Afternoon Tea at The Willows at Ashcombe Manor, Mechanicsburg

Last November, in our quest to visit at least one tearoom every month, Angelica and Nancy visited the Willows at Ashcombe Manor which is located in the rural area of Mechanicsburg, PA. This gorgeous Victorian Queen Anne style mansion was built in 1891. It has had several makeovers, served as a summer home, operated as a bed and breakfast for a number of years, and sat vacant for almost 8 years. Saved from destruction, and transformed into a destination wedding venue, the owners offer afternoon tea on most Sundays.

It is an elegant setting for tea and certainly a lovely experience when you want to treat yourself to something special. 

You could do an entire study of the chandeliers throughout the mansion. Your ticket for afternoon tea includes a self-guided tour of the three floors of the mansion, including the lady's boudoir, the glam room, the gent's suites and the honeymoon suite. The first floor holds the seating area for the afternoon tea with seating at elevated tables, or low tables. 

Tea choices include English Breakfast, Earl Gray, Country Mint, Cherry Berry Herbal, Chamomile, or Green Tea. Coke products and coffee are also available. A glass of prosecco or a nonalcoholic beverage is also included with the tea. Loose leaf tea is placed in the strainer, and you pour your hot water over the strainer which is then placed in a drip cup until you are ready to pour another cup of tea.

The waitstaff proudly carry the tiered tray to the table. The lad in the front had an individual tray of vegetarian sandwiches.

The variety of sandwiches included a Crab Salad (radish, celery seed, grilled brioche), Apple Butter & Brie (cinnamon raisin bread, red delicious apple), Cucumber & Dill (marble rye), Roasted Chicken Salad (pepitas, dried cherries, buttered croissant) and Smoked Salmon & Avocado (wheatberry).

The middle tier held Traditional English Scones and served with orange curd, clotted cream, and strawberry jam. Traditional Deviled Eggs seasoned with smoked paprika and dill were also placed on the middle tier. A touch of fringed lavender garnished the tiered tray.

The dessert medley featured the Chef's Selection of Miniature Desserts & Petit Fours. A petit chocolate cake, a yummy strawberry cake, and a sponge cake were offered. A touch of fresh fruit, alongside a Madelaine and a macaron completed the dessert assortment.

Several years ago, we attended their themed Wonderland Tea, and you can check out the menu and photos from that adventure in this blog post. Alice in Wonderland and the Queen of Hearts were in attendance.