Laura Ashley The Tea Room
We are delighted to introduce you to Laura Ashley The Tea Room recently opened at Fairwater Head and are pleased to announce has already been awarded Gold by Taste of the West in the tea room category.
A delicious and charming tea experience
Discover the best Afternoon Tea that East Devon has to offer. Experience this great British tradition in the sumptuous surroundings of our new tearoom, designed in the distinctive signature Laura Ashley style. Offering a delicious selection of homemade cakes, scones and sandwiches. Enjoy a full Afternoon Tea with sweet and savoury delights complimented by our range of local teas and artisan coffees or why not indulge by adding glass of Prosecco.
Celebrations & Private Dining
The Tea Room by Laura Ashley is the perfect venue for special occasions and all kinds of celebrations. Please contact us if you would like to enquire about availability for private hire.
Gift Vouchers
The perfect gift for friends and family and we can produce all of our gift vouchers with a personalised message. Telephone our Reception team to order your vouchers.
Book a Table
Advance booking is essential by telephoning reservations on 01297 678349 or by email to thetearoom@fairwaterheadhotel.co.uk
National Afternoon Tea Week - 12th to 18th August 2019
To celebrate National Afternoon Tea week, we are offering all guests a complimentary glass of fizz with each afternoon tea booked during this week. The perfect time to come and sample the Laura Ashley tea room experience. Telephone 01297 678349 to book your table.
The History of Afternoon Tea
Afternoon Tea is a tea-related ritual, introduced in Britain in the early 1840s. It evolved as a mini meal to stem the hunger and anticipation of an evening meal at 8pm. Afternoon Tea is a meal composed of sandwiches (usually cut delicately into 'fingers'), scones with clotted cream and jam, sweet pastries and cakes. Interestingly, scones were not a common feature of early Afternoon Tea and were only introduced in the twentieth century.
Afternoon Tea was initially developed as a private social event for ladies who climbed the echelons of society. It was only when Queen Victoria engaged in the Afternoon Tea ritual that it became a formal occasion on a larger scale, known as 'tea receptions'. These receptions could have as many as two hundred guests with an open 'at home' invitation to visit between 4pm and 7pm, during which they could come and go as they pleased; this was the genesis of the Afternoon Tea as we know it.
In Britain today Afternoon Tea is usually enjoyed as an occasional indulgence or to celebrate a special event such as a birthday, or a pre-wedding or baby shower party with a group of friends.
