Serving tea as an event

[scrambled_eggs]

Does anyone here serve tea at their bed and breakfast as an event? I am not talking about guests staying in house having tea but offering tea and small sandwiches or some other baked item to local guests in the community. This would be by advance reservation only for a small group. I have heard of a few bed and breakfasts doing this. I was thinking this could be a way to make a few extra bucks in the slow season when the rooms aren't rented as much. Its gets really boring in the winter. I'm just curious if anyone else had tried this.

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

Afternoon tea. Yes, and in fact if you are interested contact your local or regional homeschooling group and you might have some fun with that. We had a mother and daughter tea - it was very elegant. Everyone dressed up and the girls used the fine china and ate dainties.
Garden clubs and other groups (Red Hats) might be interested in this as well.

 

[gillumhouse]

One of my B & B friends does kids tea parties as a sideline that is almost busier than the B & B. It is minimum of 8 (if they have six they pay for eight) and no more than 12. It is a tea party/ettiquette thing and she has many repeats (the basement is full of feather boas/hats/gowns/gloves etc).

 

[scrambled_eggs]

Thanks for the input. What are some good dainties to serve up? How long do the parties last?

 

[Iris]

There use to be an innkeeper here that did that and it was very successful. But it seems to be a lot of work organizing all of that. She would have poetry readings. Oh how fun and oh how much work

 

[Penelope]

We offer teas for certain events. A couple of flavors of tea, finger sandwiches, lots of finger sweets.
Sandwiches are cut into triangles with the crusts off. Cucumber and dill; smoked salmon; mushroom. on both wheat and white.
Overly decadent sweets: caramel brownies, raspberry squares, tarts
Scones and curds

 

[Proud Texan]

I think beer and bbq would be more appropriate here.

Tea would not work where we are so, we have happy hour on the patio when the weather is nice.
Several years ago I took DW to High Tea at Kensington Palace in London. It IS a most civilized custom.

 

[wendydk]

I think beer and bbq would be more appropriate here.

Tea would not work where we are so, we have happy hour on the patio when the weather is nice.
Several years ago I took DW to High Tea at Kensington Palace in London. It IS a most civilized custom..

Uhhh, Beer and BBQ sounds like heaven!

 

[user 26]

there is a tea house in wenham, mass. the teas last about 2 hours. if children are included (and this is to be the focus of the tea) there is a story teller.
i would have loved to have gone to a tea with my mom, or my daughter ... hmmm too late for mom, maybe i should arrange to go with my daughter. thinking .........

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

2 hours is a good time frame.
There are a ton of books on TEA gatherings, they were quite the fad a couple years back.
Some of my favorite guests were here for a child's tea party. They were here from DC and he was a retired 4 star and she a big wig. The tea house was an old victorian in Salem VA. Upstairs was for dress up clothes.
I asked him the next morning (A great big strong jaw lined man) did you dress up? He laughed and said "Don't tell a soul, but yes, we all did!" It was so cute!
Let me see if I can find the link to that place. The URL didn't work...hm.
Cucumber cheese sandwiches with crusts cut off, lots of petite four type desserts, footed dishes, crystal and stemware goblets for water or lemonade. Devonshire teas - scones with jam and cream.

 

[GeorgiaGirl]

English Meadows in Maine does tea. They have a page on it: english meadows inn . com/ tearoom . html