Country Living's favourite tea cups

The magazine staff reveal just how they drink their tea

The Country Living staff show you their favourite cups and mugs and explain why they are so special...

Susy Smith, Editor

My friend bought me my favourite cup for my birthday almost 22 years ago. It usually sits in my bedroom as I have a lot of china but I always get it out when I have proper tea with cakes and scones, along with a selection of mismatched china mugs. I particularly like this one for its old-fashioned feel and the rose bud pattern which gradually starts to appear as the tea goes down.

Kitty Corrigan, Deputy Editor/Eco Editor

I have a lovely Aynsley china mug with an elegant teal and gold design on the outside and a butterfly in a wildflower meadow image on the inside. It is one of the few remaining pieces from a set belonging to my mother. For years it has been on my dresser but I have now started using it again. When I drink from it, I feel like I am having a proper cup of tea. I like any type of brew, as long as it is fairtrade.

Ruth Chandler, Assistant Features Editor

My favourite mug is a bone china one with a pink rose called Rosa Provinciala on it. My mum bought it for me from RHS Hyde Hall after we spent a day there with my Granny for her birthday in June a few years ago. She kept it and put it in my Christmas stocking that year and now whenever I drink my favourite chai tea from it, it reminds me of that day.

Lisa Sykes, Features Editor

This cup and saucer is from Poole Pottery. It is part of a collection that was given to my parents at their wedding 44 years ago. I always loved it but my parents kept me away from it as I was growing up. They gave the remaining pieces to me as a gift at my wedding and now I keep it away from my children. I always use it to drink my Yorkshire Tea.

Louise Elliott, Chief Sub/Associate Editor

My favourite mug is this Midwinter red domino china cup and saucer with a polka dot pattern. My friend gave me one piece from the collection years ago and I have added bits to it since - the range is from the 1950s. I like to drink very weak Earl Grey tea with lemon and I only ever use it at home.

Sue Gilkes, Deputy Chief Sub Editor

I use my Cluck! Cluck! mug for work every day to drink Earl Grey tea.  I like the colour, the fact it\'s quite plain and because it is also a humorous take on country living.

Amanda Howard, Sub-Editor

When I was young my mum and I would go and have tea with an old lady and her daughter. She used to serve it in cups and saucers and made delicious cakes and scones. When I got married the mother and daughter gave me a beautifully boxed tea set as a wedding gift and this is part of it. Sadly, the lady has now passed away but whenever I use it for cups of Lady Grey tea, I think of her.

Jackie Swanson, Picture Editor

I keep my favourite mug at home, which is this ‘Abnormal Cat\' mug by Alice Maplesden. I bought it from Cambridge Contemporary Art and, being the owner of an abnormal cat, it always makes me smile. I like to drink builder\'s tea from it at home.

Laura Woussen, Senior Designer

My favourite mug is from the Midwinter collection called Spanish Garden, which is part of Wedgwood. I bought it from a charity shop three years ago because I loved the pattern. I have since been collecting and now have a casserole dish, gravy jug and two mugs, all of which I bought from charity shops. I only use this mug at home and like to drink English Breakfast tea.

Chris McPhail, Art Editor

I bought this mug for myself six years ago because I\'m from Newcastle and support the local football team. Now that I\'m based in London I keep this mug at work and drink strong white coffee out of it.

Elizabeth Chung, Acting Art Director

Moomin is a cartoon character that originated in Finland. I think the character is really cute so it always makes me smile! My friend bought this mug as a birthday present and I use it every day at work to drink Earl Grey or green tea.

Nicola Devereux, Personal Assistant to the Editor

My favourite mug was my first house-warming present from my mum. I love anything with hearts on and I moved into my new home with my husband on Valentine\'s Day so this mug always reminds me of that day. I only use it at home and like to drink milky coffee from it or hot chocolate if I want to indulge.

Alison Walker, Food and Drink Editor

My husband bought my mug for me and it has the slogan ‘If you can\'t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen!\' This applies to me at home (and at work) as the kitchen is my area and is out of bounds to everyone else.  It is a bone china mug and I drink builder\'s tea from it.

Jules Sorby, Shows Sales Executive

I love my Clare Gage ceramic and textile mug that I bought from the Country Living Spring Fair last year. I use it at work and I love drinking my tea out of it as it\'s so gorgeous to look at.

Guy Foreman, Head of Shows

My daughter Tess made this mug for me a couple of years ago at the local ceramic café. She was two and a half years old at the time and she gave it to me for Christmas. I always drink my tea from it at home, my favourite is Earl Grey.

Ben Kendrick, Home Design Editor

I love this floral mug. It is from the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford and the design is a section from a piece by French Impressionist painter Camille Pissarro. I like drinking English Breakfast tea and use this elegant little mug in the office. 

Caroline Reeves, Assistant Home Design Editor

I usually drink black tea with sugar. This mug was my first ever Ebay purchase and I bought it when I moved to London because the owls reminded me of my cat at the time, who was called Sprocket. There is nothing I love more than having a nice cup of tea in it on a Sunday morning.

Hester Page, Houses Editor

My best friend bought my favourite mug for me from a potter local to her in Devon. She bought two at the time so she has the other one. It is a good size and weight and I love the hare decoration. I use it at home every day but I don\'t want to get it stained so I only drink hot water from it.

Egle Sledziute, Production Controller

My favourite china cup and saucer is decorated with flowers and fruit. It originally belonged to my boyfriend\'s parents; they were given it as a wedding present and whenever I visited them I used it. I loved it so much that they gave it to me as a present so I now drink peppermint tea out of it at home.

Angela Nicolaou, Senior Sales Executive

My mug came from the South of France when I was there with my family. We had a lovely day out at the beach when I was about 12 years old and I liked it because it has my name in French on it. I drink Green Tea with Jasmine in it at home and it always reminds me of that day.

Lisa Woods, Senior Sales Executive

My favourite mug is from Laura Ashley and is part of a set that we bought when my husband and I moved after getting married. Some are blue but the pink is my favourite. I use it at home for peppermint tea.