You are here: Home / Tea Guild / Membership / Awards

The Tea Guild Awards - what do they mean?

THE TOP TEA PLACE AWARD

This is recognised as the Oscar of the tea world and is an annual award presented in spring by The Tea Guild to the tea venue (Tea Room or Hotel) outside London, that scored the highest marks allocated by The Tea Guild’s “secret” tea Inspectors.

Tea Guild Inspectors, who are all experts in tea and how to brew and serve it, anonymously visit each Tea Guild member, usually, at least twice during the competition judging period (from end July to end October) and check out that our very strict criteria is being maintained in the 16 categories that are judged.

These 16 categories include; hygiene and cleanliness, décor, staff attitude, efficiency of service, and include 8 tea service categories such as tea appearance, flavour and knowledge of tea.

The Inspectors report back on what the venue was perhaps outstandingly good at and also where they consider improvements could be made.

Winning this prestigious award is extremely competitive and the winner is presented with a specially commissioned and quite unique stained glass window from the artist, Lou Spencer of The Stained Glass Place.  Winners proudly display the window in their tea room.         The winner of The Tea Guild Top Tea Place Award 2013 is Davenports Tea Room in Bartington, Northwich, Cheshire.        

TOP LONDON AFTERNOON TEA AWARD

This is the premier award of the London tea world and is also presented in the spring of each year to the London Tea Room or Hotel that scored the highest marks allocated by The Tea Guild’s "anonymous" tea Inspectors.

As before, Tea Guild Inspectors, who are all experts in tea and how to brew and serve it, secretly visit each Tea Guild member during the competition judging period (from end October to end January) and check out that our very strict criteria is being maintained in the 16 categories that are judged.

These 16 categories include; hygiene and cleanliness, décor, staff attitude, efficiency of service, and include 8 tea service categories such as tea appearance, flavour and knowledge of tea.

The Inspectors report back on what the venue was particularly good at and also, if necessary,  where they consider improvements could be made.

Winning this prestigious award is, as you can imagine, extremely competitive and the winner is presented with a specially commissioned and quite unique glass vase from the renowned artist, Adam Aranson of Aranson Noon Ltd.  Winners proudly display this beautiful vase in their tea room.      The winner of The Tea Guild Top London Afternoon Tea Award 2013 is The Goring Hotel, Beeston Place, Belgravia, London.     

TOP CITY & COUNTRY HOTEL TEA AWARD

This Award, considered to be highest accolade that City and Country Hotels can achieve in the Tea world, is also be presented in the spring of each year and the same strict criteria that The Tea Guild always insists also applies to this category.

Our "incognito" Inspectors continue to secretly visit each member venue to ensure that the highest of standards are being achieved and maintained and then report back to us about their assessment and, for example, what improvements could be undertaken in order to enhance what they offer their guests. Each Tea Guild member, in every category of membership, receives a confidential assessment report annually.

The award winner is presented with a specially commissioned glass bowl designed by the world famous glass artist, Adam Aaronson of Aaronson Noon Ltd. The winner of The Tea Guild City & Country Hotel Tea Award 2013 is The Montagu Arms Hotel, Beaulieu, Hampshire.

THE AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE

As the standards that Tea Guild members offer their customers continue to rise ever higher it was decided a few years ago to recognise those members who achieved almost top marks in the Top Tea Place and Top London Afternoon Tea competitions.  These  awards, known as The Awards of Excellence, are considered to be the "Michelin Stars" of the tea world and members receive a certificate of excellence printed in gold foil and beautifully framed which they display proudly and prominently in their establishment.

It is important to recognise that EVERY Tea Guild member, whether they be the largest hotel or the tiniest village tea room, is judged by the same strict criteria and that it is thereby perfectly possible for any member to win, depending on their category, either the Top Tea Place, Top London Afternoon Tea or The Top City & Country Hotel Award.

 2013 Top City & Country Hotel Award of Excellence Winners:

 Bingham - (Richmond, Surrey)
Great Fosters Hotel - (Egham, Surrey)
Pennyhill Park Hotel & Spa - (Bagshot, Surrey)          
St Tudno Hotel - (Llandudno, Wales)  
Turnberry Resort - The Grand Tea Lounge - (Turnberry, Ayrshire)
The Angel Hotel - (Abergavenny, Monmouthshire)
The Balmoral Hotel - The Palm Court - (Princes Street, Edinburgh)
The Black Swan Hotel - The Tearoom & Patisserie - (Helmsley, N.Yorks)
The Lowry - The River Bar & Restaurant - (Salford, Manchester)
The Manor House Hotel - (Castle Combe, Wiltshire)
The Nare Hotel - The Quarterdeck - (Veryon, Nr Truro, Cornwall)

2013 Top London Afternoon Tea Award of Excellence Winners:

Brown’s Hotel
Claridge’s
Corinthia Hotel London
Four Seasons Hotel Park Lane
Fortnum & Mason
Grosvenor House
Sofitel London St James
The Athenaeum
The Capital Hotel
The Chesterfield
The Connaught
The Dorchester
The InterContinental London Park Lane
The Lanesborough
The Langham
The Park Lane Hotel
The Montague on The Gardens
The Royal Garden Hotel
The Royal Horseguards Hotel
The Savoy
The Ritz
The Wolseley

2013 Top Tea Place Award of Excellence Winners:

Abbey Cottage Tea Rooms - (New Abbey, Dumfries)
Amberley Village Tea Rooms - (Amberley, West Sussex)
Bettys Café Tea Rooms - (Harrogate, North Yorkshire)
Bettys at RHS Gardens Harlow Carr - (Harrogate, North Yorkshire)
Bettys Café Tea Rooms - (Ilkley, West Yorkshire)
Bettys Café Tea Rooms - (Northallerton, Yorkshire)
Bettys Café Tea Rooms Stonegate - (York, North Yorkshire)
Bettys Café Tea Rooms - (York, North Yorkshire)
Bullivant of York - (York, North Yorkshire)
Cemlyn Tea Room - (Harlech, Gwynedd)
Charlotte’s Tea House - (Truro, Cornwall)
Cheristow Lavender Tea Rooms - (Hartland, Devon)
"Cup" - (Byres Road, Glasgow)
Cup Lounge - (Renfield Street, Glasgow)
Derricks Tea Room - (Cheddar, Somerset)
Flying Fifteens - (Lowestoft, Suffolk)
Gilbert White’s Tea Parlour - (Selbourne, Hampshire)
Gillam’s Tea Room - (Ulverston, Cumbria)
Ginger & Pickles - (Nantwich, Cheshire)
Juri’s - The Olde Bakery Tea Shoppe - (Winchcombe, Glocs)
King John’s Hunting Lodge - (Lacock, Wiltshire)
Lock House Tea Rooms - (Long Eaton, Nottinghamshire)
Marshmallow Tearooms - (Moreton-in-Marsh, Glocs
Miss B’s Tea Rooms - (Melton Mowbray, Leics)
Northern Tea Merchants - (Chesterfield, Derbyshire)
Ollerton Watermill Tea Shop - (Ollerton, Nottinghamshire)
Orange Pekoe - (Barnes, SW London)
Peacocks Tearoom - (Ely, Cambs)
Priory House Tea Rooms - (Dunstable, Beds)
Rectory Farm Tearooms - (Morwenstow, Nr Bude, Cornwall)
Regency Tea Rooms - (in The Jane Austen Centre, Bath)
Searcy at The Pump Room - (Bath)
Tea on the Green - (Danbury, Essex)
Tiffin Tearooms - (Alresford, Hants)
Tiny Tim’s Tearoom - (Canterbury, Kent)
Tisanes - (Broadway, Worcs)
The Tea Shop - (Wadebridge, Cornwall)

• Share:
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•