American expat and Anglophile Henry James famously quipped, “there are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea”. But for a long time tea was a drink only the very rich could afford. Absurdly high tea taxes– peaking at 119% in the late eighteenth century – kept the humble tea leaf out of reach for the average Brit for many more years and led to the profitable business of tea smuggling. Once the price of tea finally plummeted, it swiftly replaced ale and gin as the drink of the masses. It’s been the UK’s Number One beverage ever since.
One late afternoon in 1840, or so the legend goes, in that languid lull between lunch and dinner, a desperate Anne, 7th Duchess of Bedford, called for a pick-me-up pot of tea and a light snack to stop“that sinking feeling”....and the venerable tradition of Afternoon Tea was born.
Sitting in the open air, ancient walled courtyard of the Old Parsonage Hotel sipping fresh brewed leaf tea from bone china cups and nibbling dainty raspberry tarts, you could easily imagine you are in the heart of a rural Cotswold village instead of a cobblestone’s throw away from the bustling centre of modern Oxford. Only envious glances of upper deck bus passengers taking a bird’s eye view over the wall as they pass by might steer your attention from a truly magnificent afternoon tea.
Ordering both the traditional Very High Tea and the Very Savoury Tea menus results in a veritable feast, and the best way to try everything the Old Parsonage has to offer. For savouries, think rabbit Scotch Egg, anchovy- rich Gentleman’s Relish, potted shrimp and toasted sourdough soldiers, while the Very High Tea might include Bakewell Tart, choux pastry with coffee cream and rhubarb and custard macaroons.
Both menus come with excellent sandwiches and wonderful scones– cheese scones for the Very Savoury Tea and fruit scones for the Very High Tea, all made fresh daily in the hotel’s kitchen, and no one minds whether you put the jam or clotted cream on first. But beware: expect lethally generous portions of both.
To help those sweets and savouries go down, the Old Parsonage offers a solid choice of fine teas, like the bright and balanced Old Parsonage Blend, classic Earl Grey, deep, smooth, second flush Darjeeling and a rich, nutty wild Rooibos. Excellent service from the genuine and gracious Natalya, and everyone else we meet on the hotel’s tea-team, plays a big part in making tea- time at the Old Parsonage the unforgettable, come-back-soon experience that it is.
During our visit we also had the pleasure of tea-timing next to a large, friendly party of University of Nebraska students, on a summer course at an Oxford college and enjoying their first ever British tea-time with obvious enthusiasm. We thank them for letting us share their cheery photograph with our readers.
Should you choose to take tea inside– a cozy choice for upcoming autumn afternoons– you’ll be greeted by a roaring log fire and enveloped in soft lighting, stylish de´cor, comfy seating and wonderful portraits from hotel owner Jeremy Mogford’s private collection.
If you can’t get a reservation for tea at the Old Parsonage, try its nearby sister, Quod at the Old Bank Hotel, under the same ownership and with another uniquely Oxford tea experience. If you are minded to stay overnight so you can enjoy the Oxford magic a little longer, both the Old Parsonage and the Old Bank Hotel have comfortable, award-winning accommodation. That will give you plenty of chance to round off that perfect afternoon with a visit to Alice’s Old Sheep Shop, a punt on the Cherwell River and a sunset pint of beer at the historic Victoria Arms.
Afternoon Tea, The Old Parsonage Hotel, Oxford. Very Savoury Tea or Very High Tea £25, Champagne Tea £32, www.oldparsonage-hotel.co.uk
Quod, Oxford. High Tea £16.95, Graduation Tea £26 www.quod.co.uk
Photo: Our friends from University of Nebraska enjoying Very High Tea, The Old Parsonage, Oxford, photo by Geoffrey Davies
Article by Judith Schrut - Email Judith: judith0777@gmail.com