Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Victorian afternoon tea

Waitresses clearing the table - cake trolley on the left
What a fabulous and funny weekend we have had - more of that on a later blogpost. I am currently printing like mad, a pile of work stuff, before heading out to the office at the shed. So while I am doing that here is a quick glimpse at the most amazing find in Oamaru.
Aaron had just done the wrong thing with his plate (must teach  some manners)
We went to Oamaru for the historic centre which we have gone to before and was great fun. On the corner of the Victorian prescient we found a new tearooms which has only been open just over a year. Annies Victorian Tea Rooms. Opening Day newspaper article . It is 1 Tees St, Oamaru. I cannot give you a website as she does not have one but there are also articles about her in the Historic Places Trust website.

Tea for me
This is a true Victorian Tea Rooms. We just happened upon it by fantastic design. Everything about it is authentic. They all wear the old uniforms, even the cooks in the kitchen whom you do not see. They cut the bread at the table if you order bread, butter and jam. If you order cake then the trolley is brought to your table and you select the cake, it is cut in front of you and served up with cream and berries if you wish. Even the boys icecream sundaes arrived in china cups, homemade (and gorgeous) icecream. We all had tea and took a while there. It was so fantastic that we went back the next day for lunch (Sunday) and on that day to cap it all off there was a man tinkling the ivories in the corner.

They also follow etiquette of the time. The boys and I went in first while Aaron was at a bookstore, he had said to order for him. The waitress would not take an order for a Gentleman " as without the gentleman being present as it does not pay to order as you may order something that the gentleman does not really like".
This is the place to take your mother, your grandmother, your sister..... Having said that the boys and Aaron really enjoyed it too. It slowed you down for a while and made you appreciate the little things. Fantastic.

Next time we go back we are going to go in period costume.
Cutting the bread for bread, butter and jam for Eli
A happy Jakob
Serving the cake up
Jakob having to select a cake

10 comments:

  1. What a wonderful place. I'd love to experience that.

    Anne xx

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    1. Anne, it was fantastic. Just what we need at the moment. Taking things a bit more slowly and appreciating them.

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  2. Thanks Nat, Love the hat you are knitting at the moment.

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  3. This is so fun! I am such a sucker for tea parties--but I think a Victorian tea party would be the best! Thanks for sharing :)

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  4. Wow, that's wonderful!

    Katie
    www.funhomethings.com

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    1. Thanks for taking the time to read and comment. Am popping over to your site now

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  5. How awesome! I wanna come lol! That looks so amazing! Made me smile, so sunshine-y you nailed it girlie thanks for linking up xoxo

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  6. thanks for linking up with us today. That looks like such a fun time. I would love to do that.

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  7. the cakes look yummy. I would have a hard time deciding.

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Thanks so much for stopping by. I love that you took time out to comment on my blog.

A gorgeous break in Rarotonga

Woo hoo, A holiday with no kids for 11 days. Bliss, relaxing and warm! BTW it was an early 20th wedding anniversary present to ourselves....