Tea is the center for two local businesses
The tradition of tea is prominent in many cultures
– in Japan it was served by Geishas to distinguished gentleman,
in Great Britain and its colonies it served as a late afternoon
snack accompanied by sandwiches and scones and in Southern states
sweet iced tea compliments humid summer evenings. And now tea is
becoming a local tradition at two area
tea houses.
The Vintage Pear and the Jordan Rose Tea Haven, offer a step
away from a fast-paced life of drinking coffee on the go into a
relaxing state where there’s no rush to finish an endless pot of
tea.
Tea is the center for two local businesses
The tradition of tea is prominent in many cultures – in Japan it was served by Geishas to distinguished gentleman, in Great Britain and its colonies it served as a late afternoon snack accompanied by sandwiches and scones and in Southern states sweet iced tea compliments humid summer evenings. And now tea is becoming a local tradition at two area tea houses.
The Vintage Pear and the Jordan Rose Tea Haven, offer a step away from a fast-paced life of drinking coffee on the go into a relaxing state where there’s no rush to finish an endless pot of tea.
Maureen Lindsey started the Vintage Pear in Morgan Hill after leaving a job in the dot.com industry three years ago.
“I figured if it worked, it worked. If it didn’t, it didn’t,” she said. “It was a dream fulfilled. It was an opportunity to try to do what I’ve always wanted to do.”
Her shop is set inside a yellow house transformed into a tea house on Monterey Road in downtown Morgan Hill.
Lindsey started out with a large collection of saucers and cups she’d collected over the years and decorated her shop much like her house, with lacy white frills on every table. The table settings and chairs are mixed and matched throughout several rooms of the house. Lindsey has a back room set aside for private parties, such as birthdays or baby showers.
“There’s no stress,” she said, of running the tea house. “Everyone who comes in is happy. I am creating memories for people.”
Lindsey likened spending an afternoon in her tea house to spending a day at the spa.
“It’s a way to pamper themselves,” she said. “People come in for about an hour and a half and they are allowed to stay as long as they want.”
Lindsey offers three types of tea – black, herbal or green tea – and reservations are required for lunch. Customers are welcome to stop by for tea and a scone anytime without reservations.
Mid-morning the shop smells of her homemade scones which she bakes fresh each day. The lunch menu changes daily but always includes scones, an assortment of tea sandwiches, fresh fruit and several desserts. She also sells tea, preserves and other gift items in the shop.
Many of her clients are from out of town, she said, and her business has grown through word of mouth.
“The whole idea of the event is that people can enjoy time with friends,” Lindsey said.
Angela Sigillito is one of Lindsey’s regular customers and has been visiting the Vintage Pear for a year and a half.
“I was walking around and just discovered it on a walk,” Sigillito said. “It’s just so cute. The decor is wonderful.”
Sigillito has visited other tea houses, but said she likes the option of staying local for tea.
“The nice thing about it is you sit there well beyond eating,” she said. “And Maureen brings you tea the whole time. It’s a good place for conversation.”
The Jordan Rose Tea Haven in Gilroy just opened a month ago but owner Janette Lapoura has seen a good turnout in the first few weeks.
“People stop in on the weekends out of curiosity,” she said. “And I’ve already got regulars. One woman stops in at least twice a week.”
Like Lindsey, Lapoura built up a collection of tea cups and saucers over the years. She started having tea with her mother, Eileen Barnachie, and her sisters Stephanie and Suzette Barnachie, as a teen.
“I have two sisters and a mother who love tea and we got started going to tea houses years ago,” Lapoura said.
The family found they had a large collection of teacups and saucers a few years ago and started planning their own tea parties at home. They quickly found themselves caterers of sorts when friends asked them to host tea parties in their homes. Lapoura started thinking seriously about opening up her own tea house more than a year ago.
The main room of the teahouse includes sunny yellow walls and a mosaic fire place decorated with tea saucers, cups and other artifacts the Barnachie family has collected through the years.
Lapoura and her sisters, who she said are the creative force behind the decorating and menu, are still working to decorate two private rooms for parties and a patio area that will open in the spring.
“I really wanted to open a tea room that wasn’t stiff or Victorian,” Lapoura said. “I wanted a place where people can come in, relax and drink a cup of tea. I know I needed that as a mother of two boys.”
As a mother and an aunt, Lapoura wanted her tea house to be inviting to children as well as adults. Some tea houses she had visited would not allow them to share a plate with children, making them pay the full price of lunch for kids.
“Jordan Rose, my 2-year-old niece, has been going to tea since she was born,” Lapoura said. “And a lot of times she will only eat a few grapes.”
The shop offers “My darling child” nursery tea for children 4 to 10, with mini scones, sandwiches, decaffeinated tea, milk or juice and a vanilla cream roll. Lapoura keeps a pile of stuffed animals on hand so children can pick out a “tea buddy” to sit with them. And Lapoura doesn’t just cater to little girls.
“I’ve got boys so I had to have something for them,” she said. “So we have a Knights of the Round Table tea party with jousting.”
The staff plans to host a variety of themed parties, which will include princess and fairy tea parties as well as a Mad Hatter tea party. The Mad Hatter room is still getting its finishing touches and will be painted with bright colors reminiscent of “Alice in Wonderland.” Guests will choose from one of 50 hats to wear at the party.
The Jordan Rose Tea Haven offers a variety of options for all ages, from “Lady Madison” tea for $18.95 per person which includes tea, scones and a full-lunch of tea sandwiches, savories, fresh fruit to just tea and a dessert for $5.95 per person.
“We wanted a variety of budget selections for people,” she said. “We want people to stay as long as they want. We’ve had people stay for almost the whole day.”
Customers can choose from 25 teas, but Lapoura hopes the list will grow as she continues to sample teas. She is open to recommendations from her clients. She sells each variety of loose leaf tea that she serves at the shop for $2 an ounce, along with other tea items.
“Someday I hope to have at least 100 varieties,” she said. “I want to convert people from coffee to tea drinkers one cup at a time.”
Jordan Rose Tea Haven, 7970 Princevalle St., Gilroy, 408-848-8444, www.jordanroseteahaven.com. Reservations recommended.
The Vintage Pear, 17265 Monterey Rd., Morgan Hill, 408-776-1922. Reservations required for lunch.
