Fair-trade afternoon tea

Photo provided to China Daily

Justly famous for dainty cakes, finger sandwiches and buttery scones, the Peninsula Hotel Shanghai's iconic afternoon tea is now introducing fair-trade tea. On Monday, the hotel adds four additional types of tea - Peninsula Blend, Breakfast Tea, Afternoon Tea and Evening Tea - to the original menu of 16 teas. Exclusively supplied by the Teesta Valley Tea estate in India, which has been producing premium teas since 1841, it is a rare chance to sip and appreciate fair-trade tea in Shanghai, if not all of China.

Each of the teas has been grown, nurtured, processed and packed adhering to international Fairtrade principles by the tea estate in Darjeeling. While there is an extra 12 to 15 percent cost of sourcing fair-trade teas, the hotel says it will absorb the cost and not raise its afternoon tea set price of 298 yuan ($45) per person plus 15 percent service charge. Social responsibilities aside, the distinctive aromas of the four types, either robust but brisk, or subtle yet lingering, make a satisfying pairing with the pastries for a pleasant afternoon. Reservations not accepted.

2-6 pm, The Lobby, The Peninsula Hotel Shanghai. 32 Zhongshan Road E1, Huangpu district, Shanghai. 021-2327-2888