What goodies would you like to see

[K8memphis]

For me a Tea Room is not just a place where you go to have some tea and eat some pastry/savory items. It's one whole experience.

As important as the items themselves - bot liquids and solids I mean -  the room and the atmosphere play a major part in the whole experience. You can have awesome scones with an awesomely brewed Mariage Fréres tea but if you feel like in a kitchen or like in an ordinary café, all the experience will be ruined. I don't mean that you have to create a traditional british tea room atmosphere, as if you were at the Dorchester or similar. But you have to keep it cosy - low lights, incandescent bulbs (forget fluorescent types and the "energy saving" ones, those are for the kitchen). Nice and warm colours, textures and fabrics. Make it as close as it can get to a living room to where you invite friends for tea. If you start feeling like you're at home, you're in the right track.

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I have two tables where the lighting is bright because some folks come & do work there too. But it is not my genius or anything --the place came that way. And it is decorated adorably too. I have some pictures of the tea room, but technology is beyond me these days. Maybe when I get my (outdoor) sign up, I'll post some pictures.

But I agree that the ambiance is as important as the refreshments. Thank you for your reply.

Before that booger eats Memphis, I want some grapefruit curd.  Pink grapefruit curd, that sounds delicious.

K8, you are going to do just fine.  Smart to do so much market research.

For your little bowls, how about the mis en place bowls that come rather small?  Little glass ones?  I've seen them at Williams Sonoma, six for something.  Of course, you don't want to buy them from WS, you'll pay more, but that's what I mean.

Ginger tea is a popular one.  Yorkshire Gold.

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my local tea room uses those little glass bowls

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Umm, I went with the chinese soup spoons--I bought too many though--I love my local Asian market--everything is so inexpensive. Ginger tea & Yorkshire gold--we'll see...

Y'know you can get those wedge shaped 'scone' pans everywhere. Like this one (click) or here's a mini one! (click) Wonder how this all started??!! Just some great marketing thing like Happy Brother-in-law's Day??!! Where we're all supposed to go out & buy cards & stuff...send scones laugh.gif ??!!

I did mean to say cut into rounds using a cutter, but I'm sure you got my meaning.

Re the wedge shaped scones, as far as I can tell this is an entirely American fabrication.

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