Features

Still time for tearooms

After being eclipsed by trendy US-style coffee bars, the traditional teashop is staging a refreshing revival. Barry McLoughlin tells the tearoom tale and visits some of the best

Like an infusion of freshly brewed tea slowly permeating through the pot, the question gradually took shape on a visit to one of Britain’s great cities... Is the party over for the tearoom?

All we had wanted was afternoon tea yet we couldn’t find a single tearoom in the city centre. Eventually we had to settle for the café in a well-known department store, where the food – but not the atmosphere – was a reasonable substitute.

So is that great British institution, the traditional teashop, in terminal decline? Thankfully, the answer is no – though these days you have to go into the rural and coastal hinterlands to find the best.

When Thomas Twining opened the first tearoom in the Strand, London, in 1706 – it’s still there – he launched a tradition that has survived for more than 300 years, and in many rural areas historic tearooms – often in ancient buildings – still serve traditional teas with pride. The intoxicating deep-brown liquid is poured from ornate teapots; there are pristine lace doilies and gleaming silverware.

Afternoon tea itself is also enjoying a renaissance. Irene Gorman, head of the delightfully named Tea Guild, said: “Afternoon tea is enjoying a well-deserved resurgence. It is an increasingly fashionable way to catch up with friends, take a break from shopping, or conduct a business meeting. Modern life can be hectic; taking afternoon tea is the perfect way to slow down and relax.”

Tearooms strove for gentility. Elegant lace curtains hid the diners from the gaze of passers-by, and the name of the café was often written over the door or in theglass pane in a rounded, florid, copperplate hand. Waitresses wore white caps, well- laundered aprons and starched collar and cuffs. Inside were booths or tables, highly polished and with elaborate crockery to match. There was the gentle tinkle of silverware on plates and a low hum of restrained chat. Tea was served on three-decker stands, sandwiches at the top with scones below.

Today preserved railways, museums and galleries, cathedrals and stately homes are some of the best places to find a decent teashop. Indeed, there’s the famous description of one leading cultural centre as a ‘lovely café with gallery attached...’

» Tp Continue Reading the Full Article, Click Here

Do you like going out for afternoon tea? What's your favourite place to go? 

To keep up to date with all the latest from Choice, or if you have something you want to share with our team, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram and YouTube

Other stories in Features

"We’re such country bumpkins”
“I’m a restless person by nature”
Hallowed hall of fame
The Making of Les Mis
Toton Engineman Review
Great garden getaways
Dating in later Life
Stay at home mum and author re-ignite's her career
Over 40s Named Most Successful Online Daters
Scared to Shop!
Men in Sheds
Getting older and disabled drivers behind the wheel
Guide for choosing clothes for older relatives
Martina Navratilova: "I Always Question Authority"
Remembering the Heroic Olympians
1966 and All That
"You never know what's round the corner"
Thank you, Brewood
Bradley Walsh "Variety is great for the soul"
The Enduring Power of the Unknown Soldier
"Turning 60 can't be that bad!"Jennifer Saunders
Make eating breakfast a resolution which sticks, with milk&more
Peter Capaldi: "I like characters who are strange"
Twiggy: "I thought the world had gone mad"
All shook up...The day that Elvis died
I always think I'm going to get found out
Staffordshire Day
Monty Python: Something completely different
The world of Parry Ray
Nicole Kidman "Children are the joy of my life"
Hank Marvin: “Meeting Cliff changed my life”
The Beatles: It was 50 years ago...
Queen Elizabeth: Happy and Glorious
Death of a Princess
"I feel like the unluckiest person in the world."
Worried about being worried?
What a Carry On!
Do you remember? Apple Records
Craig Revel Horwood: "I don't care what people say about me"
Puffin photos help to tackle decline of the 'clowns of the sea'
Love Your Gut Week Recipes
Emilia Fox: "I've learnt to find my own voice"
Gary Oldman: "Acting is an antidote to self hatred"
Blue Peter: Here's one they made earlier
London's other underground
Petula Clark: "I make the most of every moment"
Headphones with a built in hearing test
Ringo Starr "I'm learning to handle life"
How to get the best night's sleep, every night
How to Earn Money by Working from Home
Nana Mouskouri "Music brings me peace, love and hope"
Bill roache "It's a real privilege to make people happy"
John Lennon & Yoko Ono: 'Imagine'
Bognor and other Regises
Do you remember? UFO
Women in WW1
Suzi Quatro: "I've always been a rocker at heart"
Rabble: The Movement keeping you fit and making you money!
Oldie of the Year 2019
Steve Coogan"The most radical thing I can do is talk about love"
Pressures of the sandwich generation
Want to live the (Feel)Good Life? Move to Watford
1969: The Year The Dream Died
Ruth Wilson "Audience's don't know who I really am"
How to Maintain Your Independence in the Kitchen
Cosyfeet Community Award 2019
Alexander Armstong: "My family is my priority"
Claire Foy "I didn't get life until I was 32"
Battle of Britain
Craft Corner - A great Easter basket