# Tea on ships



## BarnacleGrim

I guess Shipsnostalgia is a predominantly British forum, so I'm taking it for granted that most of you drink tea.

One day as I was putting the kettle on at the beginning of the watch on a Swedish ship a mate commented with a sense futility that I was "fighting bravely to bring tea on ships". It does seem coffee is the beverage of choice, but what about ships from other countries? And what kind of tea?


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## JoK

3 pots of coffee and one of tea on all hours. The tea had the tea bags left in it to make it the appropriate strength.


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## Coastie

I'd want the first one out then.


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## McCloggie

Morning watch - Large pot of tea to the bridge plus milk and sugar all carried up in a bucket plus toast and butter! Available for all on watch.

If Watchkeeper McC had this and a packet of cigarettes, then all was well!

McC


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## James_C

No matter where you go in the world and regardless of the nationality of the crew, the ship or the owners you will always find onboard the staple of maritime life that is Liptons Yellow Label.
Oh and lets not forget Lux soap and teepol!


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## BarnacleGrim

I've been mixing Ceylon with Gunpowder lately, but I just brought home some Yunnan tea. I miss a good pot of tea when I'm at sea, having to make do with the bags. That bucket of tea and toast is just the incentive to get up and go on watch early in the morning.


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## stores

I Had Forgotten About Teepol, ! I Remember An Orange Coloured Crystels In A Round Drum Called Basil ! Took The Skin Off Your Hands, Used It In The Engine Room For Cleaning, Stores


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## BarnacleGrim

What about Milo? Not tea, but a staple on the Pacific Rim. Has anyone seen it on board?


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## Coastie

I used to hate milo. Thankfully, I haven't seen it in years.


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## trotterdotpom

Milo is pretty popular in Australia. I've never tried it because I thought it might be like Ovaltine which I also haven't tried.

My mother would take out a contract o anyone who gave her tea made with a tea bag - it was the authentic English tea ceremony or nothing. Americans were banned from the house after she heard about the Boston Tea Party - fortunately there weren't many around our neck of the woods.

John T.


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## BarnacleGrim

I'm fresh out, lucky there's an Asian supermarket not far away. Reading on the tin it sounds like a cure for rickets. It doesn't taste terrific, but it does take me back, living in New Caledonia for a year as a child, and getting me started on old ships, as a passenger on the Moana II and Boulari.


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## Satanic Mechanic

James_C said:


> No matter where you go in the world and regardless of the nationality of the crew, the ship or the owners you will always find onboard the staple of maritime life that is Liptons Yellow Label.
> Oh and lets not forget Lux soap and teepol!


Yeah weird one that isn't it - also Linghams chilli sauce and four bells rum.

As a ferocious consumer of tea I join with a few of my own teabags including Sainsburies Darjeeling and organic earl grey. I have also recently rather taken to chinese tea in stupid amounts only down side is that in its loose form it looks so much like erm ... 'recreational' leaves of a different sort I am scared to travel with it(Jester)


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## Duncan112

Linghams chilli sauce - found it in Tesco the other week, my day was complete, also for those of you that did the South African Run Mrs H S Balls Chutney is available from Morrisons (Also the little South African shop under Charing Cross Station - together with proper Biltong) but we digress....


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## surfaceblow

Has a Apprentice Engineer it was part of my duties to make coffee for the Officers Coffee Time break. I alternated with the cadets onboard the ship in making coffee. Since I was always drinking Tea make with the Yellow Boxed Lipton my proficiency in making coffee was suspect so I was rotated out of making coffee on that particular ship. Being a Lykes Bros ship the coffee was a brand that mixed hickory with the coffee which I never did get a taste for. At home I am the only coffee drinker so I rarely make myself a pot of coffee for myself. 

Joe


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## tunatownshipwreck

Having visited over 1000 ships, I've had occasion to drink tea on many of them, and when offered my choice, tea would be available, although on some ships it would require a search for tea bags.
Generally it would be the standard beverage on ships from most of Asia and what was the British Empire. other nationalities, like the Russians, had both brewing at any given time. It seems to me tea was rarest on Greek ships.


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## tsell

In the 50's we always had the coffee served in a large kettle to which was added a good pinch of salt.
Does anyone remember this practice - is it served with salt today?

Taff


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## Coastie

Why salt?


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## spongebob

Taff, they put salt in coffee to reduce the bitterness but good espresso coffee should never taste bitter.

Bob


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## Pat Kennedy

The taste of a cup of tea on board ship depended very much on the fresh water supply, where it was sourced and also on the condition of the fresh water tanks. 
I remember that water taken on board in Hong Kong made the tea taste different than that taken on board in Aden, and water from Swansea made a horrible cup of tea.
I was extensively tutored on my first ship in the art of making a very large pot of tea for 17 men. It appeared to be the most important of my duties as sailor's peggy.

regards, 
Pat(Thumb)


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## Billieboy

Coming down on watch for the 4-8, if the tea wasn't on the desk at 04.02, at the latest, then there was hell to pay! Toast was 06.00 with the second mug of tea, usually just after finishing boiler water tests. On the 8-12 evening watch tea for the Chief Engineer at 21.00. 12-4 afternoon watch tea was at 15.00 at Sea and in Port when the day workers had smoko in the MCR.


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## James_C

Having got so utterly fed up of Liptons Yellow label, some years ago I began taking my own tea with me when I go to sea.
Proper leaf tea of course, something which causes no end of amusement to those onboard as they watch the process that goes into making a proper brew.
Oddly enough, those that snigger most are usually amongst the first to ask if they can have a cup of the stuff so as to try it, in more than few cases it's probably the first cup of proper tea they've ever had - I've had no complaints so far!


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## purserjuk

Re Milo. We carried tons of the stuff as cargo to West Africa in the 50's and 
60,s. When I was at sea we had to put condensed milk in the tea as no fresh milk carried. OK once you got used to the taste.


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## Nick Balls

I helped bring back a dilapidated old supply vessel from North Africa to the UK a few years ago and with little time to check a thousand important things while storing up in Malta we forgot the tea! Don't ever ever do this folks ! A ship with no tea is serious bad news! Yes we had coffee but that simply is NOT the same thing. On arrival in the UK the very first thing done was to secure a supply of tea bags prior to the pay off party.


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## Binnacle

At one time on British ships there were two types of tea and coffee taken aboard as stores in the UK, Tea - Cabin, Tea - Crew, Coffee- Cabin, Coffee & Chicory - Crew. We reckoned the Tea-Crew was the sweepings of the ship chandler's warehouse. Needless to say it put me off ship's tea altogether.


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## spongebob

Quote

"The taste of a cup of tea on board ship depended very much on the fresh water supply, where it was sourced and also on the condition of the fresh water tanks"

You're right Pat the water source is important in tea making, On our Collier running between Auckland and Westport we used to pump our FW tanks clear of Auckland's over chlorinated water and refill with the Westport supply that came straight from the Southern Alp mountains. The tea took on a totally different taste and the drinking quality of plain water likewise.

Bob


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## bbarr

Talking of skin removing agents,who remembers 'Comprox'. Seem to recall using it for 'sugeying down' on British Tankers.


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## Old Janner

tsell said:


> In the 50's we always had the coffee served in a large kettle to which was added a good pinch of salt.
> Does anyone remember this practice - is it served with salt today?
> 
> Taff


Taff the ground coffee your probably talking about was "Twinning's"
Speacily made for ships must have been B.O.T, came in 7 lb metal tins with a soldered top, which used to be a bastard to opend some times.

We used to boil it up in a big pot on the stove then send to the mess rooms by large kettles for smoko, Why did we pit salt in it (I don't know) I just did waht the cook told me.
Some different variants depending on the cook, Put the coffe grrounds into cold water and bring it to the boil, but the granules in boiling water and let it boil for 30 minutes, let the water simmer, put egg shells in it,
That one I was never sure of the reason and never got an answer.

What ever, I never did have a good cup of coffee , until the invented Maxwell house.

Tea on BP tankers came in Big Tea Chests, metal strips tacked all the way round, when opended it was wrapped in thin tin foil, I always remember the aroma when the chest was first opened.

Indian Crew ships they empty Box was loke a piece of gold, crew would fight over them. That was all before liptons tea bags came onto the scene.

Best regards,

Spence (old Janner)


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## john fraser

James_C said:


> No matter where you go in the world and regardless of the nationality of the crew, the ship or the owners you will always find onboard the staple of maritime life that is Liptons Yellow Label.
> Oh and lets not forget Lux soap and teepol!


Once queried UK & Danish shipchandlers,at a meeting in Stavanger .why did we always get supplied with the same teabags and same soap.I was told to put the brand name of the product required on the store order.e.g.Tetleys teabags .The Norwegian camp bosses jumped on the bandwagon and started requesting mostly Uk products by name no matter where they stored at.be it West Africa or the States.


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## TonyAllen

slightly of thread I know but talking about water, over in west lancashire the water is hard on the wirral its soft so the tea is of a compleatly different taste when we visit our son. Back home we can't wait to get the kettle on Tony


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## Ray Mac

BarnacleGrim said:


> What about Milo? Not tea, but a staple on the Pacific Rim. Has anyone seen it on board?


Milo - Horlicks -Drinking Chocolate -Ovaltine, but canna beat a pot of tea and two or three **** before you start ps i'v stopped smoking(Applause)

Ray


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## Ray Mac

Billieboy said:


> Coming down on watch for the 4-8, if the tea wasn't on the desk at 04.02, at the latest, then there was hell to pay! Toast was 06.00 with the second mug of tea, usually just after finishing boiler water tests. On the 8-12 evening watch tea for the Chief Engineer at 21.00. 12-4 afternoon watch tea was at 15.00 at Sea and in Port when the day workers had smoko in the MCR.


Toast at 06.00 did the stewards turn to early?


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## Billieboy

Not bloody likely, the galley boy and cook had their orders, otherwise funny things happened to the galley stoves and the fridges! Never a problem for me, I had a very big fireman on my first trip in charge of the 4-8, the galley got the message!


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## Pat McCardle

I take my own supply of tea bags & have done for 15+ years. Rington's Kenya Gold, Twinnings Earl Grey & usually a fruit tea as this tastes good when cold, which it usually is by the time I have a break to enjoy it.

Who remembers the tins of jam & marmalade, marvelous stuff.(Thumb)


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## Ray Mac

Billieboy said:


> Not bloody likely, the galley boy and cook had their orders, otherwise funny things happened to the galley stoves and the fridges! Never a problem for me, I had a very big fireman on my first trip in charge of the 4-8, the galley got the message!



Butchers hook should have given you something(Thumb) and you would have been on the toilet for a week(==D). Never seen a ginger beer giving orders to the galley were they TWN.

Ray:sweat:


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## BarnacleGrim

The water on one boat, when used for tea, left unsightly stains on all the mugs, and more unpleasantly, my teeth.


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## Ray Mac

Pat McCardle said:


> I take my own supply of tea bags & have done for 15+ years. Rington's Kenya Gold, Twinnings Earl Grey & usually a fruit tea as this tastes good when cold, which it usually is by the time I have a break to enjoy it.
> 
> Who remembers the tins of jam & marmalade, marvelous stuff.(Thumb)


In two and seven pound tins(EEK) Them were the days Pat


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## john fraser

Pat McCardle said:


> I take my own supply of tea bags & have done for 15+ years. Rington's Kenya Gold, Twinnings Earl Grey & usually a fruit tea as this tastes good when cold, which it usually is by the time I have a break to enjoy it.
> 
> Who remembers the tins of jam & marmalade, marvelous stuff.(Thumb)


Don,t tell the company.they.ll be cutting the feeding rate.

Why was it mostly Greengage or Gooseberry jam?


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## john fraser

Billieboy said:


> Not bloody likely, the galley boy and cook had their orders, otherwise funny things happened to the galley stoves and the fridges! Never a problem for me, I had a very big fireman on my first trip in charge of the 4-8, the galley got the message!


If it was an oilfired stove never seen anyone that could set them,best left to the cook. Fridges,well the engineroom was responsible to make sure they weren,t tampered with.Big firemen were no problem,they were usually the quiet ones. Saw one brought down to size by the flat edge of the cooks meat cleaver.on the side of his face.Paid off sporting a lovely black eye.


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## Pat McCardle

john fraser said:


> Don,t tell the company.they.ll be cutting the feeding rate.
> 
> Why was it mostly Greengage or Gooseberry jam?


Keeping you regular(EEK) I remember a load of Strawberry jam in PandO


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## len mazza

*Tea @Coffee*

Hi,you stole my thunder there Old Janner.There was no coffee on Shell when I was with them,instant for the saloon,measured one 
soon per body in saloon,I did the measuring so I know its true.
For some reason the tea chests where much sought after by the
storekeepers.

Len MazzaR621945

2


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## jg grant

As a boy a couple of years after the war I went, with my family, aboard the USS Wisconsin out on the hooks off Leith. What a buzz! An American sailor came up with a tray full of pint mugs of tea. I took one and he asked me how many sugars did I want. I could only stare at him and he had to repeat the question because at that time it was rationed and the notion that you could get as much as you wanted was alien to me. Probably pigged out but I can't remember. Taff#16. I used to put salt in the filter coffee when I had a cafe in Milford. It's a taste enhancer but you wouldn't want to do so as you'd notice.
Regards Ronnie. Hope Santa will be good to all of you.


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## Billieboy

Burned Toast said:


> Butchers hook should have given you something(Thumb) and you would have been on the toilet for a week(==D). Never seen a ginger beer giving orders to the galley were they TWN.
> 
> Ray:sweat:


Never a Problem with the Galley, we engineers were well looked after!


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## john fraser

Pat McCardle said:


> Keeping you regular(EEK) I remember a load of Strawberry jam in PandO


Aye Pat. You just thought it was Strawberry jam. I am sure Walter Smith,Cook,added red colouring to all the jams.I know in Ben Line,we used to swap the labels to annoy the Donkeymen.but replaced them later.after they had their moan.Mind you we were all the best of mates.


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## Klaatu83

I once sailed on a Sealand container ship where they kept a large box of loose Indian tea on the bridge. So far as I am aware, I was the only one who ever drank it. I can't remember the name of the brand, but I used make it by the potful by putting it through the drip coffee machine, and it came out very well. 

Every evening the Old Man used to come up on the bridge to write his night orders. He always seemed to be in a foul mood and, for a long time, I never knew the reason why. Finally, somebody clued me in that Old Man was a habitual coffee drinker, and he was pissed off that I always had a pot of tea on the bridge instead of a pot of coffee. After that I started making coffee instead and, from then on, the Old Man and I got along fine.


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## matthew flinders

[Who remembers the tins of jam & marmalade, marvelous stuff.(Thumb)[/QUOTE]

I do. Does anyone know where you can get Koo Melon & Ginger jam in the UK? A food scientist mate of mine reckoned he could replicate it - failed miserably.


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## surfaceblow

Klaatu83 said:


> I once sailed on a Sealand container ship where they kept a large box of loose Indian tea on the bridge. So far as I am aware, I was the only one who ever drank it. I can't remember the name of the brand, but I used make it by the potful by putting it through the drip coffee machine, and it came out very well.
> 
> Every evening the Old Man used to come up on the bridge to write his night orders. He always seemed to be in a foul mood and, for a long time, I never knew the reason why. Finally, somebody clued me in that Old Man was a habitual coffee drinker, and he was pissed off that I always had a pot of tea on the bridge instead of a pot of coffee. After that I started making coffee instead and, from then on, the Old Man and I got along fine.



When I was sailing there was two coffee makers on the Bridge, engine room and in my office for that very reason. At least it saved time and water you did not have to rinse the pot or basket to get the other taste out of the pot. 

Joe


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## ccurtis1

I'm with Binnacle on this. Never drank tea since my first year at sea when the stuff served up was thick, black and bitter. It put me off tea for life.


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## BarnacleGrim

On my last boat you couldn't run both the coffee maker and the water kettle at the same time without knocking out the cruise control.

Also, I really ought to go and buy a case of oranges for marmalade. The stuff you typically buy here is mostly water and thickener and very little orange. Guava is great for jam too, if you can come by them.


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## vickentallen

Crystals were Bassil (spelling)


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## Klaatu83

BarnacleGrim said:


> On my last boat you couldn't run both the coffee maker and the water kettle at the same time without knocking out the cruise control.


Given the choice between a hot cuppa and "Iron Mike", the solution is obvious: switch off the "cruise control" and run on hand steering! A very wise guy once observed that "the most important piece of navigation equipment on the bridge of any ship is the coffee pot".


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## john fraser

matthew flinders said:


> [Who remembers the tins of jam & marmalade, marvelous stuff.(Thumb)


I do. Does anyone know where you can get Koo Melon & Ginger jam in the UK? A food scientist mate of mine reckoned he could replicate it - failed miserably.[/QUOTE]

Melon & Ginger Jam brought back memories,so I "googled" and came up with a few UK websites.mainly All Gold Brand.as follows.
www.toftshop.co.uk
www.kalaharimoon.co.uk
There are a few others in the UK


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## Pat McCardle

john fraser said:


> Aye Pat. You just thought it was Strawberry jam. I am sure Walter Smith,Cook,added red colouring to all the jams.
> 
> Wally was one of the best, he even had it tasting like strawberries(Thumb)


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## Pat Kennedy

There was a persistent rumour at sea,(also in the armed forces) that bromide was added to the tea as an anaphrodisiac. 
Bromide is a sedative and as with most sedatives, does have an effect on male libido.
However, although I drank gallons of tea, it didnt work on me!

Regards, 
Pat(K)


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## eldersuk

It's just starting to work on me!

Derek


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## ALAN TYLER

James_C said:


> No matter where you go in the world and regardless of the nationality of the crew, the ship or the owners you will always find onboard the staple of maritime life that is Liptons Yellow Label.
> Oh and lets not forget Lux soap and teepol!


Lux soap and Teepol such "lux"uries!!!!


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## Nick Balls

Ahh..... that international currency unit the "Lux" the things that could by ! Worth more than bars of gold.


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## Union Jack

*Being a Lykes Bros ship the coffee was a brand that mixed hickory with the coffee which I never did get a taste for....*

.... which is not a complete surprise since most coffee companies mixed their coffee with *Chicory*!

Jack


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## tunatownshipwreck

Union Jack said:


> *Being a Lykes Bros ship the coffee was a brand that mixed hickory with the coffee which I never did get a taste for....*
> 
> .... which is not a complete surprise since most coffee companies mixed their coffee with *Chicory*!
> 
> Jack


Yes, but Lykes is a southern company, home of "old hickory". [=P]


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## Diver

Tsel, remember every pot I made adding a pinch of salt , took the bite of the rotten water that we had, I knew one cook who would toss a raw egg in shells 
and all, never could figure what the shells were supposed to do .


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## Pat Kennedy

Diver said:


> Tsel, remember every pot I made adding a pinch of salt , took the bite of the rotten water that we had, I knew one cook who would toss a raw egg in shells
> and all, never could figure what the shells were supposed to do .


Why it works, I dont know but it does. Put a rinsed eggshell in the coffee pot, and you get the smoothest coffee you ever tasted.
It settles the grounds, and takes away the bitter taste of cheaper blends.
Try it and see.
regards, 
Pat 
(Thumb)


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## Pearl Diver

*tinned jam*



matthew flinders said:


> [Who remembers the tins of jam & marmalade, marvelous stuff.(Thumb)


Remember it well, I think most of it was made by a company called Tickler in Paisley This was how the hand rolling tobacco got it's name, it looked similar

I do. Does anyone know where you can get Koo Melon & Ginger jam in the UK? A food scientist mate of mine reckoned he could replicate it - failed miserably.[/QUOTE]


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## david freeman

BarnacleGrim said:


> I guess Shipsnostalgia is a predominantly British forum, so I'm taking it for granted that most of you drink tea.
> 
> One day as I was putting the kettle on at the beginning of the watch on a Swedish ship a mate commented with a sense futility that I was "fighting bravely to bring tea on ships". It does seem coffee is the beverage of choice, but what about ships from other countries? And what kind of tea?


 Tea for the british I understood when supplied in the old tea chests and direct from the ships chandler according to the old BOT rules contained an ingerdiant to contain and control lobedio: But maybe this is an old PO Chefs/Ch Stewards tale just to keep the younger crew members at bay?


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## Seawitch Artist

Pat Kennedy said:


> There was a persistent rumour at sea,(also in the armed forces) that bromide was added to the tea as an anaphrodisiac.


This myth also circulated plenty in the army about tea at the 'Glasshouse'..utter bull, I would know I did ten days(Sad), we got our tea from the cookhouse like everyone else.Anyway, I only ever remember black loose tea on British ships, I never saw green or herbal Tea.


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## slick

All,
I believe that Liptons are off to Poland, so its Yorkshire Gold now or Tetleys Extra Strong for me.
The last Chicory plant in the Uk was at Lakenheath Station, it closed sometime ago and is now the site of a Tyre re-cycling plant I think that says it all about BOT Coffee.

Yours aye,
slick


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## johnny.x

seawitch artist, only the modern sailor will have the mod cons in the tea-world. as you say most of us would have had the tea in the chests and coffee in the tins, no modern day choice of flavours. it was drink it or leave it!! as for the bromide i thought that was only in H.M. prisons.?


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## trotterdotpom

"This myth also circulated plenty in the army about tea at the 'Glasshouse'..utter bull, I would know I did ten days, we got our tea from the cookhouse like everyone else."

Assume everything kept working then. Were you the giver or the taker?

John T.


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## johnny.x

Behave yourself john t!!


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## PAULD

What i drank depened on the milk that was available, fresh milk was for tea, uht then i was on coffee and when that ran out and we was on the connie ogie Nestles condensed then it was coco time


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## Tony Shaw

Talking about bromide I think they used to put it in limejuice they used to serve up in hot climes. I was also told it was to dampen your sex drive - not that it would have made any difference trading back and to to the Persian Gulf !!


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## Seawitch Artist

trotterdotpom said:


> "
> Assume everything kept working then. Were you the giver or the taker?
> 
> John T.


If I'd seen that earlier I'd be saying a lot more than just watch yourself.


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## slick

All,
Did I hear correctly?, that Roses Lime Juice is no longer made, surely not?.

Yours aye,

slick


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## woodend

Roses lime juice is certainly available here in S.A. together with many other brands which imitate but can't compare. 
Reading this thread though reminds me of one dirty winters night as pilot in Cape Town and boarding one of the big Spanish trawlers. The Captain asked me how I liked my coffee when I had got her steady. Black with sugar I replied and a few minutes later a hot mug was put in my hands. I took a swig and just about spat out all over the bridge. Sorry Pilot....no brandy....GIN! says the Captain.(Gleam)


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## Pearl Diver

I very quickly got used to the old connie onnie milk in my tea when I first went to sea. In fact I used to insist that my Mum put it in my tea when home on leave. I always remember that if someone broke out a tin of shakey shakey (Carnation or Libbys evaporated) it was like Christmas.


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## borderreiver

john fraser said:


> I do. Does anyone know where you can get Koo Melon & Ginger jam in the UK? A food scientist mate of mine reckoned he could replicate it - failed miserably.


Melon & Ginger Jam brought back memories,so I "googled" and came up with a few UK websites.mainly All Gold Brand.as follows.
www.toftshop.co.uk
www.kalaharimoon.co.uk
There are a few others in the UK[/QUOTE]

pick some in cape town on a border boat. it great stuff agree wish you could get in uk


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## alan ward

Breakfast on the Empress of England,a fresh warm roll from the baker,the crispy bacon from the back of the press and a big mug of hot tea,off to the duty mess for a break.


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## Mick Spear

john fraser said:


> I do. Does anyone know where you can get Koo Melon & Ginger jam in the UK? A food scientist mate of mine reckoned he could replicate it - failed miserably.


Melon & Ginger Jam brought back memories,so I "googled" and came up with a few UK websites.mainly All Gold Brand.as follows.
www.toftshop.co.uk
www.kalaharimoon.co.uk
There are a few others in the UK[/QUOTE]

Stem ginger is the correct condiment for Melon especially honeydew melon. does make it taste great too. It used to come in a jar marinated in oil and we would dice it nice and thin. God that takes me back to the Passenger cargo boats.
Mick S


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## Mick Spear

trotterdotpom said:


> "This myth also circulated plenty in the army about tea at the 'Glasshouse'..utter bull, I would know I did ten days, we got our tea from the cookhouse like everyone else."
> 
> Assume everything kept working then. Were you the giver or the taker?
> 
> John T.


(Applause)


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## ray morgan

As peggy I always remember getting a large jam tin with the correct amount of tea in it and a jam tin with the correct amount of su gar in it with a tin of conny onne in each, off the 2nd Steward in Blu Flu.I remember my favorite jam was Greengage.


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## Old Janner

*Tea on Ships,*

I see a lot of you mention Lellow Lipton Tea Bags, what about the age before Tea Bags/
On BP Tankers we used to get Ceylon Tea in 'Tea Chests' in think they were about a 20 Kg size,which was always a challenge to open, due to the metal strip colding the lid you woold need a Risk assessment to open one of those today, anyway grest tea. good tasting and no fllor dust.
Coffee came ground in a 14lb , metal box with a soldered round metal top, also another high risk item when opening, I used to open them with a meat cleaver.
The recipie of the coffee, depended on the Chief Steward or Chief cook, was always brought to the boil before 'Smoko' with the Salt added to bring out the flavour ? thoughj I newver met anybody who new the correct recipe, some cooks would tel you to put some eggs shells in when boiling!! never had that explained to me iether.
So we were all very happy when Maxwell House 2oz instant coffee made it aboard BP in sachets.

To be honest I would reject a cup of tea made from a Tea Bag now,
But the fact is Tea pots of tea are fading away, well tank God not in Azerbaijan, we grow our own tea here and all our Tea is very tasty.

Old Janner


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## Robert Hilton

The best tea I ever had at sea was when a small coaster ran out of fresh water and tea was made with purified water for the batteries. The worst was with water supplied by a tug off Grimsby. It tasted of diesel.

Shoreham water always seemed to be a bit off although it passed all hygiene tests. 

At home I drink Lapsang Souchong as I like the smoky flavour and it is easier to drink without sugar than other teas. At sea I grit my teeth and accept what's on board until there's a chance to store up.


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## dom

*dom*

Melon and ginger Jam on BP,7lb tins Battleaxe brand


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## joebuckham

ray morgan said:


> As peggy I always remember getting a large jam tin with the correct amount of tea in it and a jam tin with the correct amount of su gar in it with a tin of conny onne in each, off the 2nd Steward in Blu Flu.*I remember my favorite jam was Greengage*.


if my memory serves me right the biggest suppliers of tinned and bottled ships stores, in the fifties and sixties, was 'archbolds' of hull. greengage jam, melon and ginger jam, pickled onions etc, etc. i think their trademarkwas the battleaxe


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## matthew flinders

dom said:


> Melon and ginger Jam on BP,7lb tins Battleaxe brand


Don't remember that brand but certainly enjoyed Koo on BP


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## Quiney

On a ferry that I was on, the new steward came to the bridge with a tray of tea.
"How does the Captain like his tea?" the steward asked.
"About every 20 minutes" was the 2nd mates response! (Applause)


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## michael charters

Sagaso tea when the leaves floated on the top


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## Ian6

Serving my time with Caltex in the 1950's on an extended voyage due to some little local difficulty involving the Suez Canal and the Israelis we nearly crossed the Atlantic in v. rough weather before being sent round the Cape to Bahrein. A lot of broken crockery later meant tea drunk from thick glasses. The only 'milk' was sweetened condensed milk. I didn't take sugar then (or now) so had black tea. The overnight sandwiches were tomato ketchup flavoured. I should add that Caltex were generally good feeders altho' not excessively so.

After getting my 2nd Mate's I joined my first P&O ship (a 12 passenger cargo ship) in London. The steward said 'Indian, Ceylon or Chinese tea, sahib?' and a tray with tea-pot, strainer, cup, saucer, milk jug and sugar bowl arrived. It was Indian tea (the tea pot had an elephant picture on the side, Chinese had a dragon, I can't remember with what Ceylon tea-pots were adorned). It was a different, very civilised life.
Ian


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## Old Janner

Greengage Jam!!
Certainly caused a few riots on BP Tankers at times, used to get stores ordered for aft mess rooms and always got Greengage Jam, issued by the 2nd steward, so the crew used to get very upset, claiming that the good jams went to the officers, Strawberry / Raspberry etc, Crew would confront the Chief Steward who said that was the way it was , pointing out that the Articles said "Jam" so that was your lot.
As 2nd cook and Baker all Jam supplied to me was Greengage, so for sure it was the biggest percentage of Jam supplied in a storing. I used to add Cochineal Coloring and mix in some Raspberry of Strawberry Essence, there you had Red Strawberry flavoured Jam, in cakes. duff's and Tarts the lads loved it.

Old Janner


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## Pat Kennedy

The big tins of Marmalade on Blue Flue ships were always made by Keillors of Dundee. It was the best marmalade I ever tasted.
Pat


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## dom

*dom*

can never remember having marmalade on any home boat,hard job finding food on some of them(*))


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## tom roberts

As peggy on a B.P.tanker 1954 drawing the dry stores having an old tin for the tea and the same or the sugar twice a day was bad enough but making sure there was enough left for the night watches used to make me s h-t scared in case there was non left as one nasty bastard would always have a go at me same with the sugar and connie onny he was the only one who didnt give me a dropsy at pat off day but as Ive posted before whole tins of melon jam to myself spread on wonderfull fresh bread made by the second cook a Mr Macabe but the best tea I ever had was orange pekoe on the Torwood one of my favourite ships all 260 tons of her at least the cook got that right if nothing else.


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## Old Janner

*Marmalade*



Pat Kennedy said:


> The big tins of Marmalade on Blue Flue ships were always made by Keillors of Dundee. It was the best marmalade I ever tasted.
> Pat


Pat if I remember correctly the 7 lb Tins were a BOT requirement, certainly the best I have tasted.
As was the wooden pickle barrels, Saltpeter, Pickling salt, Tinned Tongue and Corned beef and of course the Limers!

Spence.


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## Pat Kennedy

For some reason I can remember the galley boy on my first ship, opening some 7lb tins of liver and emptying the contents into a big pan. As the livers slithered out of the tins, my breakfast slithered out of my stomach. I only just made it to the galley door in time.
Pat(EEK)


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## trotterdotpom

Pat Kennedy said:


> For some reason I can remember the galley boy on my first ship, opening some 7lb tins of liver and emptying the contents into a big pan. As the livers slithered out of the tins, my breakfast slithered out of my stomach. I only just made it to the galley door in time.
> Pat(EEK)


It could have been worse if you'd shown up a bit later .... remember Portnoy's Complaint?

John T


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