Hydrangea Tea Cottage and Gifts - MATBA April Seminar

Members of the Mid-Atlantic Tea Business Association traveled to Pottsville, PA to attend the April meeting held at Hydrangea Cottage Tea & Gifts. Owner and fellow MATBA member Erik Tice welcomed a group of entrepreneurs to his tearoom and gift shop. After some shopping, and before we sat down for tea, we were encouraged to select a teacup from the collection on display.

We enjoyed the intimacy of a smaller group at this gathering and thus we were seated around a large dining room table on the second floor. The gift shop occupies the first floor, and spills over onto the second floor where we were seated in the front parlor.

The menu was placed at each seat and announced a delicious assortment of goodies yet to come.

First up, we were served an Apricot and Almond Scone with clotted cream and apricot preserves.

Following the scone course, we enjoyed a warm cup of Spring Minestrone Soup topped with croutons.

Pedestaled cake plates filled with tea sandwiches and a fresh pansy garnish were brought to the table next. The sandwich selection included Truffled Egg Salad, Cucumber with Lime & Dill Aioli, and Ham with Green Tea Cream Cheese Spread. The sandwiches were petite, but each guest received two of each variety.

The colorful and tasty dessert medley included a frosted Pineapple Cookie, a Peanut Butter Snickers Bar, and Lemon Cake.

Erik made certain that our teacups were filled with the teas of the day which included Monks Meditation (a Ceylon black tea with catnip, grenadine flavor and calendula petals) and Beatrix Potter (a caffeine-free blend of green rooibos, rosehips, strawberry flavor, chamomile, spearmint and lemongrass).

Hydrangea Cottage Tea and Gifts is celebrating their fifth year in business. Their gift shop includes teas from Piper & Leaf Tea Company and Simpson & Vail Teas. They have soaps, marmalades, candles, dip mixes and more. In addition, they offer artwork from local artists. Tea is served on the third Saturday and Sunday of the month, by reservation only. 

Susanna Reppert Brill of The Rosemary House (PA) presented a program on The Ins and Outs of Selling Herbal or Functional Teas. Following the program, during the business meeting, outgoing president Karen Donnelly of Greenhalgh Tea, (PA) welcomed newly elected president Melissa Fitch-Ciccotelli of Tea You There (MD) to the helm. Karen has presided over the Association for the past four years. Melissa has accepted the role of president for the upcoming two year term.

International Tea Day - Tea & Chocolate Pairing

In celebration of International Tea Day, May 21st, we offered a complimentary Tea and Chocolate pairing, both under the pavilion and in the gift shop. It was a rainy and chilly day which made for a perfect day for drinking tea, and we simply pretended we were in a British cottage garden. The rain transformed the garden into a vibrant lush green locale with bird song overhead. Outside we featured five teas to taste alongside an assortment of chocolate. There was a Ceylon Kenilworth, a traditional black tea from Sri Lanka with a classic mellow flavor. We paired this tea with Dark Chocolate covered Blueberry Acai. Our suggestion was to sip the tea first, followed by a bite of the chocolate and another sip of tea to compare how the tea and chocolate enhanced each other.

Wilbur Buds is a well-known chocolate from Lititz, and we offered both milk and dark chocolate. The suggested pairing included a Kenya Milima, a bold black tea from the Kenyan highlands in Africa to be paired with the light milk Wilbur Buds. The semi sweet was paired with Irish Stout, a flavored black tea with hints of coffee and chocolate. This was a popular pairing. 

There were two teas that we paired with Lindt White Chocolate. Lung Ching Dragonwell, a traditional Chinese green tea with a flat green leaf and a sweet fresh vegetal taste was offered. And the other tea we paired with the white chocolate was Pine Needle. This tea was interesting as it is a Chinese Black Tea and it gets its name from the shape of the leaf which has been rolled to look like a pine needle. Several attendees described the flavor as 'earthy'.

The pavilion kept us dry throughout the day, and we were happy to hold this special event outdoors even though there was a gentle rain most of the day. The cooling rain was a blessing as the two days prior to this event the high temperature was in the 90's. The rain afforded a nice break from the heat and kept the chocolate at a good temperature.

The table set up in the gift shop featured a Decaffeinated Vanilla tea paired with chocolate mint candy, and a Golden Yunnan black tea that was paired with Dark chocolate covered cherries. Special thanks to everyone that joined us for our celebration.

 

Happy Mother's Day - Afternoon Tea - 2026

Our Mother's Day Afternoon Tea took place this past Sunday in the tearoom. With roses for love, and the menu on the table, everything was in place. As our guests arrived, they placed their tea orders from the extensive tea list. Individual pots of tea were provided for each guest. 

The salad was a base of spring greens and romaine lettuce, various veggie toppers including broccoli, cauliflower, green pepper, and tomato, topped with Parmesan cheese, crispy croutons, and a Curry Orange Marmalade Dressing (a mix available at The Rosemary House).

The sandwich selection featured an Herbed Veggie Bar topped with a turnip cut into a heart shape, the Tomato Parmesan Muffin had a slice of roast beef, a tomato slice, and horseradish mayonnaise, the open-faced round sandwich was a Cucumber & Radish with garlic chive butter, the layered Goldenrod Sandwich had a layer of pimiento cheese like filling, wheat bread, and a thin layer of a sweet apricot cream filling between the two layers of white bread. The little bundle was a warm Chicken Sandwich with a crispy breadcrumb topping, and in the center, there was a melted Pimiento Cheese in a miniature phyllo cup.

The scone course included our Traditional English Cream Scone alongside a Lavender Sage Scone. The toppings included sweet cream, lemon curd, and strawberry preserves. The fresh fruit with orange and pineapple also featured a strawberry half topped with a chocolate fudge filling.

The dessert medley featured White Cake with a delicate pink frosting Rose, the crispy Phyllo Shell held Passionfruit Cream, and the little cookie was a Peppermint Meltaway.

                                     Happy Mother's Day!

Cous Cous Salad with Turmeric - Herb of the Year 2026

In celebration of National Herb Week, and the Herb of the Year 2026, which is Turmeric, we served a Cous Cous Salad at our Garden Tour this past week. Many guests requested the recipe. 

Cous Cous Salad 

1 cup couscous
1 cup water
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Bring the water to a boil, add the cous cous, turmeric and olive oil. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork. Add chickpeas, and remaining ingredients. Toss gently. Add salt and pepper, if desired. Chill and serve.

Garden Tour by Susanna Reppert Brill