THERE'S an art to making a good cup of tea, as cafe owner Peter Jenkinson will tell you.

Banish all thoughts of a chipped mug containing a grey-coloured brew, diluted with too much milk and a sad-looking, soggy tea bag floating aimlessly on top.

A cuppa in pleasant surroundings, made with quality leaves brewed to perfection and accompanied by a wedge of lemon, can make a 10-minute tea break a special occasion, especially if accompanied by a slice of peace and quiet (turn off the mobile phone to help achieve this effect).

Tea tasters who surreptitiously visited Peter and Joyce Jenkinson's cafe in Moor Lane, Clitheroe, obviously know their Assam from their elbow as the couple's business, Cafe Caprice, has been shortlisted for the Tea Guild's top tea place in Great Britain.

That means the cafe is one of the top 25 teashops in the country and now the couple are waiting to find out whether they have been voted number one on the tea tasters' list.

But they are up against stiff competition in the shape of Betty's Tearooms in Yorkshire, Harrods and the Dorchester in Park Lane, London.

Peter and Joyce arrived in Clitheroe 13 years ago after running a small cafe in Nelson. They originally looked for an empty shop to convert but ended up buying the Moor Lane premises, a tea shop that had been established for 30 years.

Its traditional decor has been replaced over the last few years by a vibrant new look for the 21st century -- bright cheerful walls painted blue and yellow, elegant and modern tables and chairs, tablecloths in colours echoing the cafe's colour scheme.

But the modern tendency for processed, packaged snacks and bottled drinks does not fit the bill at Cafe Caprice.

Joyce, who has worked in catering all her life and attended the first full-time catering course at Accrington college in 1967, makes all the meals on the premises.

An array of delicious cakes, puddings, quiche dishes, freshly-prepared salads and hot sandwiches are prepared upstairs and there are daily specials to create variety.

Three-course lunches are less in demand these days as busy workers and shoppers "graze" during the day and enjoy a lunchtime snack, preferring to eat their main meal in the evening.

To cater for them, Peter and Joyce provide a range of filled ciabattas and pitta breads as well as offering traditional puddings for those with a sweet tooth.

"We try to be all things to all men, which is not easy," Peter said.

But the cafe's range of teas on offer is literally something to be sniffed at.

There are teas from China, India and Sri Lanka -- including Darjeeling, grown in the north of India on the slopes of the Himalayas at 6,500 ft; strong Assam, which is said to be ideal as a breakfast tea to perk up the spirits, and Oolong Formoso, a light tea grown in Taiwan.

The aromas are delicious, as are the smells of the fruit teas.

One of the joys of visiting a tea room such as Cafe Caprice -- a name chosen by Joyce which means a whim or passing fancy -- is the chance to team a delicious cup of fresh tea with a tempting slice of cake. Peter said: "We have started specialising in gingerbreads and parkins and pairing them with the tea -- for example, marmalade gingerbread and Yorkshire tea.

"We also have a little book room upstairs and I have about 3,000 cookery books -- it helps if we need a recipe, say, for gingerbread from the 1800s.

"They stand us in good stead for all sorts of things, such as recipes for St Valentine's Day."

Peter and Joyce received a letter from The Tea Council of Great Britain about six years ago, inviting Cafe Caprice to be a member of its Guild of Tea Shops.

"They look at everything -- the toilets and wash hand basins, whether the floor is clean, whether the cups are clean inside.

"They were very pleased with us and they visit twice a year to make sure standards are maintained.

"They have professional tea tasters who come round -- I think they use people who blend teas and have a very good palate, like wine tasters -- and now we have been informed we are in the top 25 tea shops in the country."

But what is the secret of a good cup of tea? Peter said: "My personal thought is that if you buy good tea and prepare it well you will get a good cup of tea.

"Ideally, you should heat the tea pot before you put the water in. Use boiling water, not boiled, otherwise all the air goes out of it. Leaf tea is better than tea bags and you must leave it to brew for about five minutes -- if it is too strong, you can always add more water.

"To be right, you should put the milk in the cup first. If you fill the cup with hot tea and then add the milk, the hot liquid scalds the milk."

Tea is also said to be good for people's health -- it is said to have properties that protect against cancer and clean out the system.

Cafe Caprice is open every day from 9.30am-4.30pm, except Wednesdays and Sundays, when Peter and Joyce do their shopping and visit the cash and carry. Not much relaxation time for them, then, but visitors can make the most of the couple's labours. Peter said: "One man used to come in and have his leaf tea and scone and butter. He said it was so civilised, he would just switch his mobile off and have 20 minutes to himself."