dining out · food · tea · Travel

Roses are red, travel is sweet. Plus Teaview: For the Love of Tea – English Rose

This is a repost from lost data a while back. If you haven’t seen it, enjoy.

 Love planted a rose, and the world turned sweet.

Katharine Lee Bates

Last December the husband and I went for a sneaky getaway in Bowral. We stayed at Peppers Manor House. The actual house was pretty grand as you can see! The actual accom wasn’t in the actual manner, being actually small apartments up the hill a little. Nevertheless they were comfortable and the staff were lovely. It is set out in the countryside somewhat, with lovely grounds and lots of wildlife – roos hanging out and so many birds putting on a symphony outside our door. Unfortunately it rained the entire time so none of the snaps I took do it justice.

 

The only real disappointment onsite was the award winning Katters restaurant. We went there for high tea, which was quite underwhelming. Scones like biscuits and the rest of the sweets left a bit to be desired. A couple of the savouries were very good though. I was expecting better from an award-winning resto.

This aside, I didn’t realise how many culinary treasures are to be found in Bowral! The Southern Highlands really is a beautiful, foodie destination and I highly recommend it.

For desserts almost too beautiful to eat the Gumnut Patisserie is highly celebrated, and it’s easy to tell why! We had pies and tarts, and it was SO hard to choose because everything looked so amazing. We went back the next morning for croissants on the run.

Bowral and the surrounds have a very heritage feel, and more hedges than you can poke a pair of absurdly long clippers at. It’s the biggest hedge-related pissing contest I’ve ever seen.

And there are many, many antique stores.

I eventually made it around to Dirty Jane’s Emporium, which caters to fetishes of the antiquity type!

I can’t overstate exactly how huge this place is.

It has everything. Go there if only for the spectacle.

Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to do tea in the attached teahouse, which serves everything in vintage teaware. It was VERY busy though, so you’ll want to book ahead.

Despite the overwhelming urge to collect everything in site, I limited myself to one teacup and saucer set from a little tucked away vintage place in Bundanoon. There were many pretty things but this beautiful set with its exquisite colours caught me in its thrall and I knew immediately that we were destined to be together.

Won’t you come into the garden? I would like my roses to see you.

Richard Brinsley Sheridan

 

I love roses. Most people do. They can symbolise love or luxury, decadence, opulence. Some because they just look and smell pretty. A rose is a rose is a rose. Combine them with elegant teaware and you’ve got me on a string.

This Royal Windsor set is in very good nick. I haven’t been able to track down much info about the brand online, but from what I can gather it seems to be a name that another company traded with for a short period in the 60s before being acquired by Ainsley. I adore the colours which make it a bit different to the regular pale pink affair. I actually debated whether they were roses at one point but they have thorns so they must be roses… right? Just go with it.

Teaview: For the Love of Tea – English rose

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – I’m not usually much into “floral” blended teas. It’s like drinking potpourri. “Girly” earl greys make me wrinkle my nose. But this amalgam of rich English breakfast and sprinkling of delicate rose is enough to charm even my fastidious tea-drinking habits. The rose is a whisper, a feather touch on this full-bodied, lively brew!

If you’re a bit suss on floral teas, give this a go and I think you’ll be delighted. Even better with an English muffin and jam!

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