Hospital-i-tea Blogathon!
Share all about one of your favorite tea rooms. Use photos and descriptions to tell about the decor and ambiance, menus, service, and what makes this tea room special to you. Does this tea room have a gift shop? What kind of special treasures does it contain?
The Gracious Hospitality blogathon continues this week. Check the link for even more thoughts! Tearooms and Venues. Wow.
This week is going to be, in some ways, rather tough for me. We had a tea room for six months. I loved so many things about it..and it is somewhat painful that it went out of business…the words “You FAILED” seem stamped across so many otherwise good memories! My pictures of it are all, I think, on my other hard drive that crashed.
It was in the town square, in a building that had been built in the late 1800s. The space was long and narrow, with brick walls on one side, and wide plank worn hardwood floors.
The tables were skirted in deep green, with a rose motif cloth. I kept fresh flowers on the tables…This was an expense that I thought was worth it..I like real things…I dislike fake anything. I am especially a freak about the altar flowers at church…You know, I used to do the arrangements. Part of my thing is the idea that if someone comes to the altar EVERYTHING they find there should be real!
Anyway..ahem…
So the flowers were always real, roses if I could get them for a decent price. The walls were decorated with antique prints, and the tables held vintage teapots and salt and pepper sets.
Tea was served on an eclectic assortment of vintage plates..and in vintage tea cups. We had 30 different teas to choose from. We sold coffee in bulk, not only our own house blend, but flavored coffees like Chocolate Irish Cream, Bourbon Pecan, and Creme Brulee. The entire place smelled of coffee and tea, and old wood, and wonderful food!
I would get up in the mornings, about 4 a.m. and head up there to do the preliminary set up and get the iced tea made for the day. I started the scones, and the whole wheat bread. I enjoyed the silence of the tea room as I worked. Even when I was grinding the wheatberries for the homemade breads, the sound of the grinder seemed hushed somehow.
The cook would come in at about 8 and I would head home to get breakfast for my family and get the kids started on school. I would head back up once things were squared away here to help with the lunch rush and to fix any afternoon tea plates that were ordered.
We played big band music. I think that it is some of the most energetic, yet relaxing music there is. We sold whole grain artisian breads made with freshly ground flour. We used real butter, and organic, wholesome ingredients. Real cream….If you ordered coffee with cream? You got cream in a pitcher not a little plastic thing with a dubious liquid substance or a packet of powder.
I think that is what a tearoom can offer that most other places can’t, or don’t. The aspect of real food, served in an artistic manner. Our problem was, I think, that people wanted fast food. They wanted burgers that were done in 10 minutes, or sandwiches that were thrown together. I said before that we went out of business for several reasons..and one was location. It looked like a great location but the locals wanted a different type of food than we served. We got people that drove for 2 hours on a monthly basis to eat there, but that won’t keep you in business. You have to know what the local population wants because they are the ones that will eat there day after day. They re the ones that will keep you in business.
The waitresses wore black with a white cutwork bib apron. I wanted the customers to feel that they had been transported back to a slower pace, a quieter time. I wanted a place where Jane Austen might have felt at home.
I don’t think I will ever want to do that again. I am hurt in many ways by the experience…the memory of one man sitting in the middle of the tea room, looking at the zucchini that was on his plate and saying in a loud voice “What the H— is this? We used to feed this Sh– to the cows when I was growing up. Ain’t ya got no chicken fried steaks?” is an example of what I mean.
But we live, we learn, we grow. Maybe someday I will do small, in home catered teas…or do personal cheffing…I like to arrange plates, I like to make wonderful things for those that appreciate it. Right now that is my family and friends.
I leave you with a recipe. ;)
Affogato Earl Grey
1 pt good quality chocolate ice cream (preferably homemade)
1/2 cup grated bittersweet chocolate
Candied orange peel for garnish
2 cups freshly brewed Earl Grey tea
Divide ice cream among 4 tea cups. Pour 1/2 c hot tea over each scoop of ice cream. Sprinkle with chocolate and orange peel.
Be careful you don’t crack the tea cup. Practice with cups you don’t care about or use an ice cream bowl.
Image:Marye Audet
Tags: affogato, ambiance, hospital-i-tea blogathon, tea roomsRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Beautiful Things, Challenges & Round-ups
29 opinions for Hospital-i-tea Blogathon!
Ivory Spring
May 12, 2008 at 7:27 pm
Hello Marye,
Thanks for sharing about your tea room. I don’t know where your tea room was located, but it sounds exactly like a place I would enjoy very much. I won’t be able to participate in this week’s Hospital-i-tea Blogathon because we DON’T have a tea room where I live! :(
I just used some organic spelt flour to make some scones this afternoon. For some reason, they didn’t seem to have turned out like when I used all-purpose flour recommended by the recipe. I was wondering what advice you might have…
Thanks again for sharing. Have a great evening!
Marye
May 12, 2008 at 7:34 pm
Spelt doesn’t have the gluten necessary to make them the right texture. You want to add either organic unbleached or whole wheat pastry flour to help..Try 1/2 spelt and 1/2 whole wheat and see if it works better for you. :)
Ruth
May 12, 2008 at 7:59 pm
Your Tearoom sounds lovely. I wish I could have gone for tea there.
LaTeaDah
May 12, 2008 at 8:53 pm
Marye, my heart is sad for you — especially after reading about the very rude man who wanted chicken-fried steak. Some people simply don’t ‘get it’. Your tea room sounded beautiful and lovely. I wish I could have had afternoon tea there and met you too. I share your philosophy about real food, real flowers, real things in life. Authenticity is very important and it’s something that’s being replaced more and more frequently in this world by manufactured substitutes. Although your dream will not be the same as your tea room dream is, I know God will fill your heart with more dreams and more hopes. . .and that He will find a way to help you achieve those dreams. Thank you for your sweet post.
LaTeaDah
Bonita
May 12, 2008 at 8:55 pm
I’m sorry that your tea room went out of business. I bet it would have thrived in my area and I would have been a regular! As you think back on the experience I hope that you will remember the people that enjoyed and appreciated it, even it that wasn’t the general populace. It sounds lovely!
Lisa
May 12, 2008 at 9:05 pm
Oh, that sounds like a lovely place. We had a very large tearoom like that go out of business here, probably for the same reasons - it was my favorite!
ellen b
May 12, 2008 at 9:07 pm
My hat is off to you for trying this venture. I’d love to be one of your friends who benefit from your ideas about serving wonderful dishes to enjoy. I love to make meals for friends special in whatever way I can. I’m so with you on the fresh flowers!!
Marye
May 12, 2008 at 9:18 pm
Thanks all of you. I am not sad..really..and I have learned alot! There are good memories. AND there was a purpose. I may not know all of it but there was!
Alice
May 13, 2008 at 8:08 am
How wonderful you got to live out one of your dreams. Your tearoom sounds like just the kind of place I’d love to visit.
Cori. G
May 13, 2008 at 9:56 am
Hi Marye,
I don’t see failure at all. You followed your dream and put your heart into it. To fail would have been to never open in the first place. It sounds like your tea room was lovely and that you took pride in your work. It’s so sad that the people in your area didn’t appriciate what they had. Don’t give up dreaming.
Vee~A Haven for Vee
May 13, 2008 at 12:25 pm
Oh, Marye, I am sorry that your beautiful tea room didn’t make it. You can’t blame yourself for it sounds heavenly. (And I could just bop that guy for you. In fact, show me where he is and I will!)
jo
May 13, 2008 at 1:18 pm
I think if there were a tearoom like what you described yours as, I might stop hermitting so much. It sounds like it was wonderful. People don’t seem to appreciate things. Every good place close by here goes out of bussiness. People would rather have chewy fat encrusted hamburgers and soap residue on their plastic washable cups. So take it as a compliment it didn’t last. :) Besides we probably wouldn’t have you here now. I am selfish and enjoy your blog very much.
Ivory Spring
May 13, 2008 at 1:47 pm
Hi Marye,
Thanks for the tips. I will try that next time. My spelt scones turned out rather grainy, hahaha. But hubby didn’t complain, so I just kept quiet! ;)
Have you ever posted pictures of your tearoom on your blog before? I would love to see some of them.
Monica
May 13, 2008 at 3:14 pm
{{{{{Marye}}}}}
we don’t have a tea room here… bars, plenty, no tea rooms. I couldn’t go to one anyways… my lovlies would ruin the ambience…..
Noble Pig
May 13, 2008 at 4:48 pm
Oh to have a tea room. I would feel so grown up! I’m sorry for yours.
Marye
May 13, 2008 at 5:45 pm
Alice:I t was a blessing to be allowed to live a dream :) I do try to look at it that way.
Cori-thank you, and I own’t
Vee- You are so funny. I wish he would have just tried it.LOL!
Jo- I think we have accustomed ourselves to poor quality in our nation.
Ivory- I think it will help alot. The pictures are on a crashed hard drive soemwhere around the house..I will see if I can find more on the Internet from the promo we did
Monica-if you ever get down here we will do tea. And you can stay in my sparest spare room.
Cathy- You seem pretty grown up to me..battling possums, creating amazing food, and you know..such as that. ;)
Carrie - Oak Rise Cottage
May 13, 2008 at 11:02 pm
I was saddened to hear that you had to close such a lovely place. I would have loved to visit such a tea house.
I hope you use your talents in another venture which will be more successful.
Marye
May 13, 2008 at 11:42 pm
LOL Carrie..I use them here and in my kitchen now… :) Much friendlier
JennDZ_The Leftoverqueen
May 14, 2008 at 12:16 pm
Wow, Marye! Your tearoom sounds like a place I would have loved to visit. I am with you on all things real as well.
Marye
May 14, 2008 at 1:00 pm
I thought you would be, Jenn. I loved the post you did awhile back on the coffee roaster you went to in New England
carol
May 14, 2008 at 3:03 pm
It sounds like you put a lot of thought into your tea room. The finer things don’t seem to be appreciate much any more. I would have loved to come to your tea house. It sounds like it was absolutely wonderful.
Steph W
May 14, 2008 at 8:28 pm
I am sure that you are still serving up beauty and love, and this is what is so needed in this world. Thank you for all that you have done, am doing, and will d o!
Marye
May 14, 2008 at 8:37 pm
Thanks for stopping by Steph! You are ever the encourager!
Carrie - Oak Rise Cottage
May 15, 2008 at 12:46 pm
Thanks for your visit. You mentioned that your husband is from Whitinsville, MA near the RI border. As it is my sister and her family live in N. Attleboro, which is also just over the border from RI. So we’ve often shopped in RI. We even had our mother’s 85th birthday party at the Westin in Providence.
Marye
May 15, 2008 at 1:04 pm
Very small world, isn’t it Carrie? :)
Miss Sandy
May 15, 2008 at 3:37 pm
I am so sorry to hear that your tea room went out of business. It sounded perfectly delightful and just the sort of place I would want to visit. I love the detail and thought that you put into every process of your business. I don’t think you failed, I think those in the area failed to see what a true gem they had and are worse off for letting it slip through their fingers! Thank you for sharing your experience in owning and running a tea room.
Marye
May 15, 2008 at 4:29 pm
Thanks for stopping by, Miss Sandy. :) and for your kind words.
kathi~lavender, lace and thyme
May 16, 2008 at 7:16 pm
Oh Marye,
It must have been very difficult to share your story, thank you! Your tea room sounds perfect and I know I would have loved to visit and bring friends for tea time. Life can be so unfair can’t it? I hope in time you can forget some of the harsh, rude words people said and remember the wonderful times you had.
I think private tea in your home sounds wonderful, you can allow who you want in your home and boot out those who cause you grief :).
Blessings,
Kathi :)
Marye
May 16, 2008 at 7:19 pm
LOL! KAthi! exactly
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