Afternoon Tea at the Oxford Exchange

Over the weekend, I enjoyed Afternoon Tea at The Oxford Exchange in Tampa.  It's a large renovated 1890's building in downtown Tampa, Florida. The arched wood-paneled hallways and marble floors are something you would see in London, rather than Tampa. The OE is part bookshop, part champagne bar, part tea bar, part coffee counter, part gift shop, and a restaurant. Afternoon tea is served in the Conservatory, adjacent to the restaurant. 

The bookshop is full of best sellers and hardback classics.

There is even a Warby Parker eyeglass shop.

The gift shop is full of globally-inspired decor, coffee table books, and lots of candles.

The Champagne Bar is lovely and was very busy with customers sipping the bubbly champagne cocktails. The air was blissfully fragrant with all the fresh floral arrangements throughout the area.

Te Bella Tea Company has a bar with a wide selection of tea (45 teas in the collection).

The Buddy Brew Coffee Company has a counter—they are a Tampa-based craft coffee roaster serving up coffee specialty drinks and pastries.

                                 

The restaurant and Conservatory are both light and airy. I have had lunch in the restaurant before and it was fabulous!  The service was great as well.

The Afternoon Tea was held in the Conservatory.  We chose the Royal Afternoon Tea:  Savories, Scones, and Sweets, with tea and champagne. 

I chose the Lavender Earl Grey Tea--a blend of bergamot, lavender, and jasmine;  My friend Diana had the Earl Grey Creme--a blend of bergamot, creme, and French vanilla; Diana's daughter Natalie chose the Milk Oolong--It was a creamy, floral Chinese tea.  We switched and swapped to taste each other's tea and they were all very good!  All the teas were from the Te Bella Tea Company.

I give the Oxford Exchange Royal Afternoon Tea Five Silver Spoons. The service, tea foods, and tea were all great and the ambiance was delightful.

Five Silver Spoons for The Oxford Exchange Experience!

Reservations are required and you will definitely want to make them in advance as the OE is a very popular spot. The Oxford Exchange is located at 420 W. Kennedy Boulevard, Tampa, Florida.  For more information, go to OxfordExchange.com.

Fortnum and Mason

Fortnum and Mason, Piccadilly, London

Epitomizing the sophistication of Afternoon Tea, the Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon has served Fortnum and Mason's most delicious tradition since 1926. It was renamed following a visit from the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2012.  The salon serves the city's top afternoon tea with a resident pianist and refined Georgian-style decor. Finger sandwiches, scones, and beautiful patisserie are freshly baked in Piccadilly. Having tea at Fortnum and Mason is a historic experience.  The iconic department store was founded in 1707, invented the Scotch egg in 1738, and added Battenburg cake to its menu in 1926.

It's so quintessentially British, in fact, that in 2012 when the brand launched its Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon at the top of its Piccadilly building, the late Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Camilla, and the Princess of Wales all came to open it. A decade later, the service remains impeccable, the signature eau de nil china is as elegant as ever, and the menu refined yet irreverent.  

2012--The late Queen Elizabeth II opened the Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon, wearing the stores signature color, eau de nil, from head to toe...swoon

Fortnum and Mason has long been linked with the royal Family.  Generations of the Fortnum family worked in Royal service, from the reign of Queen Anne onwards. During the long and illustrious reign of Queen Victoria, the company received the first of its many Royal Warrants.  On August 30, 1867, the company was appointed grocers and tea dealers to her son, Prince Albert, HRH the Duke of Edinburgh.  Today the world-famous store continues to hold a royal warrant for the King for groceries and provisions. 

I knew when I booked my trip to London for the King's Coronation a reservation for AfternoonTea at Fortnum's was a must-do. I confirmed my reservation seven months in advance...I didn't want to miss out on the Fortnum's tea experience.

181 Piccadilly is a rather special place. Beautifully crafted patisseries greeted us upon arrival and then there was display after display full of a tea lover's and gourmet food connoisseur's dream groceries and accoutrements! The place was packed with happy people shopping for loose tea, tea bags, gourmet foods, jams, honey, biscuits, and all the British fine delicacies.

This celebratory loose-leaf blend Darjeeling tea was created to mark the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III...of course, Darjeeling is the champagne of teas.

Another tea was created to celebrate the Coronation...Pineapple and Coconut Infusion, teabags.

After shopping till we dropped, we headed to the Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon...

My afternoon tea squad...friends I have known for many, many years--from Georgia, Mississippi, Italy, and England!

I behaved myself and checked out the menu without taking it home with me!

I decided to have the Fortnum's Coronation Afternoon Tea...

We started our celebration with the Coronation of HM King Charles III Champagne!

Proper British Afternoon Tea--Savories, Scones, and Sweets...total perfection!

I sipped the fragrant Victoria Grey tea...heaven in a cup!

Afternoon tea at Fortnum's was everything I hoped it would be...elegant and delicious!

The Mote Spoon

I love to collect tea accoutrements.  All the dainty pieces serve a purpose and also are pretty to look at during teatime. The mote spoon is an elegant accessory to use while serving tea.  The spoon end is pierced to skim stray tea leaves from the cup.  The pointed end is used to stick into the spout of the teapot to scoop out tea leaves.  With its long handle, it is also a convenient utensil to stir the loose tea after the hot water has been added.

In this photo the silver tea strainer is placed on top of the tea cup to catch the stray tea leaves while pouring the tea.

If there are any stray leaves in the teacup after straining the tea, the mote spoon can be used. The silver mote spoon is placed on a teaspoon rest after each use.

The mote spoon is from the Victorian and Edwardian era and a must-have teatime accoutrement. 


"But indeed I would rather have nothing but tea."
~Jane Austen, Mansfield Park

I love starting my morning with a good pot of tea...planning my outfit, writing my to-do list, and relaxing.  Thank you for visiting with me today.

Lemon Etiquette at Teatime

Lemon is a delightful addition to hot tea and of course there is etiquette to be followed at teatime.  Tea pairs exceptionally well with Anne of Green Gables and today I'm sipping a Darjeeling tea from Harney Tea.  Darjeeling is a black tea--"The Queen of Teas," a blend of First Flush and Autumnal teas from the best tea gardens.  I would only add a lemon slice to a black tea.  Be sure to pour the tea in first, then add sugar, then the lemon.  Lemon is offered thinly sliced (never in wedges!).



A lemon fork (with splayed tines) should be provided.  The tea pourer or the tea drinker can then put a slice directly into the poured cup of tea.  Should you desire another cup of tea, the pourer will remove the slice of lemon from your cup, place it into the tea slop bowl (shown on the right), and pour your tea.  The tea pourer or you may add a fresh lemon slice.  You may also be offered a fresh cup, depending on availability.  Remember that milk and lemon are never used together in tea.  The citric acid of the lemon causes the milk to curdle


Etiquette tip--These are a few lemon faux pas you do not want to commit at teatime:

~Putting the lemon slice into the cup before pouring the tea.  Tea is always poured in the cup first.
~Placing a lemon slice on the edge of the saucer in anticipation of adding it to the cup later.
~Transferring the lemon slice from the cup to the saucer.  You will end up with your cup resting in a puddle of tea.
~Removing the cloves from the lemon slice before placing in the teacup.  The cloves are placed in the lemon slices to add flavor.
~Using the spoon to press the lemon slice after you place it in the cup.  The oil from the peel and the juice from the fruit will provide the desired essence.

"Of course I'll stay to tea, said Anne gaily.  I was dying to be asked."
Anne of Green Gables

Magnolia and Ivy

Does anyone recognize these two ladies?  Well, the lady on the left is Terri Eager and her sister Kay Snipes is on the right.  They owned the South's most fabulous tearooms--my favorite one being Magnolia and Ivy Tearoom, in Destin, Florida...back in the 90's.  Both ladies are fellow Tea and Etiquette and Children's Etiquette Consultants from the Protocol School of Washington.  I remember having tea at Magnolia and Ivy several times back in the day and it was THE place for Southern ladies to enjoy a proper tea!  After a hiatus from tearoom operations, they are back as the owners of Kingdom Teas.  At Kingdom Teas, they offer a luxury line of specialty loose-leaf teas, some teapots, and their cookbook.

I have the cookbook from their tearoom and love the recipes for "Southern Teatime Made Easy."


I decided to prepare their recipe for *Strawberry Butter and it was the perfect topping to my crumpets yesterday morning.  Crumpets are the perfect bread for breakfast.  They should be toasted on both sides, the smooth side first, the holey side last.



The recipe made enough to store some in the frig for later. Probably not a good idea for me!



Remember to use the spreader to transfer the butter from the butter dome to your plate.  Then use the spreader at your setting to add the butter to your crumpet.  I had to control myself with just ONE crumpet!  I purchase the multi-pack crumpets and freeze them individually in zip lock bags.  After thawing out and toasting, they are still fresh!




*Recipe for Strawberry Butter

1 lb. softened butter
1/3 cup strawberry jam or fresh ripe strawberries
1 cup powdered sugar

Whip butter, berries, and sugar until light and fluffy.  Store in frig until ready to serve.  (I let the butter soften a bit before serving).

Come, let us have tea and talk about happy things.