Being Royal-Tea: Afternoon Tea at The Empress
Let me set the scene…
It is a warm summer’s afternoon in Beautiful British Columbia; the sky - where wispy white clouds rest - is the perfect shade of blue. You have just finished exploring the Royal BC Museum (where you particularly enjoyed a special exhibit on orca). Your feet are tired, yet they eagerly walk you to the doors of a grand, majestic building. You can hear your stomach grumble as you step into an elegant hall clad with velvet loungers and tiny tables. Live piano music brings hints of elegance and awakens feelings of nostalgia with classy renditions of tunes from years past.
The Royal Fit
Alice McCall - Cherries On Top Playsuit
Found this gem of a romper at a mall in Sydney, Australia a few years back, and it has slowly become one of my favourite local (to Australia) high-end brands. Their clothing features very feminine, delicate, and whimsical details, usually set in a pastel-nude palette. Perfect little things for special occasions!
The Empress Experience
The iconic Empress Hotel opened its doors in January 1908. Today, Fairmont Empress proudly serves freshly prepared scones and tea pastries to more than 80,000 guests annually. During the summer months, the Empress serves more afternoon tea than most hotels in London. More than 400 people each day visit the Empress to indulge in a tradition that has been an important part of Victoria for more than 110 years. (Source: Fairmont Empress Hotel)
YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN: … And That’s the Tea (101) *sips*
Afternoon Tea Menu & Plate Setting
The Royal China Collection
The Royal China Collection
This exclusive collection made its first appearance at The Empress in 1939 when King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother) stayed at the hotel. They had the china/teaware specially shipped to Victoria from England for their stay, and upon their departure, left the collection as a gift to the hotel. This fine collection made another appearance in 1951 during then-Princess, now-Queen Elizabeth’s stay. That was the last time the original collection was seen, until the pattern was rediscovered several decades later. Through some special arrangements with English fine bone chinaware designer and manufacturer William Edwards, the pattern from the original collection has been reproduced exclusively for The Empress, especially to serve their esteemed afternoon tea.
(Source: Fairmont Empress Hotel)
Bottom Tier - Scones
Middle Tier - Savouries
Top Tier - Sweets
The Menu
Tiny THOUGHTS
The food was delicious (I’ve never had a scone so soft that it would melt in my mouth) and were made with fresh, high-quality ingredients. Other than the scone, my favourite selections were the Sun Wing Farms English Cucumber (SO REFRESHING! Also dill and fennel? Heck yeah!), the Poached Ocean Wise Shrimp Cocktail, and to my surprise, the Cowichan Valley Free Run Egg Salad. Like any other time I’ve had afternoon tea, I couldn’t finish the sweets, so I packed them to go. Maybe it’s because I’m not much of a sweets person, but I wasn’t as fond of them as I was of the savouries. I did enjoy the Chocolate Caramel Jasmine Tart and Scottish Short Bread & Thyme, though!
If you’re looking for a special social day out and don’t mind coughing up about $100/person from end to end, it is definitely a luxurious experience to have, especially with the history that surrounds it. I would, however, pass on the premium tea selection, as their included teas are already fairly good.
