125 YEARS OF LOVE FOR TEA
Today Babingtons is run by the fourth generation of Miss Cargill’s descendants, Rory and Chiara who are going to tell us first hand what this magical moment means:
“On their arrival in Rome in 1893, Anna Maria Babington and our great-grandmother Isabel Cargill decided to open a Tearooms. These two young gentlewomen of great vision and foresight and above all an overwhelming enthusiasm for tea, gave life to a dream which today celebrates 125 years. To be able to celebrate this historic event fills us with pride and joy. A joy we can’t wait to share with you during the many surprises and initiatives we have in store for you this year. What would be the point of celebrating without you? To all our collaborators, visitors, mentors, clients, tea fans, all of you who, over the years, have made the story of Babingtons great we offer a heartfelt thank you!”
In Chiara’s words . . .
“A truly special year has begun. A year in which we would like to celebrate not only our Tearooms but also the tradition of English Afternoon tea and tea itself, that extraordinary drink that for centuries has caught the world’s imagination.
Babingtons represents the highest point of reference in Italy for this exciting rite and for its culture. A rite we have contributed to and popularised from way back in 1893 in a country where tea could only be bought at the chemists. That which for most was considered to be a simple medicine to us has been much, much more. For us tea means wellbeing, care of oneself and of others. It means friends and family and special moments to share, away from the humdrum of daily life in the city. But also of quality. In the past few years we have enjoyed experimenting with new blends and reliving the older ones, each time raising the bar on quality. A continual process we have been carrying out with love over the past 125 years, to obtain the very best blends just for you.
What do I see for the future? As proud and pleased as I am with the goals we have achieved so far, I am fully aware of all the blends still to be conceived, all the recipes that have still not been thought of . . . in short, we must continue as we are, exploring teas with the passion and curiosity which distinguishes us above all others. On this journey we would really like to bring Babingtons teas to all the world and make our history and quality known to all the tea-lovers out there.
And what does Rory have to say. . .
“Over the past 125 years and four generations we have not only created an historic Tearooms in which one can enjoy a quiet cup of tea in a relaxing atmosphere, Babingtons is much more than this. Year after year we have shared the knowledge of the timeless and quintessential tradition, the English Afternoon Tea, from brunch to high tea; from our typical recipes such as Queen Victoria’s favourites, scones, to the classic old time blends such as Earl Grey.
However! Babingtons very DNA is made from forward-looking innovation, gifted to us by those two intrepid young ladies who became the first female entrepreneurs to open an English Tearooms in Italy!
Today we express our fresh and innovative ideas in our carefully thought out events dedicated to tea, with a modern twist such as our Victorian Happy Hour in which you may be served with tea based cocktails, special recipes, all our Victorian paraphernalia laid our for your delectation and our special packaging; while always keeping a close eye on our main guide, id est english style and tradition!
What do I see for the future? A lot of exciting new challenges! 2018 marks our 125th anniversary but is also the springboard to another 125 years of Babingtons history filled with great happenings.”
It seems that 2018 is going to be a year filled with celebrations! Please make use of our social network channels to find out about our upcoming events.