Tearooms Offer a Genteel Oasis in These Overheated Times

Twelve years ago, I departed corporate life in fast-paced Singapore to open my tearoom in deepest Wiltshire, England. My reasons were varied: to do something I loved, to be able to walk to work, and to be engaged in something resoundingly ‘English’, a true antidote on all counts to corporate life in Asia.

I have since come to realise the very special place tearooms hold in our hearts, not only as an antidote to fast-paced places, but maybe also as a balm to the crazy world in which we now find ourselves. As I do, my thoughts turn to why? Why is it that this simple combination of tea, cakes, homemade food, and hospitality has always played such a calming role in many of our lives, from post-war Lyons teahouses of London through to the charming myriad of tearooms here in my new adopted home in the States?

Sure, Camelia sinensis is at the core of it. This single strain of evergreen leaf has served as the ingredient in everything we call ‘tea’ for thousands of years, whether a fragrant Earl Grey, a light-as-a-feather white tea, a robust and smoky Lapsang, or even just our morning breakfast cup. They all come from the same source at heart, and in that fact lies a recognition that there is something common in all tea, whatever its variety, hue, or taste. But what actually makes a tearoom? The recipe begins with the tea, of course, and with that the widest variety, which we purists assert must be loose leaf. This is essential for flavour, but also to just slow us down a little. Loose leaf takes longer, it can’t be rushed, and so you will find in many great tearooms timers alongside the tea to remind us that good things take time. Recent years have seen many of us with the unexpected luxury of more time, maybe appreciating its value a little more. But now, as we find ourselves at risk of living faster than ever, what better way to be reminded of the value of time than a pot of tea that can be rushed by no one?

Beyond this, the recipes that comprise a tearoom may vary, but will always include cake, scones, cream, crafted sandwiches, and, sometimes, other food. These combinations often culminate in that grand, theatrical, and shared celebration of the tearoom: the ‘Afternoon Tea’, designed to be shared and savoured slowly with friends.

But here comes the main ingredient. I know this tearoom business fairly well, and I know that to work best the offerings really need to be—and so often are—homemade. As a result, you will find that almost every tearoom is a ‘one-off’ independent, each with someone at its heart, passionate with their recipes. They will be dedicated to the best ingredients and quality and, so importantly, usually physically on site to see that every element of what they pour their heart into is perfect. Where there is that much passion and commitment, the hospitality that follows is as inevitable as clotted cream following a scone.

So, yes, a tearoom is about the tea, the cakes, and the food, but more than that it’s about the hospitality which comes from a passion for creating great tastes and experiences. A hospitality that is gracious and infectious and makes calm time and space to meet, to be social; to spend time with friends, relaxing, and to slowly share in what has been created with love. Then resetting a little, so that maybe the chaos and craziness outside will seem a little less important when we finally step back out into the real world.

A SAMPLING OF GREAT TEAROOMS
 

TILLY MINT’S TEAROOM
20 W. Chestnut St.
Souderton
215.7232620
tillymints.com

THE VILLAGE TEAHOUSE
1919 West Point Pike
West Point
215.699.180
thevillageteahouse.com

A TASTE OF BRITAIN
503 Lancaster Ave.
Wayne
610.971.0390
atobritain.com

THE TALKING TEACUP
301 W. Butler Ave.
Chalfont
215.997.8441
thetalkingteacup.com

Of course, Philadelphia also offers many outstanding spots to enjoy a cup of tea. For a special occasion treat, book a traditional afternoon tea in the Mary Cassatt Tea Room, Thursdays through Sundays, at The Rittenhouse Hotel. rittenhousehotel.com - P.D.

Have a favourite tearoom to share? Email us at info@ediblephilly.com