Time for Tea sells quality food and drink products, mainly from Britain but also from France, Italy and, of course, Switzerland.

As our name suggests, we have a range of fine teas for you to discover and enjoy. These are supplied by both Williamson and Tiptree Wilkin of England. Their elegant packaging also makes them ideal for gifts.

Our products include the well known marmalades from Tiptree Wilkin and Thursday Cottage as well as their jams, curds, chutneys, sauces and products suitable for diabetics. We also supply sauces and mustards from Welsh Lady in Wales, Champ’s in France and Lazzaris in Italy. For those with a sweet tooth we recommend Border biscuits to accompany your tea and our luxury fudges from Gardiners of Scotland, or try a Macleans oatcake with one of our marmalades.

Although most of our products are 'Tea Time' products, we also have a range of products more associated with 'Lunch or Dinner Time'. It can be confusing deciding which sauce should be served with particular meats or other dishes and so we have written the following guide to help you decide. All of these products and more can be found in our online shop under http://www.timefortea.ch/ If you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact us. If you are looking for inspiration, our website will soon have recipes featuring some of these products.

Guide to Sauces, Preserves and Spreads

Cumberland Sauce: This is a classic English sauce which should always be served cold. Its main ingredients are red currants, port and oranges and many recipes also contain ginger. It is served with hot or cold gammon, lamb, cold goose, game, game pie and poultry.

Mint Sauce/Mint Jelly: This sauce is made from finely chopped mint leaves which are soaked in vinegar with a bit of sugar. It is traditionally served with roast lamb but can also be added to pea soup, or to yoghurt to make a mint raita. Mint Jelly should be a golden colour and is made using the pectin from fresh tart apples and water in addition to the ingredients used in mint sauce.

Cranberry Sauce: Another classic which is traditionally served cold with turkey at Christmas or Thanksgiving. Cold turkey and cranberry sauce sandwiches are a delicious way of using up leftover turkey!

Redcurrant Jelly: This is delicious served with roast lamb and poultry but can also be added to red cabbage or roast vegetables. It can also be enjoyed on bread or toast and can be combined with peanut butter to make an interesting spread.

Brown Sauce: A sweet fruity sauce that can be served with everything from chops to sausages, bacon and eggs, macaroni cheese and chips.

Tomato Sauce: This one needs no introduction. Like brown sauce, it can be served with just about everything from scrambled eggs to macaroni cheese, chips, meat......

Chutney: This is a relish made from fruit or vegetables with vinegar, sugar and spices. Chutneys can range from fairly mild to quite hot. They make an excellent accompaniment to cheeses, cheese dishes, egg, pasta and curries.

Mustard: Made from crushed mustard seeds which are then mixed with water, and wine vinegar, and sometimes with champagne or brandy. English mustards tend to be stronger than French ones. As well as their traditional use as a condiment, mustards can be added to mayonnaise, cheese sauces or crème fraiche to add extra flavour.

Grape Jellies: These jellies make a wonderful addition to sauces to go with beef and poultry, or even with desserts. They also go perfectly with cheese and pies or enjoy them just spread on buttered bread or croissants – sheer luxury!

Finally, a word about Mincemeat: This is not something to put in a pie to be served with vegetables and potatoes (although historically this was probably the case) and it is not to be eaten straight out of the jar like jam! Mincemeat is made from dried and candied fruits, spices and suet, soaked in rum or brandy. It is traditionally served warm at Christmas in mince pies but is delicious at any time of year in baked apples or apple and mincemeat tarts.

©Alison Bellhouse 2008

Alison and Mike Bellhouse established Time for Tea www.timefortea.ch in response to increasing demand for quality food and drinks from Britain. Some of the products on our web site are already available in selected stores in Switzerland but hardly any of these carry the entire range and it is not always convenient for people to visit stores in the larger cities.

Time for Tea offers you the opportunity to browse the products and purchase at your leisure. We deliver to your door, saving you the need to carry those heavy items home!