Houwerzijl Tea Museum

The tea museum

We love tea. We’re a family of  tea lovers – always experimenting and trying out different types and flavours. For me, visiting a tea shop is always a learning experience. For instance, it wasn’t till I visited a tea shop in Leiden that I knew blooming teas existed!

Tea leaves

So when we planned a short trip to the North of the Netherlands and I saw there was a Tea museum in the region, I knew we just had to visit it.

The tea museum is open The gardens at the tea museumThe gardens at the tea museum The gardens at the tea museum

The drive from Groningen through farmland and small villages was well worth it. We arrived just before lunch time, parked the cark in the carpark behind the museum and walked through the back garden with its arched walkways and stone-lined paths. 

Arched walkways on stone walls

The walls were full of juicy looking grapes….which we didn’t taste!

Grapes on the vine Grapes on the vineGrapes on the vine Grapes on the vine

The Tea Museum, or ‘De Theefabriek’ is all about tea – its history, production and uses: medicinal to decorative.

The gardens at the tea museum

Its origin and source from around the world is showcased all around the museum. You can also watch a video (in dutch!) about Tea.

IMG_3858 Box for packing teaHats Tea

There is a whole corner devoted to the Japanese Tea ceremony

Japanese tea itemsTea transportation across the world

It was nice for the kids to have a wonder around – see tea leaves in the flesh and understand a little bit about what they love to drink. It is quite small and compact but nice enough to spend an hour or two wandering around.

Tea leaves Women on cardboard, picking teaThe tea factory The tea factoryIMG_3833 Sorting tools for tea

There were different types of tea on display

  Jars for tea Jars for tea

And a ‘fun’ section of cupboards with characters and buildings painted on. I think the kids had the most fun here! 

Fun tea wall at the tea museum

Each cupboard has an arrangement/set-up related to the character and tea so Barbie has her tea set, Alice in Wonderland  has a book open to the chapter on the Tea party and Fred Flintstone has his ground tea for soup.

Fred Flintstone Fred Flintstone's tea soupWinnie the Pooh at the tea museum Winnie the Pooh's tea setLondon and Big Ben PG tips at the teamuseumBarbie at the tea museum Barbie and tea Barbie at the tea museumAlice in Wonderland at the teamuseum Alice's tea party at the tea museumAustralian Billy tea at the tea museum Billy Tea at the Tea MuseumDonald Duck at the tea museum Donald Duck at the tea museum

We saw a special exhibition on Tea in life – everything from medicinal to art and sorcery in between.

Tea art Hanging teabagsTea fortunes Hanging teabags on dressesTea fortunes Tea as medicene

The tea shop is stocked to the nines – all types of tea and utensils, from your regular teabags to handmade sewn leaves,  teapots, teacups, spoons, strainers and sacs. Cookies to go with Tea, Bath and Body tea packs and lots more. We  brought loads of tea back – more blooming tea and a heart tea strainer.  

Japanese teasets at the tea shop Spoons at the tea shop Tea canisters IMG_3963 Tea bath and beauty stuffTeaSpecialty tea buds TeapotsTeabagsHeartshaped tea strainers T-sacsDecorative box

We didn’t stay to have a drink but what I saw on plates looked enticing! Maybe next time.

High tea servings

The Tea Museum, Houwerzijl 

Hoofdstraat. 15-17, 9973 PD Houwerzijl – Netherlands
Website: http://www.theefabriek.nl/contact/index.php
 
What we bought

2 Comments

  1. you take this blog to a new level. your pictures of places and the mix of the food and the stories gives it a magazine feel. good luck

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