Traditional Tea Time Serves Up Afternoon Repose

Author: Karen Acheson

Since colonial days, tea drinking has been a part of American culture. The town of Middlebury offers its own tea drinking custom with the help of the Middlebury Inn, a local landmark founded in 1827.

This past Sunday I had tea at the Middlebury Inn, a custom that began about 50 years after the Revolutionary War. The Inn serves tea daily from 3 to 4:30 p.m. except on holidays. On this particular day, the Inn happened to be celebrating its' 75th birthday.

According to General Manager Leonard Foley, "Tea is complimentary to hotel guests and then a $5 fee for people off the street." Visitors are entitiled to an unlimited number of pastries and tea, and the atmosphere is conducive to a relaxing dining experience.

A friend and I made the 15-minute walk from campus to the Inn, where we were led into the Morgan Room, located next to the main dining room. The room is decorated with paintings of men on horseback and old black-and-white photographs that provide tea drinkers with a historical ambiance.

The table was adorned with an array of fresh orange and raisin scones with raspberry cream cheese, meringues with coconut and white chocolate and chocolate chip cookies. On a separate table sat a white and dark chocolate cake.

"All baked goods are made here. Tommy, who is in charge of tea time, has been here for about 30 years," said Folly, in reference to Tom Phelps, the head chef.

Twelve different types of Harney Teas were displayed, and after much debate, I decided on orange pekoe while my friend had chamomile. In addition to tea, there were pitchers of fresh lemonade and ice water, as well as assorted coffees.

The tea service is particularly enjoyable because guests fix their own pots, which makes about two cups. I sampled both the chocolate cake and the white chocolate meringues, which were excellent, and my friend gave high marks to the scones after indulging in two. The cake tasted as though it had just been frosted and pleased my tastebuds unlike any other I have sampled in Middlebury.

The atmosphere was perfect for a Sunday afternoon. My friend and I both brought books, and the room is filled with tables and chairs or comfortable armchairs that create a perfect enviroment to sit and get some work done. We spent the afternoon in the cozy tea room reading until 4:30 p.m. when tea service ended.

While we were there I had the opportunity to speak to two women from out of town, Alice Rivers and Pat Aiken, who come to the Inn with a group of 50 people twice every year for spring and fall vacations.

"[When we come] we have tea and coffee. We look forward to this time of day and plan to get here before 3 p.m. so we can have tea before we meet our friends," said Rivers.

She explained that tea time has always been a part of her Middlebury experience. "I've been coming here at least 25 years and there has always been tea," Rivers remarked.

If you're in the mood for a comfortable place to study or some delicious desserts, consider engaging in a Middlebury tradition and stopping by the Middlebury Inn.

For a mere $5 you can drink as much tea and have as many fresh pastries as you would like, and the tea service room remains relatively uncrowded and quiet for the hour and a half tea is served.