I have always been enchanted with china. Eating off a china plate or drinking from a china teacup meant this was not an ordinary meal or an ordinary cup of tea, but it was special and meant to be treasured.

There was a preciousness about using such beautiful things. Everyday ware was thick and chunky, the colors not as vibrant and pretty. But the china was pulled out for loved ones, for special holidays with family, celebrations with friends, and intimate tea parties. Perhaps it was a bit like one’s “Sunday best,” which children of my day sometimes had—clothes you were not allowed to play in or wear to school, no matter how much you begged. They were to be saved for Sundays and special celebrations and carefully tended.

Maybe that’s the way it started for me.

As I grew older, I never lost the enchantment. I wanted my children to know that every meal together was special, that gathering around our table was something precious, treasured, and to be grateful for. And I wanted tea with my husband in the evenings to be the same. He was worth it to me, and I wanted him to know that, even if it was only a cup of tea, he was special to me and that moment with him was my treasure to keep.

It is such a good thing to be intentional about how we communicate value and “specialness” to those we love and live with every day. How else do we do this except by “the little things,” the small acts of love we take care of for each other. These little things communicate worlds, and since we never know how much time we have with each other, each “little thing” carries its own weight.

Well, all this to make an announcement.

For the Tearoom’s twenty-fifth anniversary, we wanted it to be special, and one of the ways we chose to commemorate the occasion was through porcelain china. We now have our own, one-and-only china, china produced in England, only for us. We are so very excited to share it with you!

What is delightful to me about porcelain in general is that it is very thin; it is in fact translucent—light can shine through porcelain that cannot shine through any other clay body. Porcelain is also unique because it is the only clay body that has a ring—a musical tone. It looks very fragile but is actually harder than any other clay. This is why porcelain knives are so sharp and stay that way longer. Porcelain can be either purest white or a lovely cream color, depending on how the ware is fired (in a gas kiln or an electric one).

We thought long and hard about the shape and the patterns we wanted on our china, and I’m so pleased with the result. The St. James porcelain tea ware is classic. It is timeless, the type of china teacup that would seem entirely at home in Winston Churchill’s big paw and also the type you would expect to see on the Duchess of Bedford’s tea table as she and her fancy friends started the very tradition of afternoon tea itself.

Our china is tender and refined yet doesn’t call attention to itself. Its gentle elegance is exquisite yet understated. And every piece has our name underneath and proclaims the fact that it is fine bone china, made in England (not in China—where most china is produced!).

There are two patterns to choose from: one has lovely, flowing scrolls and a gracious, more genteel presence, and the other is an invitation of soft roses, cozy and perfect for mixing and matching. Both styles are perfectly right for any season, any time of year, morning, noon, or night, for formal gatherings or informal ones. Both are just beautiful, and never too much.

This is the kind of porcelain where every touch, every sip becomes a most pleasurable experience. We made this china with you in mind, and oh, how we hope that it makes each moment you use it most special and precious.

Yours for the return of Grace, Civility, Beauty, Gentility, and Excellence,

Mary Alice