A Farewell to Downton Abbey Tea

With the silver polished, the tables set and the aprons starched, the scene was set for our final series of Downton Abbey teas held this past week. Life will go on, but we enjoyed stepping back in time to an era of elegance and sophistication.

Angelica poured loose leaf tea from the silver teapots. An assortment of teas were brewed and served throughout the day. Windsor Castle, Blue Lady, French Caramel Creme Brulee, and Decaffeinated Orange Spice were just a few of the assorted teas. With a chill in the springtime air, it was perfect sipping weather.

 A bowl of Spiced Pecans was on each table for nibbling as all the guests arrived to this sold-out special event.

The first course featured a Salad that include Feta cheese, fresh pears, pecans and Parmesan cheese with a Balsamic Vinaigrette Drizzle.

After the salad, guests were served Spinach Artichoke Crostini toasty warm from the oven. A second appetizer featured Apple and Blue Cheese Bundles, also freshly baked and served warm.

 A plate of sandwiches was served to each table. The sandwich course included Chicken Bombay Sandwich on Raisin Bread, Seasonal Asparagus with Egg Yolk Butter, a Cucumber Sandwich with Herbed Mascarpone Cheese and a Carrot-Ginger Round on Multigrain Bread.

Scones, always baked fresh and served warm, included Traditional English Cream Scone and an English Countryside Cranberry Scone. They were served with Sweet Cream and Old English Marmalade alongside fresh Orange Slices and Pistachio and Mascarpone Topped Strawberries.

Dessert included Lavender Shortbread Florettes, Petite Chocolate Cheesecake, and Coconut and Lemon Curd topped Cake.                                                                                                                                                                                             The printed menu featured quotes from the show. We loved this one from Lady Edith Crawley, "It feels so wild. To be out with a man, drinking and dining in a smart London restaurant." And, from Lady Mary, "People grow up and move away and things change."

Did you get a chance to see the full section special advertising supplement that appeared in the Sunday New York Times the week before Downton Abbey aired in January. Thanks to Brother-in-Law Philip for saving his copy, we were happy to be able to pass this around during our tea. It featured a review of all the characters and an update on all the past seasons. 

And, a letter of thanks and gratitude from Julian Fellowes, the Creator, Writer and Executive Producer of Downton Abbey, leaves us with the possibility of a movie, a stage play or a musical. Any one of those would certainly be fun!