More Tea?

On Saturday a friend suggested we meet for tea and cake at The Original Maids of Honour tea room opposite Kew Gardens, an establishment that many readers probably know well. What could be more agreeable?
Maids of honour are a type of tart, the recipe of which has been handed down the generations, apparently since the time of Henry VIII. They have been served from the earliest times in Richmond and then in the present premises since 1887. The building was damaged by a V2 flying bomb during WW2 and restored. It’s extremely pleasant and relaxing without the tweeness that one might expect. The word “Original” in the name of the tea room suggests there must have been some proprietary dispute over these delicious comestibles at some time in the past.
Anyway, while we visited the Original Maids of Honour it was fairly busy, but we got a table easily enough. We chose to have the menu item which included tea, sandwiches, cream & jam scones and a maid of honour for £14.95 each. The food was delicious and I squeezed four cups of tea from my pot, so not bad value. Service, though cheerfully given, wasn’t the fastest in the world, but when you’re having a great time with friends and in no particular hurry, this hardly matters.
The OMoH sells a wide variety of treats, savouries and breadstuff to eat in or take away.