Welcome to the AT HOME Podcast.
This week's interview is: THE HERSTORY OF BABINGTON’S TEA ROOM, ROME, ITALY WITH OWNER, CHIARA BANDINI.
00:00:56 – 00:03:13 BABINGTON’S TEA HOUSE, located in Rome, Italy, was established in 1893 by two women entrepreneurs, Isabel Cargill and Anna Marie Babington.
00:03:13 – 00:08:16 Chiara Bandini, current owner and descendant of Isabel Cargill. Chiara is currently studying to be a tea sommelier, adding to her already extensive knowledge of teas. The history of Babington’s,
and tea, in general, has involved learning where tea came from, the stories behind tea, how to determine the quality of tea through touch, smell, taste, visual texture/color, and how to brew. Babington’s location in the center of Rome, in the hub of the city.
00:08:16 – 00:10:26 How Babington’s began. In 1896, Isabel Cargill, great grandmother of Chiara, is left by her husband, then leaves England with her friend, Anna Marie, Babington and arrives in Rome. No tea rooms. The two women start their entrepreneurial venture with 100 pounds and
open a small tea room. One year later, they renovate the stables of the original building occupied even now. This historical tea house has always been a place where there is a meeting of worlds.
0:10:26 – 00:14:15 Brief historical facts about tea. Tea was born in China 5,000 years ago. Tea, in lndia, began in early 1800’s with the flourishing East India Co. and England’s inability to access tea from China. English spies in China smuggle seeds out and bring to India to grow. Demand is so high, seeds are then brought to Ceylon, Sri Lanka. Tea plants/medicinals are also smuggled out of China by warriors and monks.
00:14:15 – 00:19:50 Historical facts cont. Current location of Babington’s survived WWI and WWII and never closed. Democratic nature of the tea house has has existed since opening-a place that has hosted political rivals simul-taneously. Tea House has always been a place that women could go to by themselves and was the first public place that offered a public rest-room for women. Closed ½ day when Americans and English liberated the city and ended the war. Historical facts cont. Unusual for women entrepreneurs to open a business in a Rome, a very provincial, male-oriented city, in which coffee was the preferred beverage. The opening of a women’s restroom also makes the newspaper headlines.
00:19:50 – 00:27:29 Evolution of the décor over the years from austere to English quirkiness. The attitude of love and caring the owners and servers exhibit for the tea house, its place in history and as place where history was and is often made. A historical mecca for families, artists, politicians and tourists. Historical connection with Hollywood-first to serve flat meatballs (burgers) in Rome due to movie industry connection.
00:28:32 – 00:29:30 Book written about the history of Babington’s Tea House, which can be downloaded free online. Go to http://www.Babington’s.com.
00:29:30 – 00:35:35 The democratic nature of the English Tea Ceremony- something to do alone, with a friend, with a book, or while writing a poem. The caffeine in tea provide a much longer window of concentration than that of coffee. How they mostly stayed open and survived Covid.
Contact CHIARA BANDINI:
https://www.BabingtonsTeahouse.com
IG: @Babingtons
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