~ i'll let you in on a little secret: i think i should have been British. i'm a bit obsessed with afternoon tea, also known as high tea. introduced to Britain in the 1840's, afternoon tea stemmed from the need to fill any hunger pangs before eating dinner {which was done much later in the evening than nowadays}. traditionally, the upper class would have 'low' or 'afternoon' tea late in the afternoon {around 4pm} before the fashion promenade in Hyde Park and the middle and lower class would have a 'high' tea later in the day {5 or 6pm} {via afternoontea}. composed of small sandwiches, scones with clotted cream, pastries and cake, afternoon tea originally belonged to the upper class ladies who would have private social events for other ladies of the higher echelons of society. nowadays, high tea is enjoyed for bridal showers, birthday celebrations, mothers day and simply because you love high tea {like me, so pretty much anytime} ~
~ i can't tell you exactly why i became obsessed with high tea. it just sort of happened. a few years ago, i started collecting vintage tea cups. one of my besties, Julia, her mom had this amazing collection of mismatched tea cups and i became so enamored by them, knowing they were a part of her life, something she'd collected over the years with every one telling a story of where and how she got it and they'd become family heirlooms, passing down through generations. i knew i wanted something like that in my life as my family doesn't really have anything like that. rather, they were forced to leave their valuables behind when then first emigrated 32 years ago. and so it began. everywhere i go, i'm looking for antique shops and flea markets so i can get my hands on gorgeous tea cups. i'm kind of obsessed with all things antique now also. i even make tiered cake stands with vintage plates i find that can be used to serve high tea on {among other things}. my little shop that could is opening up soon on etsy. i'll be sure to share it with y'all!
~ i've always been partial to smaller bites, mini versions of foods of all kinds and i do love my tea {i'm Persian, we likely drink as much tea as the British, if not more}. combine those two and we've reached a place where obsession has met madness. i like to to call happiness ~
~ i've yet to experience a traditional English afternoon tea in the UK. one of my besties, Grace, went to London last year and went for High Tea and said it was an experience unlike she'd had here. the food was served on trolleys with the portions much larger than most places here. it's definitely on my bucket list of places to go to in my life time for high tea! luckily, the popularity of high tea has increased in the last few years. there are so many ways one can experience high tea now, whether traditionally or more modern. i've definitely been on a quest to experience the best of high tea that Vancouver has to offer. i've also been trying to bring all my girlfriends to the sweet side, basically forcing them to come to high tea with me. my bestie Courtney and I started celebrating our "bestie high tea" birthdays about two years ago. we treat each other to high tea for our birthdays, just the two of us. we go to a new place each time so we can experience different ones ~
~ at the moment, my most favorite high tea is at Secret Garden Tea company. maybe i prefer it because it was the first place i tried and have gone back many, many times. also, thus far, it seems to be the most traditional of all i've experienced. they change their menu seasonally and even has special ones for Valentines day or Mother's day. another first i experienced is my favorite tea flavor, Creamy Earl Grey, that i purchase in tea bags and loose leaves all the time! ~
~ another i've tried a few times, and most recently took Courtney to, was Soirette. while it's considered high tea, and has all the elements of high tea, the menu is definitely not traditional. but that's why i liked it! their menu changes seasonally and its the first menu i've tried where the variety is more gourmet like. they have this adorable potato pancake with a pink quail egg on it! it's just the prettiest! ~
~ a few years back, Groupon had a deal for Afternoon tea at the Fairmont Airport Hotel. we, my friends and i, basically went crazy and bought a bunch. i think i bought 3. i remember going with my mom and then two days later, again with Courtney. i had the same server. she totally recognized me and said, "don't worry, you're not the first'. that made me feel a bit better. my most favorite small bite was this curry chicken salad they served on a small baguette. i don't really like curry but it was fantastic ~
~ Butter Baked Goods is known for their delectable desserts. luckily, their original location in Dunbar was turned into a tea room with a gigantic portion for a very reasonable price! i remember Courtney falling in love with their Butter Cream tea. just take a moment and think about that. Butter. Cream. Tea. ~
~ Courtney took me to Little White House & Co. last summer in Fort Langley. while its a bit out of my way, it was the most adorable little place. a very french-inspired menu with the most amazing croissants we've ever tasted along with a creamy earl grey that was unlike anything we'd tried. you can even have champagne with your afternoon tea! i did love how french it was and how different the decor was. the salon looked like a barn that been treated with a lot of love and it was such a delightful experience ~
~ i've still got A LOT of places to try in Vancouver and surrounding cities as i can't imagine this obsession dying down anytime soon. if anything, its gotten worse and will likely continue to get worse and i'll eventually be speaking with an affected accent and asking everyone who comes into my home if they'd like some biscuits with their tea. served in my vintage tea cups of course. i'm pretty sure i'm converting Tarah also {who shares my love of tea} so much so that we're putting together something super special to share with you guys very soon!! ~
~ got some Afternoon/ High Tea places you think we should try? let us know if the comment section!! ~
xoxo
Oz
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