The Tea Guild welcomes this year's new members

9th December 2012

The Tea Guild welcomed eight new members in 2012, chosen from the many applicants for membership inspected, for the high standards of service, wide selection of teas plus correct brewing and serving procedures expected by the Guild.

The ever-increasing stable of Tea Guild members means that tea lovers have a really wide array of tea rooms and hotels to choose from.

When it comes to a truly creative and thoroughly modern approach to taking tea, there can be few better places to visit than Cup Tea Lounge in Glasgow, the new sister restaurant to the city’s Cup Tea Room. Diners can choose from a dazzling selection of teas ranging from Chai and Organic Darjeeling to Smooth Caramel and Builder’s Brew, and there is a imaginative range of cupcakes and cakes, too. And that’s without even mentioning the cocktails.

Golf fanatics - and their partners - will love Close House Hotel in Heddon on the Wall, Newcastle. Set in the stunning Northumberland countryside, Close House is home to a top 100 Championship golf course, which counts Lee Westwood as a fan. Whether you’re out on the greens or not, guests and visitors can enjoy a selection of teas and choose from several set afternoon tea menus.

If history is your thing, then the Priory House Tea Rooms in Dunstable will definitely appeal, given that Priory Church of St. Peter, where the court that annulled the marriage of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon was held, is a mere stone’s throw away. What’s more, The Undercroft - one of the three newly-refurbished tea rooms at Priory House - boasts one of the only groyne vaulted stone ceilings left in the country and a Tudor fireplace.  In the summer months, tea can be taken on the terrace overlooking the gardens.

Amberley Village Tea Room, near Arundel, West Sussex is a real family affair; owner Sue - or her mother and daughter - can be found in the kitchen baking all the cakes and biscuits! The tea room, set in a restored Grade II listed barn has a rustic, country feel and even welcomes walkers, muddy boots and well-behaved dogs. Local produce is often used - right down to china from the local pottery. However, prospective guests take note - the tea room is closed during the winter months and reopens on March 2, 2013.

Visitors to the New Forest - and, indeed, Hampshire residents - can now enjoy afternoon tea at Careys Manor Hotel near Brockenhurst, a large country house hotel in the lovely location of what was once the former Royal hunting grounds of William the Conqueror.

Moving to the capital, the recently-opened five star Corinthia Hotel, just on Whitehall Place serves its afternoon tea in the central Lobby Lounge under a glittering, impressive Baccarat Chandelier.  In warmer weather guests can take tea in the maple-lined courtyard. Given its location and ambience, The Corinthia is a perfect place for business meetings.

Meanwhile, over in Mayfair, those wishing to search out a unique and quirky environment in which to take afternoon tea should look to Flemings. This stunning luxury boutique hotel stretches over six Georgian townhouses and offers a variety of set menu choices in its dedicated Tea Room including a special Chocoholics Afternoon Tea. Flemings has created its own blend of tea, which sits alongside a selection of classic mélanges such as Melange Anglais Superieur, described as a ‘harmonious blend of tea from Ceylon, India and China’. Reservations are highly recommended - especially at weekends.

Finally, it’s the turn of the iconic Fortnum and Masons on Piccadilly which welcomed HM the Queen, accompanied by Their Royal Highnesses the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duchess of Cambridge, to open its Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon in March 2012. Guests can choose between Afternoon Tea, High Tea or a Savoury Afternoon Tea.  Special effort is made to pair different strength teas with the appropriate cakes.

Photos:
Top: Corinthia Hotel
Middle: Amberley Village Tea Rooms
Bottom: Flemings