A delectable peek at the tradition of afternoon tea at the Fairmont Empress Hotel -- and the enchanting history of taking tea

Muriel Moffat has been sipping tea at Victoria's storied Empress Hotel for 60 years -- and sharing all those lovely cups with four generations of Moffats. When she poured her love of all things tea into a darling little book, it soon became a bestseller, with 30,000 copies sold from the shelves of the Empress gift shop in just five years.

Beautifully redesigned and ready for its book trade debut, Afternoon Tea offers a peek behind the curtain at the magnificent hotel, where afternoon tea has been taken with elegance and gourmet indulgence since 1908. Included are several well-loved recipes from the Tea Lobby, which has hosted the likes of Queen Elizabeth II, Rudyard Kipling and Shirley Temple.

This charming book is also a chatty and colourful history of tea and the many rituals surrounding it, sure to entertain the novice and enthusiast alike. Steeped in a love of traditions, Ms. Moffat's beloved book celebrates a littleknown ritual that may just be the foundation of everything worthy -- family, friends and, of course, tea.