Chattanooga Tea Rooms Offer English Tea Service

The English afternoon tea tradition goes far beyond a simple sip to quench one’s thirst. It is a convivial tradition of scones, sandwiches and pastries that bridge the gap between lunch and dinner.

Today, teatime is a celebration of a traditional meal, with roots in an era of elegance and sophistication in English history and an opportunity to take a pleasant break from your day.

There are two distinct types of tea traditions: afternoon tea and high tea, each depending on the time of day it is served, as well as the food offered.

Here’s a quick overview of the social afternoon tea and its more substantial evening counterpart, the afternoon tea.

In its early days, afternoon tea, or light tea, was served between 3 and 4 p.m., with hot teas and nibbles usually placed on low tables around the parlor.

A typical tea, named after the high tables on which it was served, consisted of heartier courses including meats, fish, breads and hot dishes such as shepherd’s pie or steak and kidney pie, perhaps ending with the ever-British sticky toffee pudding.

On the menu

Of course, tea is the most important dish in any tea room, but the food on offer, often served on decorative, tiered serving stands, is almost as important.

“We’re really proud of our menu and the fact that we’re changing it up,” says Penelope Gault, communications director for the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum (TVRM), which offers a tea service in its depot. “A lot of our customers are repeat customers, so we want to keep them coming back when we change things up.”

For example, the museum’s tea service might feature tomato bisque soup and vegetable quiche on the lower level, followed by an assortment of house-made desserts by chef Terrence Smith. The upper level might feature macarons.

Ooltewah’s Mountain Oaks Manor, an event venue/restaurant, hosts special teas for bridesmaid luncheons, class reunions, birthday parties and other events. One of the favorite dishes served during the tea service is the Prince, a brie, turkey and apricot jam sandwich that happens to be one of King Charles’ favorites.

Across town, Genesis House of Tea prides itself on offering a complete tea experience with tea, sandwiches, homemade scones with lemon curd, shrimp cocktail, egg salad, desserts and more, all served on Royal Albert china, which is “paramount to an authentic tea experience,” says Kimberly Lara, director of Genesis House of Tea.

Genesis partners with the Together Coalition, a group of faith-based organizations that support women in need. Every cup of tea sold helps support this mission.

Location, location, location

From trains to courtrooms to orphanages, Chattanooga’s teahouses embody different periods of the city’s past.

A visit to the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum is a step back in time, to a time when train travel often included tea and all the trimmings.

“The tea room was designed around the era of 1940s trains,” Gault says. “It’s a great way to spend a few hours enjoying delicious food and immersing yourself in the golden age of railroading.”

After tea, the experience may include a 65-minute train ride on the Missionary Ridge Local.

Once the scene of courtroom dramas, the Ooltewah Courthouse was renovated, then renovated again after the devastating tornado of 2020, and now, in its Mountain Oaks Manor iteration, it offers drama of a gentler nature.

“People are very attached to the Renaissance and English customs,” says Guffey. “They like to dress up and spend time together around fine dining.”

When planning the redesign of Genesis’ historic Dent House, once an orphanage, Lara says the planning was very “intentional, to create a beautiful space where men and women of all ages can have an authentic tea experience.”

Not just for ladies

One might imagine women in elegant dresses holding delicate cups of tea, their little fingers dangling in the air. But tea time replaces tea time for many men.

“We get a pretty significant number of men’s groups,” says Sonya Guffey, owner of Mountain Oaks Manor. “In fact, some of our best reviews come from men.”

Tea rooms are always a venue for special events, and one of TVRM’s favourites is the Dads and Daughters Day Tea, an event that Gault says “melts everyone’s heart”.

So that’s it in a few words. Or a tea bag.

“Tea rooms are popular all over the country,” says Lara. “We are delighted to have the opportunity to continue the tradition.”

Where to find them:

Homefront Tea Room at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, 4119 Cromwell Rd., tvrail.com

Genesis Tea House, 6178 Adamson Circle, genesishouseoftea.com.

Mountain Oaks Manor, 9508 Church St., Ooltewah, mountainoaksmanor.com