5 Tea Room Travesties
Tea rooms in the United States tend to cater exclusively to customers who want to experience an Afternoon Tea with all the trimmings from tiered stands to crustless sandwiches. However, these tiny finger foods and a pot of tea usually come with a higher price tag which makes them limited to special occasions such as birthdays and holidays. So I am really sad to leave a tea room feeling disappointed. What went wrong?
Below, I have decided to share with you my Top Five Tea Room Travesties. This may sound a bit melodramatic but I have visited many tea rooms to discern from the good, the fair, and the truly awful. I’d love to know whether you agree or disagree with me and if you have any others to add to the list.
1. Tepid Tea
If you are new to tea, it is important to note tea leaves cannot properly brew when the water isn’t at the appropriate temperature. Water for black teas like Earl Grey or English Breakfast should be around 180-212 degrees Fahrenheit or 82-100 degrees Celsius. Some tea rooms will fill a teapot with hot water and serve it at the table with a teabag. The teabag isn’t the problem. By the time the hot water arrives at the table, the temperature has already dropped several degrees. The teabag then needs to be opened and submerged into the teapot to steep for 3-5 minutes while the water continues to cool. After milk and sugar are added, stirred, the tea is no longer hot. The first cup is tolerable, but the following pours are just warm and not very enjoyable.
The tea leaves or teabag should be introduced to the hot water as soon as it is poured into the teapot. By the time it arrives at the table, steeping time is almost complete so the guest can enjoy it immediately. Tea cozies may not seem very fashionable, but they do keep the pot hot for a longer period. Otherwise, the teapot needs to be replenished with hot water.
Important Note: If you are going to add milk to your tea, full fat milk is recommended, not cream or half and half. Cream doesn’t mix into tea well and the richness overwhelms the tea flavors.
2. Baffling Bags
I believe loose tea leaves that are allowed to freely move around the teapot releasing all its wonderful flavors into the water as it steeps makes a better pot of tea. However, there are some very good tea brands that come in bags or sachets. If the tea is introduced to the hot water at the correct temperature and steeped for the appropriate amount of time, all is usually well.
Cafes and restaurants tend to serve teabags and that’s understandable because their main focus is on the food. However, I have experienced teabags in tea rooms that look and taste as if they have long passed their expiration. Some paper wrapped packets weren’t even completely sealed and the bags made the tea taste like paper. But an establishment that brands itself as a tea room should place some attention on its namesake and not as a second thought.
3. Sad Scones
Nice presentation but this was the most disappointing Afternoon Tea I have ever eaten. So many things wrong with this, like Where are the sandwiches?
Personally, tea and scones are the two main items I look most forward to at an Afternoon tea. The rest of the meal is an added bonus. In fact, I rarely leave scones uneaten at an Afternoon Tea, even the ones that aren’t particularly tasty. But just recently, I had the worst scones I have ever attempted to eat. They were inedible in both texture and taste, hard on the outside and doughy in the center. No amount of jam and cream was going to help. I am not looking for the best, but it needs to be acceptable.
4. Chipped China
I admit it. If my beloved tea cup had a chip in it, I wouldn’t dispose of it. However, I’ve read that chipped dishes can be a potential health hazard. If there is a sharp edge, it can cut the customer’s hands or mouth. The unglazed chip can also harbor harmful bacteria. I don’t see it very often, so I’m always surprised whenever I do at both high-end tea rooms and modest ones. So, if it’s an heirloom piece or prized possession, maybe keep it for display purposes only.
5. Pesky Paper
Wherever I go for Afternoon Tea, I want it to feel special. So, when I sit down to a cloth-laden table with lovely cups and saucers, I am sad to see the cutlery wrapped in a paper napkin/serviette. I know this may seem frivolous, but if the tea room is using cloth table coverings, why wouldn’t it use cloth napkins? There is something cheap about paper napkins and it doesn’t really fit the “vibe” of the place, as my kids would say.
But I am aware not all tea rooms use tablecloths. They dress up the table with suitable tableware and decorate the room to create the perfect backdrop. Tea may be served in a lounge-style setting where guests sit on a lovely sofa and side chairs and the tiered tray is set on a low “coffee” table. But even at these tea rooms, cloth napkins are used. It elevates the table setting and adds to the overall image.
Runners Up:
Dull Desserts
I would prefer a single slice of delicious cake or dessert than a plate full of bite-size mediocre tasting sweets that seem to be thrown together as an afterthought. As in most things in life, it’s the quality and not the quantity.
Tainted Teapots
My husband doesn’t like coffee so when a tea room uses a teapot that had coffee in it, the bean flavor seeps into the tea water. This doesn’t happen too often but when it does, it really is a disappointment, and I like coffee, too.
Tinted Teacups
I’m not referring to the color of the teacup, but the lipstick mark left behind. It’s not like a “hair in the food” situation for me, but it’s still not very appetizing.