Afternoon Tea At The Secret Garden Tea Room

Karen here. Yesterday my friend Daniela took me for high tea at The Secret Garden Tea Room in Vancouver, B.C's,  Kerrisdale neighborhood. I have never been to this tea room and it was a complete treat.
We had the most delicious savories and sweets as well as two types of tea.

I loved my Paragon Tea Cup, it was a lovely shade of blue and my friend's cup was a Royal Albert that is a favorite.

Both teas we chose were black teas, their Avalon blend was a very floral black tea with rose, bergmot and vanilla. The other was a peach black tea that was very good.

The sandwiches we enjoyed were a croissant with tuna, avocado and black olive tapenade, very different flavors but the sandwich we enjoyed the most. The small bite sized chicken and pea sandwiches on baking powder biscuts were also very good. In the middle of the sandwich plate was fancy rolled grainy dijion mustard egg sandwich.
Layer two had scones with clotted cream and jam along with the most moist chocolate zucchini bread with a hint of espresso, this was a lovely course! Our top tear held a lemon tart, a cream brule and a chocolate pumpkin pie. I was very impressed with this tea room. My friend who had been to The Secret Garden before said that the previous tea room had been located a few blocks away but it was much smaller and more cozy. This tea room has very high ceilings and was very loud, it was also very busy.  I would say that this high tea has a particularly great menu and is priced very competitively to other tea rooms in Vancouver. While it is not a cozy spot, it was a delightful place to spend time with a wonderful friend. If you are ever in Vancouver BC, I hope you will consider trying this or one of our other fine tearooms.

I would love to have you over for tea daily at www.acupofteaandacozymystery.com 

Thay Tea A Beautiful Tea Lovers Oaisis In Ucluete BC, Canada

This past weekend I found myself several hours and miles from home on Vancouver Island and staying in a tiny oasis on the West Coast of Canada called Ucluelet (You-Q-Let) or Ukee (You-Key) to the locals. We went for an amazing family surfing weekend in near by Tofino, put on by SUPA (Surfs Up  For Autism) and Rip Curl   we had a blast. While we were staying in and exploring Ucluelet I came across a wonderful tea shop called Thay Tea. 

This small but impressive tea shop carries pure, organic and ethically sourced loose leaf teas as well as tea wares and hosts a small tea bar area. As black tea and creamy Earl Grey Teas are amoung my current teas of choice I brought home 50 grams of their  Organic Double Cream Earl Grey. This tea has a very smooth and has a subtle bergamot flavor. It is a full, rich creamy vanilla black tea that I truly have enjoyed.  I drink my tea black and this tea has a lovely balance and perfect for afternoon tea.

While visiting the store I asked about ordering and was pleased to know they have a wonderful website and that they even split the shipping costs on their tea for their customers. So even if you can not get to the Vancouver Island Oasis known as Ukee, you can bring some of Ukee home for your afternoon teas. Learn more about Thay Tea by clicking here to visit their website.
If you happen to find yourself on Vancouver Island or are planing a trip to visit Tofino or Ucluete make sure you stop at Thay Tea. 

I would love to have you over for tea daily at www.acupofteaandacozymystery.com 

Pippin's Lady Grey Black Tea

Karen here, my birthday was yesterday and a dear friend sent the most wonderful tea themed birthday gift (and most perfect card! I love the Witches tea party/Welsh Woman's Tea photo! )  The adorable tea party to go set in the photo above  fits in the tin is one of the sweetest tea accessories I have ever seen! Worth mentioning this Tea Party In A tin has four cups and saucers, a table cloth, 4 teaspoons and tea pot. You can find one for yourself by clicking here.  A selection of Pippin's tea that included the tea I am reviewing today called Lady Grey.

Lady Grey tea is a black tea that is lightly scented with bergmot oil and lemon and orange peel. This blend by Pippins includes rose petals . Lady Grey tea gets it's name from the wife of the most famous Charles Grey (the 2nd Earl Grey). Mary Elizabeth Grey was born in march of 1776 and married Charles at age 18  in 1794. Mary Elizabeth Grey went on to have 16 children! Truly someone I can lift my teacup too, having only had three children myself!

Pippins blend has a lovely color, a light and bright citrus flavor with a heavenly floral scent.
It is fruity and perfect for an afternoon spring tea.
You can learn more about Pippins Tea by visiting their website by clicking here. 
Learn more about Lady Grey and her life by clicking here. 

I would love to have you join me for tea daily by visiting me at www.acupofteaandacozymystery.com