Afternoon Tea in England can be a lovely affair.  

My recent trip to England, where I attended Royal Ascot for the first time, continues to pay me personal dividends in the form of wonderful memories.

I was allowed to experience afternoon tea at many wonderful places, including Kensington Palace and the Brown Hotel.

It gives me great joy to remember these places and I am hoping that you will enjoy a look inside as well!

For our first experience, we enjoyed afternoon tea at The Drawing Room, in The Brown Hotel and it did not disappoint, in fact, this visit set an exceptionally high bar.

The atmosphere is warm and cozy with ultra-attentive service from the staff. The tea was excellent, and the food was delicious, with the tea sandwiches being the standout for me!

They notably serve Highgrove honey, special because it is produced from pollen collected by the royal bees at Highgrove. 

The Brown also stands out in my mind because as we finished the courses, they offered to bring us more of anything we desired!

The Brown Hotel is a place steeped in history and lore, adding to the intrigue and overall experience.

It is believed that Agatha Christie’s novel, “At Bertram’s Hotel,” was inspired by her regular stays at The Brown Hotel.

Furthermore, The Brown is the very location from where Alexander Graham Bell famously made his first telephone call from England. 

And perhaps the historical cherry on all of this is the widely held belief that Queen Victoria indulged in afternoon tea in the elegant Drawing Room of the Brown Hotel.

On a few of our stops, we opted for something less formal and one of these visits included Huffkins Tea Room, at Stow-on-the-Wold

Huffkins is a chain of ten bakeries across Cotswold and they offer what might be considered more of an everyday tea experience.

I had a savory cheese scone with butter and a spicy tomato, caramelized onion chutney. 

This was my first time having chutney on a scone and it was divine.  I enjoyed this savory treat with a classic English, Earl Grey tea. Amazing!

On June 23rd with visited The Pavilion at Kensington Palace.

This is the only place in London where you can enjoy a traditional afternoon tea on the grounds of a royal palace. 

The tea was very good with such attention to detail on each of the courses, and I took special notice of the scones which were light and sweet!

But the real gem of this experience was the view from our table!

The Pavilion overlooks the sunken garden at Kensington, and it is simply amazing.

A classic English garden featuring a statue of Princess Diana, surrounded by three children.

The statue is meant to symbolize Diana’s charitable legacy and the humanitarian work that she did during her life.

While at Kensington, Melissa and I also went through the Crown to Couture exhibit about which the Evening Standard says, “Surely the starriest fashion exhibition London has ever seen.”

This fantastic exhibition showcases over 200 items, spanning from modern celebrity designs like Beyoncé’s 2017 Grammy Awards look, to an Edith Head designed ivory lace dress worn by Audrey Hepburn, to historical royal pieces like the 360-year-old silver tissue dress worn by Lady Theophila Harris.

She would have worn this dress on formal occasions or when in the company of King Charles II.

The Harrods Tea Room was another iconic piece of London and a must-experience for us!

At Harrods we enjoyed a simple Cream Tea, as opposed to a full Afternoon Tea.

Typically, a Cream Tea (also known as Devon cream tea, Devonshire tea, or Cornish cream tea), will include tea, scones, clotted cream, and jam.

Cream Teas are a wonderful British tradition, and the highlight is generally known to be the Clotted Cream.

If you want to do it right- that clotted cream should be liberally applied to one’s scone, hence the name, Cream Tea!

At our Harrod’s Cream Tea, the scones were very good- I paired mine with the Rose Tea, which had roses in it and was very light.

For our actual trip to Royal Ascot, Melissa and I got tickets for the Windsor Enclosure where we were able to have another very nice tea.

It was a lovely experience to enjoy tea among all the beautifully dressed ladies and gentlemen and everyone in such a festive mood!

The tea served here was from the legendary British company, Fortnum and Mason.

A little history about them… in 1902, King Edward VII put forth a challenge to the people to “Bring me the finest tea in all of the land!”

In an effort to win the challenge, the company of Fortnum and Mason went all over the globe searching for the finest teas.

They brought Assam tea from India and a Flowery Pekoe from Sri Lanka and created a blend of the two teas that is still considered the benchmark for tea today!

At our Windsor Village tea, complementing the wonderful tea from Fortnum Mason, we had sweets, tea sandwiches and scones that were all quite tasty.

In particular, I thought the clotted cream was very nice.  

Café Rouge would mark our final tea experience of the trip.

This is another restaurant with multiple locations and a fun fact- Rouge was the favorite hangout for Bridget and friends in ‘Bridget Jones’s Diary,’ the novel that helped make this place a household name!

Being a French restaurant, Café Rouge offered a bit of a culinary change of pace for us…The sandwiches were grilled, with melted cheese and the scones were less dense- more like muffins- and it was all good.   

We also had a view of St. Paul’s Cathedral, which was just a few steps away from the café.

Another element that made this final tea so special was that my friend, Nicolina Werther, joined us!

Some of you may remember that I was a guest on an episode of her podcast, Building for Bliss, last year.

It was really good to see Nicolina in person!

What is nice about being on a trip where food and walking play a combined role is that I was constantly burning off the calories from all the extra treats, so everything really evened itself out in the end.

While we were able to visit all these wonderful places on our trip, there were many we missed, an example is Fortum and Mason, mentioned earlier.

They have retail store locations as well as restaurants in London. We were able to stop in one day, but were short on time and could not sit for tea that day- but next time!

I have every intention to get back to England sooner than later and continue my tour of tea rooms.

I would love to hear about the tea rooms you have visited…

Please leave your recommendations in the comments here or feel free to email me at Polly@hatsandveils.net

Saluting a female business owner who inspired others, enriching the lives of many.

Phyliss Hoffman DePiano recently and unexpectedly passed away. It was a shock to me and so many others.

For those of you who didn’t know her, Phyllis Hoffman DePiano was the founder of Hoffman Media Publishing. She entered the world of publishing 40 years ago, in 1983, and built the Hoffman Media empire that now boasts eleven magazines, including Southern Lady, Tea Time, Victoria, and Southern Home.

Even though I never formally met Phyllis, she played a huge role in my career, giving me both confidence and inspiration.

In my personal life, her magazines always brought me joy and provided an escape. The world can be a dark and depressing place, especially when you tune in to the news. I can always count on magazines like, Tea Time, Southern Lady, and Victoria to lift my mood. In fact, these publications are staples on my coffee table for this very reason.

When I started designing hats in 1993, I was inspired by the hats and fashions in Victoria Magazine, and I would often dream of being featured in Victoria. You could even say Victoria gave me the “hat bug,” and I still love to thumb through my collection of vintage Victoria Magazines that I’ve collected since the 1980s.

As a young designer in 2008, my dream came true when my hats were featured in the Fall issue of Victoria Magazine.

I felt as if I‘d won the lottery, and my friend Caroline knew this and threw a party!  We were all so excited to celebrate the moment!

As a business owner, I appreciate the spotlight that Hoffman Media always shines on small, mostly women owned, businesses. There’s a confidence and camaraderie that comes with knowing you are not alone in this arena.

Along with numerous new friends, I have to give Phyllis credit for connecting me with no less than four amazing ladies with whom I’ve collaborated over this past year! Had it not been for Southern Lady and Tea Time magazines, I probably would not have met these women. The events we did together have literally changed the trajectory of my business.

Phyllis’ magazines became a force to help and empower women while creating a lovely atmosphere. The magazines that Phyllis helped create and publish focus on joy, friendship, gentleness, creating memories with loved ones, and holding community. The mother of twin boys, she valued family and faith.

When I started my tea line, I was excited but nervous, so when both Tea Time and Southern Lady magazines, featured my teas it felt like an affirming confirmation that I was on the right path.

This is my way of honoring the memory of Phyllis Hoffman DePiano.

The courage, persistence, and tenacity she put forth as she embarked on a career in the publishing world, a male dominated field, has and will continue to blaze the paths of many women, and I am one.

The ripples of her positive influence over business owners, artists, and readers of her publications will be felt for years and years to come.

Thank you, Phyllis.

The Sacred Heart Fundraiser Tea

I recently had the immense honor of being the keynote speaker at the 17th Annual Sacred Heart Fundraiser Tea, also known as the Patty Blanton tea.

The event, held in Appling, Georgia, was the quintessential experience of Southern hospitality. It was an utterly enchanting afternoon.

Word of the Sacred Heart Fundraiser Tea has grown and flourished over the years, gaining legendary status as the premier annual tea event in the region.

With only 80 coveted tickets available, it sells out within days of going on sale.

Sacred Heart keeps a wait list and, as usual, this year’s wait list was long with ladies hoping to get the good news that a ticket had become available for them.

I was well aware of this illustrious event having read about it in Tea Time Magazine, long before I had developed my own tea line or had even become a certified Afternoon Tea Etiquette trainer.

Being invited to speak at this tea event, which is such a cherished tradition, was a dream come true.

From the horsehead and horseshoe shaped tea sandwiches to the mini-Kentucky Derby pies, it was apparent at every turn just how much Patty had poured her dedication into every detail of this spectacular day.

Every year, Patty and her friends personally prepare all the food, offering a unique and delicious afternoon tea menu.

Thoughtful detailing extended to the table settings, where each table of four was set with its own special China pattern, adding yet another touch of southern elegance.

Every year guests are gifted with personalized hand painted gift bags. This year the bags contained Patty’s homemade jam, her signature goat’s milk soap, a hand-painted (by Patty) vase, and a hand-painted print of the menu. I was so honored to have Patty include a tin of my Cherry Rose Green Tea in the fabulous gift bags this year.

All the beautiful tables and heavenly tea-fare and all of the ladies in summer dresses and hats were set against the backdrop of Patty’s enchanting garden.

Patty’s garden is spectacular- adorned with fountains, a koi pond, and a breathtaking variety of maple trees and plant life. The ambiance created in this gorgeous natural setting elevated everything all the more. It was absolutely stunning!

I am pictured here with Millie Huff, Executive Director of the Sacred Heart Cultural Center.  My friends and I toured the facility.  What a beautiful building!

This historic building, once a Catholic church on the brink of ruin, was rescued by a family from Augusta and transformed into a thriving arts center for the community.

I was accompanied by my dear friends, Caroline and Ida, who are always ready for tea adventures. For all of us, this was such a fun opportunity to meet and connect with new people.

I designed Caroline’s pink and blue fascinator to go with her dress.

As I’ve long believed, tea has an extraordinary power to bring people together in the most wonderful ways, and this tea was no exception.

In chatting with everyone, I got a surprise when I discovered that one of the guests had attended the same high school as my husband—a great reminder of the small world we live in.

When I left, I took with me wonderful memories of the day and a hope to attend next year’s Sacred Heart Fundraiser Tea.

My deepest and most heartfelt thanks to Patty for inviting me to speak at her beyond fabulous event and for allowing me the joyful experience of this spectacular day.

Learn more about how you can support The Sacred Hearts Cultural Center here

Celebrating Elegance and Joy: The 3rd Annual Hat Tea at Fasig-Tipton, Lexington KY

Welcome to the recap of the highly anticipated and enchanting 3rd Annual Hat Tea, held in April at Fasig-Tipton in Lexington, KY.

I hosted this fabulous day, as always, in collaboration with Holly Hill Events and Chef Ouita Michel.

Once again, this hat tea proved to be an extraordinary celebration of fashion, culinary delights, and connection!

When the doors opened at 11:00 a.m., over 100 guests began to arrive, each greeted with a refreshing cocktail or mocktail as the rich sounds of cello and violin drifted through the air, courtesy of a very talented stringed instrument duo.

The ambiance was immediately set as attendees perused the pop-up hat shop, featuring my 2023 Spring hat line, The Rainbow Queen Collection.

For this collection, I drew inspiration from the late Queen Elizabeth II and her vibrant sense of style.

The hats displayed a kaleidoscope of colors, and I was honored and grateful to receive such a positive response to my new designs.

For this distinguished afternoon tea, and in honor of the Queen, I had specially dyed rainbow flowers made for my hat and they turned out beautifully!

In true Holly Hill Events fashion, every detail was meticulously planned and executed. The tables were dressed in striking rainbow-hued tablecloths, creating a stunning visual tapestry.

The attention to detail extended on to the plates themselves, which were adorned with flowers, handpicked from the property, adding a touch of natural beauty to the culinary artistry that Chef Ouita and her team put together.

Promptly at noon, guests were invited to take their seats and embark on a delectable journey of afternoon tea service, expertly crafted by Chef Ouita Michel and her culinary team.

Chef Ouita’s skillful presentation and culinary prowess brought forth a 5-course afternoon tea that was utterly heavenly and a truly satisfying dining experience.

Tea Sandwiches

Chicken salad gougere

Smoked salmon, cucumber & Benedictine

Kentucky silver dollar hoe cakes with mascarpone and cranberry pepper jelly

Dressed egg salad with shaved radish and caviar

Soup

Asparagus Bisque with creme fraiche, asparagus tips, chive and buttered croutons

Salad

Local spring lettuces, macerated strawberries, Capriole goat cheese, sugared pecans and sorghum vinaigrette

Scones

Mini Betty Ann Scones

Mini Cinnamon Scones

Whipped Sorghum Butter, Blackberry Jam, Apple Butter

Sweets

Chocolate Eclair

Orange & Fennel Shortbread Cookies

Pavlova with Lemon Curd & Blueberries

Hummingbird tea cake with cream cheese icing

Each of these fabulous courses were paired with teas from my Polly Singer Loose Leaf, Artisan Tea collection.

As the Sweets course was beginning, I welcomed my special guest, Suzanne Smith (@crazyblondelifeblog), a North Carolina lifestyle blogger who traveled to Lexington to join us for this very special event.

Suzanne and I sat down together, engaging in a conversation that explored the joys and challenges of middle life, sharing our experiences in starting our businesses later in life, cultivating gratitude practices, and embracing a positive mindset- the idea being to inspire resonance with guests and create an atmosphere of camaraderie and personal empowerment.

As the tea service came to a close, it really felt like something special had just taken place.

My sincere gratitude to Suzanne Smith for coming to Kentucky and helping to bring something extra special to this year’s hat tea.

To Ouita, Teresa, Donna, and the entire Holly Hill Events team- thank you, thank you for your exceptional efforts in bringing this magnificent event to life.

And last, but certainly not least, my gratitude and appreciation to my guests who earmarked a spring Saturday to spend with me and then came dressed in vibrant attire and exquisite hats, contributing to the already festive atmosphere.

The culmination of passion, creativity, and collaboration made this day an extraordinary celebration of elegance, joy, and friendship.

If you missed this year’s Hat Tea, please know that I am already looking ahead to next year!

My mind is always turning as I think of new ways to make this annual Hat Tea a continued unforgettable and cherished tradition.

I hope to see you next year!