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Top Tea Places 2009

Brown's Hotel Wins Tea Guild’s Top London Afternoon Tea 2009 Award

The UK Tea Council announced on Wednesday 1st April 2009  that The English Tea Room At Brown’s Hotel has, achieved the highest ‘accolade’ of the tea world by winning The Tea Guild’s Top London Afternoon Tea 2009 Award. This prestigious event is the ‘Michelin Star’ of the tea  world and is a much sought after honour with most of London’s world famous London hotels and tea rooms competing for the title.

Each year the judge’s task of choosing a winner becomes even more challenging as standards continue to reach new levels and this year’s London competition was no exception!  As a result, The UK Tea Council has awarded 12 special Awards of Excellence to;

• Claridge’s
• Grosvenor House Park Room
• "Tea" at Liberty
• The Athenaeum
• The Chesterfield
• The Dorchester
• The Goring
• The Lanesborough
• The Milestone
• The Park Lane Hotel
• The Ritz
• The Wolseley

- in recognition of their outstanding quality and consistently high standards in tea service.

The best place in London to enjoy a sumptuous afternoon tea has been named as The English Tea Room, Brown’s Hotel, situated in the heart of Mayfair which has won the tea world’s highest accolade - The Tea Guild’s Top London Afternoon Tea 2009 award.

This event is now in its 24th year and commenting on Brown’s winning the UK Tea Council’s coveted Top London Afternoon Tea 2009 award, Irene Gorman, Head of The Tea Guild, said: “The English Tea Room at Brown’s Hotel manages to combine a luxurious and elegant ambience with extremely friendly and efficient service. The food and teas were absolutely exquisite, both in their presentation and taste. The staff have been well trained, really know their teas and are very happy to advise customers on their choice of tea and you can even take home a sample of the blend you have enjoyed.  It is important touches like this that mark Brown’s out as a tea aficionado’s paradise as well as the perfect choice for a special occasion or just meeting up with friends.”

She added: “Each year the judges’ task of choosing a winner gets more challenging, as standards continue to reach new levels and this year’s London competition was no exception. In the capital, Tea Guild members are busier than ever, serving afternoon teas to an ever greater number of enthusiastic local and overseas visitors, business people, families, groups of friends and an increasing number of romantic couples, all celebrating or just “catching up”. More and more people are taking time out to enjoy that ‘very special afternoon tea moment’.”

Opened in 1837 and London’s oldest luxury five-star hotel, Brown’s was voted into the top spot after its English Tea Room gained a near perfect score from The Tea Guild’s anonymous inspectors. The judges praised it for its cleanliness, attractive crockery, friendly, welcoming and efficient staff and an excellent selection of scones, sandwiches and cakes. When it came to the tea itself, once again Brown’s passed with flying colours. Not only was there an excellent selection of teas, but the inspectors praised the staff’s in-depth knowledge of each tea offered as well as the menu in which the teas were “beautifully described” and with “the reverence attached to a wine list”.

The hotel’s ambience was given an enthusiastic seal of approval, with the large Georgian windows creating a light and airy feel, and fires, soft furnishings and live piano music adding to the cosy atmosphere. Browns afternoon teas include delicious foods and, of course, a marvellous selection of beautifully presented teas, all deemed excellent value by the inspectors given the quality of the tea, food and service.

Summing up, one judge commented: “This is a very prestigious hotel and everything is of the highest order. Everything is well done, as we would expect, the service is extremely friendly and efficient, and there is a sense of calm and relaxation.

Brown’s reopened in 2003 after a £24 million restoration so it could reclaim its rightful position as one of London’s most intimate and charming hotels.

Stuart Johnson, General Manager at Brown’s Hotel, said: “As proud members of The Tea Guild we are absolutely delighted and honoured to receive this prestigious award. It means so much to all the staff, who have put their hearts and souls into creating the best possible experience for our customers. We are a close team with a passion and commitment to creating and maintaining a gold standard. “Ever since Brown’s opened more than 170 years ago, the English Tea Room has been a British institution and as members of The Tea Guild we are thrilled to be recognised as carrying on with that tradition.”

The UK Tea Council’s team of Tea Guild travel the country to seek out the annual winners of the “Top London” and “Top Tea Place” awards. The Tea Guild team of tea experts have, and always anonymously, taken tea in hotels and tearooms in London and across Britain to find the finest tea experience. The judges awarded points for the variety, excellence and knowledge of the teas offered, together with excellent food, service, décor, ambience, and presentation.

The Bridge Tea Rooms, Bradford-on-Avon is named 'UK's Top Tea Place 2009'

The Bridge Tea Rooms in Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire has been named as the winner of The Tea Guild’s prestigious Top Tea Place 2009 Award.

The UK Tea Council’s “incognito” Tea Guild inspectors have taken tea in tearooms and country and city hotels across Britain, to find the finest tea experience. The anonymous judges award points in fifteen different categories which include  the variety and excellence of the teas offered, efficiency and knowledge of service, décor, hygiene and cleanliness, ambience, presentation skills and most importantly the choice and quality of teas served.

The Bridge Tea Rooms, based in an old blacksmith’s cottage dating back to 1675, was voted into the top spot after it gained a near perfect score from The Tea Guild’s anonymous Inspectors who were hugely impressed with the exceptional tea expertise and the warm charm of the staff.

The perfectly brewed and presented teas are complemented by delicious food, exquisite homemade cakes and scones created by Owner and Chef, Alison Hayward. Visitors to The Bridge Tea Rooms are guaranteed a warm welcome and a cosy retreat, where they can enjoy a delicious and relaxed afternoon tea served by friendly, efficient, knowledgeable and helpful staff.

An “excellent range” of teas are served which are exceptionally well described on the tea menu to help customers choose a blend. The range of full afternoon teas includes many options and was judged to be extremely good value for money.

The Bridge Tea Rooms is famous locally for the style of the tea room which features
Victorian photographs, pictures and ornaments, together with staff dressed in Victorian-style uniform.

Summing up, one of the judges said: “On entering you are aware of a warm atmosphere and enjoy a friendly welcome. Despite being very busy there does not appear to be any rush. The service just seemed to flow.”

Commenting on The Bridge Tea Rooms winning The Tea Guild’s Top Tea Place 2009 award, Irene Gorman, Head of The Tea Guild, said: “The Bridge Tea Rooms is in a lovely location and is absolutely full of character, charm and atmosphere. The staff are incredibly helpful, courteous and friendly and the choice of tea and home cooked foods with Alison (an accomplished chef) in charge of the kitchen, is extremely impressive. Roy and Alison Hayward’s determination to offer the perfect location for tea lovers is very apparent and as parents of young children themselves they are delighted to welcome children who can even choose from their own menu!”

She added: “Each year the judges’ task of choosing a winner gets more challenging, as standards continue to reach new levels and this year’s competition was no exception. Across the country, Tea Guild members are busier than ever, serving tea and afternoon teas to an ever greater number of enthusiastic local and overseas visitors, business people, families, groups of friends and an increasing number of romantic couples, celebrating or just “catching up”. More and more people are taking time out to enjoy that ‘special afternoon tea moment’.

The success of The Bridge Tea Rooms is even more impressive considering that the current owners, Roy and Alison Hayward, only took over the establishment in December 2006. Roy said: “We saw that there was a huge amount of potential but we had to go back to the drawing board and think about what customers really wanted. We set about redesigning the menu and sourcing the best food and teas available. We also wanted a really welcoming, informal atmosphere where customers could drop in, relax and chat over fresh, delicious food and the perfect cup of tea.

As proud members of The Tea Guild we are absolutely delighted and thrilled to bits to receive this marvellous and prestigious award.  This accolade is a real honour and means everything to us. The team here have put an immense amount of effort into creating a place where the quality of food and high standards of service are paramount. More and more people are visiting us and the feedback from everyone has been fantastic. However, we will not rest on our laurels and have lots of plans for the future to offer an even better experience to our customers.”

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