, but it was nice to learn how the British author described the British culture of tea. I recommend this book.

[Katrin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very entertaining and makes you want to have a proper (TIF) cup of tea.
Since I'm in Germany I don't know many of the mentioned biscuits, but I know now what I want to try next time I'm over. (Hopefully there will be a next time)
In the meantime we're running out of Yorkshire tea, but at least Germany has Digestives on offer.
Should have read the chapter on teapots before I bought one at IKEA... cause everything the author says is TRUE.
Maybe the author should come to Germany and see what having a proper tea here is like.
Ostfriesentee is nice, though not the same and Germans prefer Kuchen, Torte or Teilchen over biscuits. Only at Christmas we have loads of Plätzchen.

[Louise · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nicey & Wifey’s nice cup of tea and a sit down contains information about tea, how to take it and how people will say it’s nice to be nice! There’s also biscuits, chocolate biscuits, wafer biscuits and cakes! The biscuit that calls itself a cake and cakes themselves.

I would not recommend reading this as a normal book, but to delve in when the mood strikes as it can be boring.

Sadly many biscuits are long gone! The book was written in 2004, so I’m not surprised.

I have now donated the book.

[Suzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first love is cookies, or biscuits, so I really appreciated the insight into "store bought" tea biscuits, etc, before I go to Britain. Color illustration (Full size?) and descriptive in the drollest possible style. People laugh when I say I am taking a "tea tour" this summer and I don't even like tea.

[Anita Bakhtiar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun, insightful, and full of bits of trivia- this book captivated me till the very end!

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What more needs to be said!?

[Eustacia Tan · Rating 5 out of 5]

To be honest, I bought this book because some guy that I've never heard of wrote "I love this book" on the cover. But, since the style of the book reminds me so much of Guy Browning, it seems like the cover testimonial was spot on. I read it on the subway home, and while I managed to control myself and not laugh out loud, I probably made a few ridiculous faces. I say so because when I looked up, the person sitting opposite me was giving me a strange face.

This book is about tea, biscuits and the British practice of having an nice cup of tea and a sit down. It's supposed to be about biscuit reviews and how to make tea, but it's just too entertaining. I may have learnt something too, but don't ask me what. I just feel slightly more knowledgable about biscuits now. There are some science bits inside as well, so I suppose you can try to persuade yourself this is educational somehow.

Educational.

Educational.

Edu-Nah, it's just entertaining.

And now, I have a rather strong craving for biscuits. And a bunch of other childhood snacks.

I'm actually not really sure who to recommend it to, so I'm going go with "if you like Guy Browning's sort of humour, you'll like this book." And of course, if you're a fan of tea (like me!) and biscuits (like me!) and even a bit of cake (me! Wait, here's a moment where I'm thankful for my metabolism), you'll probably enjoy this book.

This review was first posted at Inside the mind of a Bibliophile

[Rebekka Steg · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is an easy and amusing read, as well as an introduction to the secret English world of Nice Cup of Tea and a Sit Down (as well as the many biscuits that go along with it).

As a Dane, of course this part cracked me up:

"...One of the most popular biscuit tins is the Danish Butter assortment. This, to me, is an enigma. What exactly is assorted about them? The Danes only appear to know how to make one type of biscuit, and in a feeble attempt to disguise this fact they make it in various shapes. Alas, most of the shapes are roughly circular, so any difference is far from obvious.
But the more troubling matter surely has to be Denmark's track record in biscuit baking. Granted, they are well known for their pastries, although it seems that everybody else makes them on their behalf, much in the way that the Spanish have franchised out their omelette business. There is also a lot of bacon of Danish origin. Biscuits, however are something that they only seem to crank out at Christmas. Presumably the Danish fleet of biscuit factories remain mothballed for much of the year and gets recommissioned each winter to produce a tide of butter biscuits. It also seems likely that the Danes put in a sizable order for butter round about mid-September, which could be a handy piece of information if you happen to run a dairy."

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although this book may have been intended more as a mini-coffee table book, I of course read it cover-to-cover, and I loved it! I think the reader would enjoy it more if he is already familiar with British biscuits and appreciates British humor, but it is so full of pithy yet extremely well thought out and even scientific opinions about all aspects of tea and biscuits that surely all serious sweet fans will be entertained. One of the major highlights is the Venn diagram linking bread, biscuits, chocolate covered biscuits, chocolate bars, crackers, and cake. It's brilliant! And just for a few examples of the pithy humor, allow me to oblige: "Often a question such as 'Where can I get Lemon Puffs, I've not tasted them for thirty years?' can be anwered by directing them to their local supermarket. They simply forgot to buy them for the last thirty years." And, "The Chocolate HobNob is also a fairly sure bet when looking for a romantic biscuit with which to woo the opposite sex. I have had couples tell me of crucial tea and sit downs where love has taken root and blossomed over a pack of HobNobs."

[Alan Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable and surprisingly informative. However, it fails to answer the question as to whether the biscuit is simply NICE or whether it hails from the South of France.

Put a cup of tea in your hand, and what else can you do but sit down? This new book celebrates that most British of life’s cornerstones: the tea break. There is, however, another element to this ritual that is a must: biscuits. Finding the right biscuit for the right occasion is as much an art as it is a science, and it is a task that Nicey has selflessly worked on for most of his tea-drinking life. From dunking to the Digestive, the Iced Gem to the Garibaldi, everything you’ll ever need to know about British biscuits is in this book, and quite a lot more besides. So go on. Put the kettle on, take a weight off, and enjoy.

[Plum-crazy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book about tea & biscuits....a winning combination if ever there was one :o)

This is certainly an amusing....& informative...read, & it certainly had me sniggering, nodding my head in agreement & shaking it at the foolishness of people who think a jaffa cake is a biscuit (the clue is in the name duh!)

While I thoroughly enjoyed this often nostalgic book of biscuits, my favourite parts have to be the chapters on Work Tea Making & Mugs - I'm sure anyone who has had the delight (?) of being the office teagirl/boy can identify with this, it certainly brought back a lot of memories for me, some which were maybe best forgotten...ooops.....

Really enjoyed this book but its not done my diet any good ;o)

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a joyful little book that endeavours to explain why a cup or two of tea and a good biscuit are as theraputic and relaxing as they are and how these things have managed to ingrain themselves into the psyche of so many, Brits in particular. It isn't a comprehensive guide to every biscuit or tea ever produced but nor does it try to be. It is simply a guide for those who don't understand us tea-oholics and a reading treat for those of us who are. Added to this is Nicey and Wifey's superb humour and wit which is as British as a nice cuppa. I can find no fault and would recommend this for all tea and biscuit enthusiasts and those who aren't.

[Dark-Draco · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a book like this can be thought up, written and published, then you know all is right with the world! It's a humorous look at the British obsession with having a sit down with a cup of tea and a biscuit, with in depth studies of different biscuits to help the serious aficionado (including history, appearance and dunking tolerances. It was snorting aloud in places. I also have to admit to making a list of all the biscuits not previously sampled, so I can track them down in the future. A great little book.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

A friend lent me this to amuse/cheer me up and possibly provide a cultural education. It's not the best book I've ever read (indeed, some parts felt slightly dated to me, like Wifey's distrust of Science) but it has been an easy way to relax and try and get back into the habit of reading for pleasure. It hasn't brought TOO many self-destructive cravings, but on my most recent weekly grocery shopping trip, it did make me look at the mass-produced biscuit section in a whole new way. So that's something.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being more of a 'kaffee und kuchen' kind of girl, I probably missed the point (and the cake chapter was criminally short). Its target audience would be Johnny out of 'Two Pints of Lager', or as a Secret Santa present for the office tea fiend. It probably works better as a website (from which it derived) for timewasting at work. But it was still quite funny.

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very well written and gives an interesting insight into Britain's love of tea and biscuits. It offers a detailed paragraph on many sweet baked treats, including their history and how they're advertised. I found it very fascinating but now have the urge to buy some orange Club biscuits to relive my childhood!

[Hugh Ashton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite the title, this is a book mainly about biscuits (the British, not the American type of biscuit). Such classics as the HobNob, the Custard Cream, and the Bourbon, not to mention Jammie Dodgers are dissected in minute detail. Much nostalgia for this expat who finds it hard to discover a decent Rich Tea or even a Garibaldi.

[Geoffery Crescent · Rating 5 out of 5]

'A book about tea and biscuits? Who wants to read that? What a waste of paper!' So spaketh my partner. He is, quite obviously, not a drinker of tea. As such he cannot expect to understand the joy of a book entirely dedicated to the subject.

I found it to be thoroughly enjoyable, very well researched and great fun to read. Especially with a cuppa tea and biscuit in hand. Lovely!

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would buy this for the 'Biscuit Venn Diagram' alone! Had me laughing out loud and reading bits to my family so many times. One to keep and re-read many times. History of biscuits and cakes, finer points of tea-making at work...even the awful lack of sitting down at buffets is covered. Exactly my [Fruit Shortcake and] cup of tea.