This week we've scaled new heights.
The Garden Tea Rooms is mentioned in Best of British magazine for July (issue out now) in a feature on Tip Top Tea Rooms.
And it's on the same page as Bettys.
Tuesday, 28 June 2011
Monday, 27 June 2011
Tea stands still for no man
The marquee has gone.
The bunting's been taken away along with the flowers in wellies.
There are just a few bits and bobs to be collected by the Bride's family and then it will all have been a lovely, tiring dream.
Onward now to next weekend which is looking particularly busy:
Friday - 44 people from Wendover on a coach. Coming for lunch.
Saturday - 41 High Teas for the Birmingham Bach Choir plus 5 x booked tables for three-course concert suppers.
Sunday - opening early. Sixty people coming for a morning-after-the-wedding Afternoon Tea. Groom is Canadian, bride is (I think) South African, so I'm expecting lots of folks from far away lands and at least one person from Plymouth.
The bunting's been taken away along with the flowers in wellies.
There are just a few bits and bobs to be collected by the Bride's family and then it will all have been a lovely, tiring dream.
Onward now to next weekend which is looking particularly busy:
Friday - 44 people from Wendover on a coach. Coming for lunch.
Saturday - 41 High Teas for the Birmingham Bach Choir plus 5 x booked tables for three-course concert suppers.
Sunday - opening early. Sixty people coming for a morning-after-the-wedding Afternoon Tea. Groom is Canadian, bride is (I think) South African, so I'm expecting lots of folks from far away lands and at least one person from Plymouth.
Sunday, 26 June 2011
Raise your Glass
Post wedding. Almost. The marquee is yet to come down as the blokes who are meant to be doing the dismantling broke down on the A1 this afternoon. Still it meant that lots of the tea rooms visitors got to look inside what is a pretty fab structure. I spoke to plenty of people about the wedding today. Most conversations started with them asking what the tent was there for, then saying "Oh, I didn't know you did weddings here". Two different women said the idea of a High Tea wedding made them want to get married again...
How did it go? Very, very well. We were happy. They were happy. Two of my 17 year old staff said they wanted their wedding to be just like it. The 19 year old bride said it was even better than the wedding she'd pictured. The father of the groom even went to the trouble of thanking all those behind the scenes - that'll include the three people frantically buttering (or cream cheesing) the bread, making the sandwiches, cutting them into the different shapes I'd demanded and filling the tiered cake stands - all at the last minute so they were as fresh as they could possibly be. Who likes curling, drying sandwiches. That's right. Noone.
It also includes all those people (including my Dad, who's claiming he's got tennis elbow. I've told him he can't get it from watching Wimbledon) who washed and dried 110 teaplates during the speeches so that they could go back onto the tables ready for the scones and cake. Yes I did have enough plates for both courses - but I don't like some of them. I wanted to use my premier plates. They also washed around 480 glasses - high balls, tumblers, wines and flutes, 110 teacups, 110 saucers, 110 pastry forks etc etc etc.
Enough wedding.
For now.
Customer of the day was the man who came in while his wife was preparing to sing in the Church recital. He ordered apple cake and a glass of milk and said it was his birthday.
As he was leaving he told me his wife doesn't like drinking milk, and doesn't really like him drinking it either. So that was his real birthday treat. Not the cake.
How did it go? Very, very well. We were happy. They were happy. Two of my 17 year old staff said they wanted their wedding to be just like it. The 19 year old bride said it was even better than the wedding she'd pictured. The father of the groom even went to the trouble of thanking all those behind the scenes - that'll include the three people frantically buttering (or cream cheesing) the bread, making the sandwiches, cutting them into the different shapes I'd demanded and filling the tiered cake stands - all at the last minute so they were as fresh as they could possibly be. Who likes curling, drying sandwiches. That's right. Noone.
It also includes all those people (including my Dad, who's claiming he's got tennis elbow. I've told him he can't get it from watching Wimbledon) who washed and dried 110 teaplates during the speeches so that they could go back onto the tables ready for the scones and cake. Yes I did have enough plates for both courses - but I don't like some of them. I wanted to use my premier plates. They also washed around 480 glasses - high balls, tumblers, wines and flutes, 110 teacups, 110 saucers, 110 pastry forks etc etc etc.
Enough wedding.
For now.
Customer of the day was the man who came in while his wife was preparing to sing in the Church recital. He ordered apple cake and a glass of milk and said it was his birthday.
As he was leaving he told me his wife doesn't like drinking milk, and doesn't really like him drinking it either. So that was his real birthday treat. Not the cake.
Friday, 24 June 2011
Even more in tents
The marquee is up. And decorated.
The bows on the chairs look gorgeous. No, I didn't do any of them. There's ivy wound round the poles with gerberas, lavender and hydrangeas mixed in, there are flowers in jam jars on the tables and flowers in wellies at the entrance. It's been quite a stressful day but I had to laugh when the florist handed me a bunch of chrysanths and some lavender: "if any of them look ropey in the morning can you just stick some of these in" he said, jumped into his van and was gone. Now I can do lots of things but I just can't do flowers. I just don't have... whatever it is. Even a beautiful tied bouquet that just has to be dropped in a vase goes awry if I'm the one doing the dropping.
So tomorrow morning I have to ensure that the cutlery is polished, the tables are set, the drinks are cooled, the jobs are divvied up, the cakes and sandwiches are made and cut, the tiered stands are in place, the quiche is warmed, the scones are made, the cream is whipped and 110 people enjoy the best High Tea we can give them.
Once I've sorted the flowers out obviously.
The bows on the chairs look gorgeous. No, I didn't do any of them. There's ivy wound round the poles with gerberas, lavender and hydrangeas mixed in, there are flowers in jam jars on the tables and flowers in wellies at the entrance. It's been quite a stressful day but I had to laugh when the florist handed me a bunch of chrysanths and some lavender: "if any of them look ropey in the morning can you just stick some of these in" he said, jumped into his van and was gone. Now I can do lots of things but I just can't do flowers. I just don't have... whatever it is. Even a beautiful tied bouquet that just has to be dropped in a vase goes awry if I'm the one doing the dropping.
So tomorrow morning I have to ensure that the cutlery is polished, the tables are set, the drinks are cooled, the jobs are divvied up, the cakes and sandwiches are made and cut, the tiered stands are in place, the quiche is warmed, the scones are made, the cream is whipped and 110 people enjoy the best High Tea we can give them.
Once I've sorted the flowers out obviously.
Thursday, 23 June 2011
In tents
Another lovely day. It was groups-of-friends-from-all-over-the-country-meeting-up-day. It meant for large orders and we had to hurriedly make a second batch of soup when the first ran out at 1230.
The bombshell this afternoon came from the marquee company.
They need access to the tea rooms at 0630 tomorrow.
Not only that but they "may need help with the bows on the chairs".
I may need help when this thing is all over.
In other news, our Olympic tickets turn out to be for beach volleyball.
No. Really.
I hope it's the mens.
The bombshell this afternoon came from the marquee company.
They need access to the tea rooms at 0630 tomorrow.
Not only that but they "may need help with the bows on the chairs".
I may need help when this thing is all over.
In other news, our Olympic tickets turn out to be for beach volleyball.
No. Really.
I hope it's the mens.
Wednesday, 22 June 2011
Jones? Brown? the Tank Engine?
This morning we set out on the ten minute walk to school in lovely sunshine. Half way there it started to rain. By the time we arrived it was dry again.
Ah, one of those days, I thought.
Today was marvellous. Lovely people making lovely comments. The conservatory grew warmer and warmer until it forced the mid afternoon crowd outside. By end of play it was glorious and I allowed myself the hope that the wedding at the weekend will enjoy some sunshine.
A group of four ladies had lunch inside, then went up to see the church and "have a sing", then returned for a proper afternoon tea in the garden. The man who's writing his book brought his laptop, went to the far end of the garden and asked if we'd mind bringing him a latte. We didn't. Mind, that is.
The only downer of the day came when I was bringing the wooden tables and chairs in from outside. At the beginning of the season I bought two sets of beautiful wooden outdoor furniture. Every night we carefully bring them inside to protect them. Every morning we lovingly carry them outside and they are generally the favoured seats.
As I carried them in this evening I noticed the name TOM carved into one table top.
Thanks, Tom.
Ah, one of those days, I thought.
Today was marvellous. Lovely people making lovely comments. The conservatory grew warmer and warmer until it forced the mid afternoon crowd outside. By end of play it was glorious and I allowed myself the hope that the wedding at the weekend will enjoy some sunshine.
A group of four ladies had lunch inside, then went up to see the church and "have a sing", then returned for a proper afternoon tea in the garden. The man who's writing his book brought his laptop, went to the far end of the garden and asked if we'd mind bringing him a latte. We didn't. Mind, that is.
The only downer of the day came when I was bringing the wooden tables and chairs in from outside. At the beginning of the season I bought two sets of beautiful wooden outdoor furniture. Every night we carefully bring them inside to protect them. Every morning we lovingly carry them outside and they are generally the favoured seats.
As I carried them in this evening I noticed the name TOM carved into one table top.
Thanks, Tom.
Monday, 20 June 2011
Fair enough?
Today we had a customer who was very unhappy with us.
She complained vociferously and then wrote in our visitors' book that she is, in fact, disgusted that we offer gluten-free cake but not dairy-free cake. She wrote that this is discrimination against a large number of people in the world.
I'm baffled by her use of the word discrimination. Is it?
She complained vociferously and then wrote in our visitors' book that she is, in fact, disgusted that we offer gluten-free cake but not dairy-free cake. She wrote that this is discrimination against a large number of people in the world.
I'm baffled by her use of the word discrimination. Is it?
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