In the last few weeks, I’ve held conversations and learned of tearooms that are closing or struggling. One closed after eight months. Another’s experiencing a massive drop in numbers served since its opening five years ago. My Google tea news search leads me to articles like this one: Tea shop packs its bags after 3 years. Could the recent surge of tearooms opening in America be a passing fad? Will the tearoom survive the economic downturn? Can the tearoom owner compete in a society of living room-themed Starbucks equipped with wi-fi?
No.
Maybe.
Yes.
No, tea rooms in America are not a passing fad. Tea rooms have taken many forms in America and Europe since the invention of afternoon tea over one hundred and fifty years ago. The history of the tearoom’s development has been chronicled in Tea at the Blue Lantern Inn: A Social History of the Tea Room Craze in America. Pioneered mainly by women entrepreneurs, tea rooms began as an addition to the roadside motels that grew with the motorcar in the early 1900s. Fifty years later, tea rooms came into fashion with the department store, providing women of the upper-middle class a place to gather and socialize during the day. The American tea room at the turn of the 21st-century will be remembered for its draw of the popular Red Hat groups that sprang up practically overnight. Tea rooms may change in form or focus, but providing places for refreshment and socializing are as popular as ever.
Maybe your local tea room will survive the recent economic downturn. It’s a reality many businesses and consumers are currently facing. Most traditional tea rooms serve full teas that cost around 20 dollars. My favorite local tea room charges $21.95 for a full tea. When tax and gratuity are added to the cost, tea for two can cost as much as a very nice dinner for two. The tea rooms that succeed will have to stand out from the rest. Many factors play a part in a tea room’s success including location, menu, pricing, and innovation. But I believe the bottom line for the success of any tea room must include a commitment to excellence. How is the customer service? Is the food freshly purchased and made with unique presentation and flavors? Are the servers trained and well-groomed? How does the tea room move beyond traditional service to engage its customers through education, classes, and events?
Yes, the tea room that commits to this level of excellence CAN compete with a Starbucks saturated society. Tea drinking for health and enjoyment is a trend that shows no signs of slowing down. The tea room that provides consumers tea education, a wide range of price levels for a wider range of consumers, and high quality as described above will succeed.
What am I supposed to serve at a tea party? Afternoon tea is traditionally served at low tables and consists of three courses: dainty sandwiches, scones, and a selection of bite-sized desserts. A luncheon tea is more like a meal and often includes soup, salad, and or quiche. And don’t forget to serve tea, one of the most often overlooked ingredient to a successful tea party. My article, “The Steps to Creating Your Tea Party Menu” will take you through the process step-by-step. If you need to pull something together quickly, “The Secret to a Simple and Quick Tea Party” will help you.
What’s the difference between green, black, and herbal teas? Herbal teas are not made from the tea plant, and are not actual tea, but herb tisanes or infusions. Black and green tea (as well as oolong and white tea) are from the same plant but processed differently. Green tea has been oxidized less than black which results in less caffeine (15mg vs. 40mg per cup). My article, “The Definitions of Different Types of Tea” will provide you with even more specifics.
Where’s the half-and-half? And who was Earl Grey anyway? Half-and-half is too heavy for tea. Tea’s delicate flavor only requires milk for a slightly richer taste. And Earl Grey was Britain’s prime minister in the 1830s. Earl Grey tea is tea that has been flavored with the oil of bergamot, a citrus fruit.
Do I have to wear hat and gloves? No. Afternoon tea came into fashion during the Victorian age, when the English women dressed up completely when in public and when visiting friends. However, to enjoy the beauty of the experience, pull something out to wear besides jeans. Little girls, however, love to wear hats, gloves and lots of bead necklaces when taking tea.
Why aren’t you curling your pinky? Because curling your pinky when drinking your tea is actually an insult to tea drinkers, used to make fun of us and perpetuate the stereotype that we’re uptight and snobby. In contrast, afternoon tea provides an elegant way to relax with friends.
Where do my guests put their soggy tea bags? Nowhere. Don’t use them. Hostesses, tearooms, and restaurants DO NOT make your guests brew their tea at the table! It makes a mess and they will get a lousy cup of tea. Tea needs to be brewed with the water as hot as possible for the type of tea (boiling for black, less hot for green) and covered while steeping; an impossible task if you only place a teapot of hot water and teabags on the table. And who wants a wet teabag on their saucer, creating a puddle that drips every time the guest raises their cup for a sip? Brew the tea in the kitchen first and serve it as hot as possible to your guests at their table, pouring their first cup.
How will I know how to act at a tea party? Just don’t fill your cup to the rim with milk and sugar before tasting the tea and clink the side of the cup with your spoon while stirring your concoction up and you’ll be just fine. Take small sips and bites, ask questions of others more than sharing your own stories and you’ll be a fabulous guest! Relax and enjoy the transporting beauty the afternoon tea party provides.
“The human soul needs actual beauty more than bread.” –D.H. Lawrence
Do you believe it? Will you make time for it? Does it surround you or slip into your peripheral vision while you plow through the to-do list? Can you take just a minute and appreciate it?
Google searches on beauty bring up countless options for improving the physical beauty of the female and all the products and ways to accomplish it. But the gift of beauty that heals and revives the soul is not found in the make-up aisle or in the fashion magazines. It’s rarely something one needs to pay for.
Beauty. Simplicity. Classically. What do these three words bring to YOUR mind?
If you ever break bread with others outside of your immediate family, it is possible you have been offended by others’ table manners, or they have been offended by yours. In the age of eating in the car, while standing up, and on the couch one might argue table manners are obsolete. But this is far from the case. Do you think about your table manners when you eat with others? In restaurants, when we have to share close proximity with other tables, are we aware of how we act affecting those around us?
Let’s face it, eating with someone is an intimate act. And there’s ways to make the act more attractive and less attractive. Which category do you fall in?
Here’s a list of six bad manners that are incredibly common. Do you recognize yourself or your loved ones in this list?
Drinking before finishing the bite in one’s mouth.
Putting food in or taking the silverware out with the inside curve of the utensil instead of the outside curve (like the picture above).
Placing personal items on the table such as keys, cell phone, or purse.
Touching your head or face while eating.
Talking about your food preferences (likes or dislikes) during the meal.
Leaning on the table with your various body parts, including arms, elbows, or chest.
The majority of the above bad manners involve issues of hygiene. After all, imagine accepting the bread basket from the person who just ran their hand through their hair or itched their ear? And most likely, that purse set on the table was just on the car floor.
Other table manners involve how we appear to the ones having to watch us eat. When we wash our food down with our water or chew with our mouth open, it means we are oblivious to the person sitting across from us. Remember, the purpose of etiquette is for the respect of others, showing we are aware of those we are with over ourselves.
Most likely, I am preaching to my choir of regular readers here at Tea Party Girl and you could write this article! However, manners of all kinds are common Internet search terms, because many of us are still in the dark on these matters. The days of debutante training and finishing school are over, and more and more think good manners irrelevant for their circumstances. However, an amazing amount of socializing and business take place away from the home in our society around the table. For this reason alone, good manners are not for girls only!
For further encouragement or instruction on etiquette, especially for the children in your life, there are a number of valuable resources available including:
I stumbled across Tea in My Cup the other day and wanted to be sure to let you know about it. Alice from Pennsylvania provides step-by-step themed guides for planning an afternoon tea, focusing on “Afternoon Tea Party Menus, Tea Party Themes, Tea Party Recipes, and Tea Party Ideas.” This week, her blog focuses on a Chocolate Fantasy Fund Raising Tea Party. Now who wouldn’t buy a ticket to that!?
I especially appreciate Alice’s site because she puts a lot of thought and time into planning the tea party food and outlining a schedule for its preparation. The last tea party she outlined completely, the “Winter White and Spring Green” theme offered nine different recipes with photos. The Lime-Filled Cupcakes in particular woo me as a reluctant baker.
And Mrs. Fussypants, you are just so fun! Are you REALLY pregnant with your fifth boy? Do I understand that correctly? I entered her “Fight the Frump” last Friday with my article, “How Often Do You Set the Table?” and received a nice boost of traffic ever since.* She just announced today the release of her FOUR new sites, including Blissfully Domestic and Homeschool Hacks each with corresponding social communities. Blissfully Domestic sounds right up my alley, and I will keep my eye on this site for a week or two to see what they offer. You may want to, as well. So far as I can tell, it’s Fussy’s humor that will help them stand out from the many other SaHM-type sites. This will hold my interest for a little while, but I will stay if they provide great content. I need all the encouragement on this journey I can get, but not just another social community to keep up with. I hope Mrs. Fussypants and her crew can differentiate themselves from the rest.
*My article about setting the table is turning out to be one of my most commented on articles ever; I find this interesting since it was written as an off-shoot of one of my most-read articles ever. When I wrote over the weekend about expanding this blog’s focus, I meant articles such as this one, not articles about coffee! Sorry that was confusing for some of you! I’m still toying with the direction to take this blog. I will either concentrate even more on the tea party niche or widen the blog focus to all that defines simple and classical beauty to me. We shall see. Opinions always welcome.
