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High tea traditions, modern coffee renditions
Tuesday, August 20th, 2002 by GetawayBC.com
The history of high tea comes in many renditions, but the lore which has proven to be most enduring hails from the 1800s and features Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford. It is commonly believed she started the famous fad which has become the staple of tannin traditions. Historically, the evening meal was served at eight and the duchess would experience a sinking feeling around 4 p.m., between lunch and dinner.
In need of some refreshment and sustenance, she arranged for a tray of tea, bread and cake to be brought to her room. Quickly the duchess’ personal high tea become a daily routine and she was soon inviting quests to join her in sampling what was perhaps the start of Britain’s first high teas.
High tea soon become a fashionable Victorian social event, usually served between 4 and 5 p.m. with a variety of dainty sandwiches, pastries and cakes. Today, high tea is taken around the world, with several delectable versions offered in Oak Bay.
Sample the traditional fare at The Blethering Place, the Oak Bay Beach Hotel and Marine Resort or the Windsor Park Tea Room and Restaurant.
Old high tea traditions mingle with contemporary coffee customs on Oak Bay Avenue in the Village. For the right caffeine fix, consider a sunny sidewalk cafe or elegant indoor table.
Stroll to Starbuck’s for a foamy cappuccino or visit Athlone Court Gourmet Coffee to choose from a wide variety of hot bon vivant beverages. Also offering coffee and tea in perfect sidewalk splendor are Ottavio’s Italian Bakery and Delicatessen, the Side Street Cafe or the Bagel Street Cafe (where you can munch on a poppyseed bagel with your java).
The Marina Cafe Deli (at the Oak Bay Marina) is another favorite spot to spend your afternoon sipping coffee and writing postcards. The Demitasse (off McNeill Avenue at Roslyn Road) is a South Oak Bay favorite offering frothy lattes and home-baked treats.;