My day in cups of tea
We asked foodie writer Lucy Brazier to tell us all about how she spends her day in cuppas (and a few festive tipples, too…)
Morning! How do you like to start your day? I join pals for a sunrise swim. At Christmas, we bring hot chocolate laced with ginger, cinnamon and chilli. Then home to warm up? Yes, I have a mug of strong builder’s tea and porridge or toast. Then I work at my kitchen table, in front of the log burner. And what is your line of work? I’m a freelance writer and work on my own projects as well as those for other people, like the campaigner, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. So, you have a good line in snacks? I’m usually recipe testing, so there'll always be a tin of mince pies or a stollen hanging around. Delicious. Fancy a drink with that? Coffee is a mid-morning ritual. I’ve an old stove-top coffee pot and a battered enamel pan to warm the milk. I use a beautiful beaker made by a talented ceramicist pal of mine. What’s for lunch? If I’m on a deadline, then it’s food I can pick at while typing – cheese, crackers, pear and a punchy pickle. Back to work. How's your afternoon? I’m generally less distracted in the afternoon because I know I’m on a countdown until the school bus arrives. I fill the teapot as I hear it coming. Three children leap off, drop bags and sit at the kitchen table for tea and biscuits. Or a cake if I've been procrastinating. When is it acceptable to start on the mulled wine? I prefer a mulled cider as the sun sets. And when does it finally feel like Christmas? Working on festive projects for the past few years means I’ve been busy right up to the last minute but then I take two weeks off. I love being with my family without distractions. We’ve a gin bar, a jigsaw table and an old wicker shopping trolley full of chocolate.