Stock's Manor Afternoon Tea, Mechanicsburg, PA

Stock's Manor in the Mechanicsburg countryside is a lovely 1786 limestone mansion that offers an elegant location for your special events. They have recently started offering Afternoon Tea. We attended their buffet-style tea held in July.

This beautiful collection of teapots catches your eye as you enter into the location. There is a list of the available tea options, and if you look closely, you'll spot two familiar flavors selected from The Rosemary House including Party of the Jungle and Angel Falls Mist. We each selected our tea flavor and were escorted to our seats while the teas were being prepared.

Once we were shown to our table, we were encouraged to go to the buffet table where another menu board announced the various teatime treats, sweets and savories. It was a beautiful table laden with delicacies.

In the forefront, Cucumber Sandwiches on fresh white bread and farther down, Turkey Salad Sandwich with Strawberries.

Assorted Deviled Eggs were set atop this wine bottle pedestal. These were topped with a flavorful fresh basil pesto.

Caprese Skewers were very tasty with the tomato, mozzarella, and fresh basil. 

Some of the other treats included a Smoked Salmon Flatbread, an Italian Sandwich, and Sundried Tomatoes and Olive Flatbread. 

The Goat Cheese in Endive cup with walnuts was particularly tasty.

And the Raspberry and Brie Phyllo Cups were fun!

There was a lovely, elevated tray with assorted cheeses, blackberry jam, and fruit placed in front. This was a very pretty offering.

We selected our savories, cheeses, and fruits and headed back to the dining area. By then, our teas had arrived along with a complimentary Mimosa. Having a buffet style Afternoon Tea provided the opportunity for each of us to select what we wanted which created a lovely variety of treats on the plates.

We returned to the buffet to select our Scones and Sweets. There were Blueberry Drop Scones and Plain Scones, both served with Lemon Curd. In addition, the Assorted Tea Cakes included a Chocolate dipped Madelaine, an Almond flavored Petit Four and a Lavender Glazed Cake.

We had an enjoyable Afternoon Tea. May they continue offering this specialty event throughout the year. We learned about this event by following their Facebook Page.

The Praise Ringers Spring Tea - May 2026

The Praise Ringers of the First United Methodist Church have been fundraising for their upcoming adventure to Scotland in August. They have been invited to participate in the International Bell Ringer's Symposium in Aberdeen. In an effort to make this happen, and to get all the bells and ringers to Scotland, they recently hosted a fund raiser Spring Tea in the church. They also have established a Go Fund Me account if you would like to contribute to their fundraising efforts. Much preparation went into planning and executing this special Afternoon Spring Tea. On the day of the tea, Susanna greeted attendees and helped them find their table.

Twinkling white lights helped to set the scene, while colorful green tablecloths and coordinating paper products graced the tables. A printed menu also included a listing of the hot tea selections. As guest were seated, the ringers came around and offered the different tea flavors.

 The tea options included Pine Needle Black Tea, a black tea so named because the leaves have been rolled into the shape of pine needles, Back Porch, a black tea with orange, strawberry and raspberry flavors, Eight Treasures, a green tea with pineapple and strawberry flavoring, Lazy Daze, a caffeine-free herbal blend and Decaf Chocolate Raspberry Truffle. In addition to the hot tea, a refreshing cup of Lavender Lemonade was on the table.

The bell ringers came around to each table pretty frequently, which made it possible to taste the different tea flavors offered. A sweet little favor was tucked at each place setting. A colorful gift bag held a miniature tea themed charm for each attendee.

The first course was a delicious, chilled Strawberry Soup served in a sweet petal shaped bowl and garnished with fresh, colorful pansies. The soup was so tasty it was tempting to abandon all manners and simply lick the bowl clean.

A floral paper plate laden with tea sandwiches was served next. It included a Pimiento Cheese sandwich on white bread, a Turkey, Havarti, and Apple Sandwich on Raisin Bread, Turkey Muenster Cheese Pinwheels, and an open-faced Cucumber Sandwich topped with dill.

Following the sandwich course, a plate of Scones, Tea Bread, and Fresh Fruit was served to be passed around the table. There was a Traditional English Cream Scone served with Sweet Cream, Bonne Maman Lemon Curd and Bonne Maman Strawberry Preserves. In addition, a Triple Lemon Tea Bread was served with Fresh Orange Slices and Strawberries.

A three-tiered tray arrived shortly thereafter, and it held a lovely assortment of homemade desserts which included Lemon Creme Puff Cookies, Fudge Chocolate Squares, Lemon Ice Box Pie, and Frosted Teapot Shaped Sugar Cookies. It was a sweet ending to a delightful afternoon tea. Kudos to the Praise Ringers for hosting this relaxing and memorable teatime. They have a Facebook page, so if you are interested in any of their upcoming events, to include concerts at the church or about town, please follow them. They often share snippets of their concerts, and I'm sure there will be some photos of their journey to Scotland.

After tea, there was a craft where attendees planted a miniature garden of succulents in the teacup they used at tea. Our next post will share photos from that craft session.

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.

Wonderland Tea

Earlier in the month we attended the Wonderland Tea at The Willows at Ashcombe Mansion, in Mechanicsburg where they say 'Let's make some Magic'. The 1891 Victorian Queen Anne style mansion has had three owners over its long history. Most recently purchased in 2017, it has been transformed into a destination wedding venue. In addition, a few themed afternoon tea events have been held here, including the Wonderland Tea this February.

The tables are set up throughout the mansion from the Crystal Dining Room to the Moser Dining Room to the Parlor where we were seated. Reservations are taken on-line, and you are able to select where you would prefer to be seated. 

The tea selections included English Breakfast, Earl Gray, Country Mint, or Apple Pear. A pot of hot water is brought to the table, and each guest is provided a strainer filled with their tea of choice. Hand crafted coffees and cocktails, or hot chocolate are available at an additional cost. A glass of Champagne was included with the tea.

A menu card on the table lists the tea time treats on the tiered tray. This tea included Smoked Salmon on Pumpernickel, Avocado Toast Bites, Chicken Salad Croissant, Cucumber Fingerlings and Quiche Petite. There was a French Toast Muffin cup served with maple syrup and a Classic English Scone served with clotted cream, lemon curd and blackberry Vanilla jam. The desserts included assorted Petit Fours, and a Macaron Medley.

Alice and The Queen made their appearance visiting each table in the various dining rooms throughout the day, sharing a little banter and offering a moment for photographs. After tea, we were invited to explore all three floors of the mansion, via the winding Victorian-era staircases, admiring the stained glass windows and the fabulous decor in each room. It was indeed a magical way to spend a mid winter afternoon.