Discover a relaxing afternoon ritual.
Steeped in history and tradition, high teas are growing in popularity in the Reno-Tahoe area, in which locally sourced, organic, loose-leaf teas, fruity herbal teas, and black English teas play starring roles.
Today’s high tea, also known as afternoon tea, pays homage to the traditions of the Victorian age while offering modern takes on the array of fare that makes any proper high tea complete, including sweet confections, savory bites, finger sandwiches, scones, clotted cream, jams, and lemon curd.
The addition of tiered serving platters and china teacups, teapots, and dinnerware at these local tea services further enriches the experience.
Innovative Take on Tea
Bouchée Confections in Reno strives for creativity and innovation at its high tea events, held the first and third Saturdays of each month.
To complement the locally sourced loose-leaf teas, seasonal teas, and even iced options served at its high tea events, owner Natalie Landsinger draws inspiration from her experience as a pastry chef and chocolatier and the specialized confections offered at her shop.
On any given day, the shop offers at least 26 flavors of chocolates, at least six different French patisserie-style desserts, and packaged goods such as bars, caramels, barks, coated nuts, and other confections.
“Our high tea is special because we are extremely creative with our offerings and make sure that every item on the tiered service is unique and delicious,” Landsinger says.
The high tea includes:
- Four different savories, including finger sandwiches
- A cream scone served with clotted cream, jam, and lemon curd, all of which are made from scratch in house
- A selection of desserts, which almost always includes a chocolate bonbon and chocolate-covered strawberry, plus two small sweets such as a macaron, cream puff, shortbread cookie, or miniature pound cake
- A bottomless pot of loose-leaf tea
- The option to add wine, beer, or sparkling wine
“It is important to us that the menu changes significantly every month so that no two visits are ever the same but are always completely delicious from top to bottom,” she says. “While egg salad and cucumber sandwiches are classic, we also push the boundaries of traditional tea sandwiches by incorporating seasonal ingredients in creative ways.”
Some of Bouchée Confections’ most popular rotating tea sandwiches include:
- Garlic and herb-roasted Brussels sprouts with fontina cheese
- Mini croque monsieur
- Sugar snap pea and radish with miso garlic aioli
- Pastrami with Red Dragon Beer Cheddar, pickled red onion, and microgreens
- Carrot, bell pepper, and smoked Gouda
- Prosciutto with Brie and apple
The high tea also features Bouchée’s vast collection of English-style china, and the food is served on a three-tiered china tower.
“We have opted to nix the traditional white tablecloth in favor of our beautiful reclaimed-wood tabletops, in order to add a little more of a modern feel to our creative high tea service,” Landsinger says. “We believe that fine china, doilies, and gold-rimmed plates, cups, and saucers are an absolute must for the full high tea experience.”
In addition to the twice-monthly high tea service, Bouchée Confections is offering one every Saturday in January. High tea events also are planned for Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. The cost for high tea service is $45 per person, and reservations are required. For details, visit Boucheeconfections.com.
A Garden-Inspired Afternoon Tea
The owners of The Garden of Reno, a family-owned and operated coffee lounge and flower boutique, host afternoon tea service.
As well as a comfortable and inspired place to sit and enjoy coffee and café bites and a stem bar to create your own bouquets, the business also provides everyday flower deliveries.
“We have been offering afternoon tea parties for over six months, and we did a lot of research prior to starting this,” says Christina Perry, who is co-owner with her husband, Nathan, and daughter, Jessica Kozlowski. “We offer a traditional afternoon tea, which consists of a lighter variety of treats and finger sandwiches.”
Guests are invited to imbibe unlimited tea pot refills at the afternoon tea, starting with Earl Grey and followed by a choice of Davidson’s organic teas.
“We provide a beautiful table setting for your party made up of mix-and-match china and, of course, tiered trays of goodies that include a variety of finger sandwiches, scones, clotted cream, jam, macarons, tea cakes, and other treats,” Perry says. “We work with only local vendors, providing you with the very best Reno has to offer in confections and tea.”
The Garden of Reno’s afternoon teas are served at 11 a.m. the first Sunday of each month, and reservations are required 48 hours in advance. For details, visit Thegardenofreno.com.
Host Your High Tea at Home
If you’d like to host a tea event at your home or a special venue, Victorian Fancies and Tea Society can cater your event and provide everything you need for a genuine Victorian afternoon tea, including fine English china, luncheon plates, finger sandwiches, scones with traditional toppings, fresh fruit, sweet treats, black English tea, and fruity herbal tea.
Owner “Lady” Margaret Tavener started this business in 1995 with the goal of catering Victorian English tea parties and educating her clients about the history and traditions of a Victorian and English afternoon tea service.
“I started researching the history of tea and Queen Victoria and was so excited about what I was learning,” Tavener says.
Now she imparts this historical knowledge to her tea party participants when requested, and she teaches tea party etiquette and fashion.
She says that although the term “high tea” is mostly used to describe these fancier tea experiences in America, the original term for a tea held in the afternoon in England was “afternoon tea,” and a tea held later in the afternoon at higher tables with heartier fare, including meats and cheeses, was called “high tea.”
“The inspiration for afternoon tea came from the seventh Duchess of Bedford, Anna Maria, who was one of Queen Victoria’s ladies in waiting and was a life-long friend of the queen,” Tavener says. “In the early 1800s, dinner was served very late, and the period between lunch and evening meals would leave the duchess feeling weak.”
Tavener says the duchess would discreetly send her maid to the kitchen for a pot of tea, bread and butter, and a few sweets to ward off hunger.
“She found this light afternoon meal to be such a perfect refreshment that she soon began inviting the ladies of the court to join her in what would become an established tradition,” she says.
Victorian Fancies and Tea Society offers assorted tea menus that start at $26.95 per person. For details, visit Renotahoeteaparties.com.
Whether you take your tea at home or elsewhere, we encourage you to partake in this restful afternoon ritual and warm up during cold winter afternoons.
