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Top Tea Places 2011

  The Tea Guild's Top Tea Awards

The Tea Guild has 3 different categories of membership and each category is judged annually to determine which venue in each category has won the TOP prize, considered to be the "Oscar" of the tea world and which members have achieved an Award of Excellence, considered to be the "Michelin Star" of the tea world:

• Tea Room members are venues around mainland UK, excluding London, and each member is automatically entered into the annual Tea Guild Top Tea Place Award competition. Judging by The Tea Guild's expert and, always, incognito Inspectors takes place each year in late summer and early autumn. The results are announced, and The Top Tea Place Award presentation takes place,  the following spring.

• City and Country Hotel members are venues throughout mainland UK, excluding London, and each member is automatically entered into the annual Tea Guild Top City and Country Hotel Tea Award competition. Judging by The Tea Guild's expert and, always, incognito Inspectors takes place each year in the autumn. The results are announced, and The Top City and Country Hotel Tea Award presentation takes place, the following spring.

• London members are hotels,  large and boutique, and tea rooms based in the city of London and each member is automatically entered into the annual Tea Guild Top London Afternoon Tea Award competition. Judging by The Tea Guild's expert and, always, incognito inspectors takes place each year in late autumn. The results are announced, and The Top London Afternoon Tea Award presentation takes place, the following spring.

The Tea Guild Top Tea Place Award 2011

This Tea Guild event, now in its 26th year, is considered the 'Oscar' of the tea world, with the best tea rooms in the UK competing for the hugely coveted honour. The UK Tea Council has also awarded 44 special Awards of Excellence in recognition of their outstanding quality and consistently high standards in tea service.

As well as researching and judging The Top Tea Place award, the UK Tea Council's team of Tea Guild inspectors have been searching the UK to seek out the annual winners of The Top London Afternoon Tea and The Top City and Country Hotel Tea awards.

The Tea Guild team of tea experts have taken tea in hotels and tearooms in London and across Britain to find the finest tea experiences and all visits have been anonymous to ensure the results are completely fair and accurate. The anonymous judges awarded points for the variety, flavour, knowledge and service of the teas offered, together with the quality and service of food, décor, ambience, and presentation. With 125 points to be lost or gained on the judge's scorecard, only those tea establishments achieving the very highest standards across a number of categories can make it to the top.

Rocke Cottage Tearooms was voted into the top spot after it gained a near perfect score from the The Tea Guild's inspectors. The judges praised it for its pleasant surroundings, a warm and friendly welcome from the owner, Karin Clarke, and the "quietly efficient" service that guests enjoyed. The judges were impressed by the variety and amount of sandwiches, crumpets, scones and delicious cakes and were won over by the excellent selection of teas and the staff's exceptional knowledge.

Set in the picturesque Clun Valley in Shropshire, Rocke Cottage Tearooms, near Clungunford, traces its history back to the mid 17th century, and is thought to have been a hostelry from the very start. 

Today the exposed timbers inside and original wattle and daub walls underlie the Rock Cottage's rich past and it has been themed in the style of the 1920s and 1930s with period adverts, prints and music.

Commenting on Rocke Cottage Tearooms winning The Tea Guild's the coveted Top Tea Place 2011 award, Irene Gorman, Head of The Tea Guild, said: "Rocke Cottage Tearooms offers a truly special tea experience and this award is very well deserved. The attention to detail, quality of food, lovingly prepared by Karin and her team, who strive to ensure, where possible, that all foods are sourced locally, and whose excellent knowledge and service of teas served, is second to none. The very friendly welcome and relaxing and pleasant ambiance helps make afternoon tea at Rocke Cottage Tearooms a real pleasure.

"The standard of entrants this year was incredibly high, with many excellent entries from across the UK. The tradition of afternoon tea has never been stronger, with Tea Guild members busier than ever. More and more people are taking time out to enjoy afternoon tea.

"Afternoon tea is the perfect way to catch up with friends, family or even business colleagues, celebrate a special occasion or enjoy a romantic date. Tea Guild member establishments all have a wide variety of teas to choose from, including favourites such as white and green tea as well as special blends that are often unique. Modern life can be very hectic and demanding and taking afternoon tea is the perfect way to slow down and relax, bringing huge emotional and wellbeing benefits."

Rocke Cottage spokesperson Owner Karin Clarke said: "We're very proud to be members of The Tea Guild and to be given The Tea Guild's Top Tea Place 2011 Award is a huge honour - we're absolutely delighted. We aim to give our customers the very best afternoon tea experience possible and all our staff work tirelessly into making Rocke Cottage a great place to relax and enjoy the highest quality food and tea. We know just how important it is to get all aspects of afternoon tea exactly right."

The Tea Guild Top City & Country Hotel Tea Award 2011

A former Georgian coaching inn, The Angel Hotel in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, scooped the top award after impressing The Tea Guild judges with its quality of service, food and tea.

This, the newest Tea Guild award, now in its third year, is considered the 'Oscar' of the tea world, with the best tea rooms in the UK competing for the hugely coveted honour. The UK Tea Council has also awarded 12 special Awards of Excellence to: Ashdown Park Hotel (Wych Cross, East Sussex), Bingham (Richmond, Surrey), Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire (Dogmersfield, Hampshire), Pennyhill Park Hotel & Spa (Bagshot, Surrey), Swinton Park (Swinton Park, Masham, Ripon), St Tudno Hotel (Llandudno, Wales), Turnberry Resort (The Grand Tea Lounge, Ayrshire), The Balmoral Hotel (Edinburgh), The Black Swan Hotel (Helmsley, North Yorkshire), The Lowry (Salford, Manchester), The Manor House Hotel (Castle Combe, Wiltshire), and The Montagu Arms Hotel (Beaulieu, Hampshire) in recognition of their outstanding quality and consistently high standards in tea service.

As well as researching and judging The Top Tea Place award, the UK Tea Council's team of Tea Guild inspectors have been searching the UK to seek out the annual winners of The Top Tea Place and The Top London Afternoon Tea awards.

The Tea Guild team of tea experts have taken tea in hotels and tearooms in London and across Britain to find the finest tea experiences and all visits have been anonymous to ensure the results are completely fair and accurate. The anonymous judges awarded points for the variety, flavour and knowledge of the teas offered, together with the quality of food, service, décor, ambience, and presentation. With 125 points to be lost or gained on the judge's scorecard, only those tea establishments achieving the very highest standards across a number of categories can make it to the top.

The Angel Hotel was voted into the top spot after it gained a near perfect score from The Tea Guild's inspectors. The judges praised it for its smart and elegant surroundings, attentive and efficient service and tasty sandwiches, cakes and scones. The judges were also very impressed by the choice of teas on offer and the quality of tea served. The judges concluded that "it was a smooth operation from start to finish. Everyone was made to feel special."

Commenting on The Angel Hotel winning The Tea Guild's Top City and Country Hotel Award 2011, Irene Gorman, Head of The Tea Guild, said: "The Angel Hotel was a delight to visit for tea. The Hotel offers an excellent range of teas with an extensive variety, served with perfection by dedicated staff who are happy to advise on the choice of teas available, all of which are described well in the informative and tempting menu. Flavoursome sandwiches, wonderful scones and truly delicious cakes and pastries, created and made in house by Tearoom Manager and superb Baker, Sally Lane, surpassed all expectations.

"The Top City and Country Hotel is a new category awarded for the first time in 2010 and which enables The Tea Guild to recognise and highlight the amazing Country Hotels where tea is very much apart of British tradition. The Angel Hotel was favoured by the judges for its delightful surroundings, excellent staff offering warm and friendly service, extensive knowledge of teas, and really scrumptious food.

"The standard of entrants this year was incredibly high, with some excellent entries from across the UK. The tradition of afternoon tea has never been stronger, with Tea Guild members busier than ever. More and more people, of all ages, are taking time out to enjoy afternoon tea and in current difficult times economically this is widely regarded as an affordable treat to look forward to and thoroughly enjoy.

"Afternoon tea is the perfect way to catch up with friends, family or even business colleagues, celebrate a special occasion or enjoy a romantic date. Tea Guild member establishments all have a wide variety of teas to choose from, including favourites such as white and green tea as well as special blends that are often unique. Modern life can be very hectic and demanding and taking afternoon tea is the perfect way to slow down and relax, bringing huge emotional and wellbeing benefits."

William Griffiths, Owner and General Manager of The Angel Hotel said: "It's a fantastic honour for us to win this award and we are absolutely thrilled. The Angel Hotel are proud to be members of The Tea Guild and we place the highest value on the choice and quality of the tea we serve. Our customers demand the very best and we strive at all times to fulfil their expectations. It's a real team effort here and all our staff work tirelessly to create somewhere special, where the quality of food, relaxing atmosphere and the very best standards are paramount." 

The Tea Guild Top London Afternoon Tea Award 2011

This is the second time in recent years that Claridge's has been awarded this accolade having won before in 2006.

This Tea Guild event, now in its 26th year, is considered the ‘Oscar' of the tea world, with world-famous London hotels and tea rooms competing for the highly coveted honour. The UK Tea Council has also awarded 16 special Awards of Excellence to: Brown's Hotel, Grosvenor House Park Room & Library, Sofitel London St James, The Athenaeum, The Chesterfield, The Connaught, The Dorchester, The Goring, The Lanesborough, The Langham, The Milestone, The Montagu at Hyatt Regency London - The Churchill, The Montague on The Gardens, The Park Lane Hotel, The Savoy, and The Ritz in recognition of their outstanding quality and consistently high standards in tea service.

As well as researching and judging the Top London Afternoon Tea award, the UK Tea Council's team of Tea Guild inspectors have been searching the UK to seek out the annual winners of The Top Tea Place and The Top City and Country Hotel Tea awards.

The Tea Guild team of tea experts have taken tea in hotels and tearooms in London and across Britain to find the finest tea experiences and all visits have been anonymous to ensure the results are completely fair and accurate. The anonymous judges awarded points for the variety, flavour and knowledge of the teas offered, together with the quality of food, service, décor, ambience, and presentation. With 125 points to be lost or gained on the judge's scorecard, only those tea establishments achieving the very highest standards across a number of categories can make it to the top.

Claridge's gained the top spot for London tea destinations after hugely impressing Tea Guild judges with its exceptional service, great quality tea and extensive knowledge of the staff. The five-star hotel, an art deco jewel in the heart of bustling Mayfair, is a byword for luxury, sophistication and elegance and has an enviable reputation for fine living and dining reaching right across the globe. The hotel traces its history back to 1812, and over the following 200 years has played host to royalty – including Queen Victoria - as well as stars, statesmen and a discerning clientele who appreciate its rich heritage.

Claridge's was voted into the top spot after its legendary tea room, The Foyer, gained a near perfect score from The Tea Guild's inspectors. The judges praised it for its tasteful art deco style and fine furnishings, as well as friendly and efficient staff and excellent selection of scones, sandwiches and cakes. When it came to the tea itself, once again Claridge's surpassed expectations with an excellent selection of teas, and knowledgeable and friendly staff who excelled firstly in advising customers on the choice of tea blends on offer and then serving those teas perfectly. The judges concluded that Claridge's offered "a very enjoyable and relaxing tea experience in splendid surroundings."

Commenting on Claridge's winning The Tea Guild's Top London Afternoon Tea 2011 award, Irene Gorman, Head of The Tea Guild, said: "Year on year the nominees for this prestigious award become ever more challenging, but taking tea at Claridge's gives a demonstration of exactly how special afternoon tea should be. The elegant art deco surroundings make afternoon tea a memorable occasion and an experience to cherish, aided by delightfully friendly, efficient and knowledgeable staff, and with delicious food and teas faultlessly presented.

"The standard of entrants this year was incredibly high and this was especially true in London, which has traditionally been the home of some of the finest afternoon tea experiences within many of the world's finest and most elegant hotels and establishments. In the capital as elsewhere in the UK, the tradition of afternoon tea has never been stronger, with Tea Guild members busier than ever. More and more people are taking time out to enjoy afternoon tea.

"Afternoon tea is the perfect way to catch up with friends, family or even business colleagues, celebrate a special occasion or enjoy a romantic date. Tea Guild member establishments all have a wide variety of teas to choose from, including favourites such as white and green tea as well as special blends that are often unique. Modern life can be very hectic and demanding and taking afternoon tea is the ideal way to slow down and relax, bringing huge emotional and wellbeing benefits."

Claridge's General Manager, Thomas Kochs, said: "As a proud member of The Tea Guild we are delighted and honoured to receive this hugely prestigious award. All of the staff at Claridge's are passionate about creating a memorable guest experience and when it comes to serving the perfect afternoon tea, we strive to get every detail just right. Claridge's afternoon tea is a time-honoured indulgence, practiced by generations of tea lovers."

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• News articles - Top Tea Awards 2011
• The Tea Guild Awards - more detail about the awards criteria