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I would like to offer an apology to all of you who have already read this review. Before posting it in the Cafe under 'T is for Tea Tree' I requested Ciao to add a specific category for 'tea rooms'. Several of you commented that this review should have been posted in the more widely read review section. Well, here it is........
My friend had travelled all the way from Mielec in Eastern Poland to spend a two week holiday here in England. She had arrived on a blisteringly hot Saturday afternoon. The following day was the last Sunday of May, 2001. England was in the grip of the foot and mouth epidemic. Tony Blair had had to delay an election.
Having spent seven months on the telephone, exchanging emails, photographs and items in the post, my friend and I knew each other very well, we had however not met until that Saturday afternoon at Heathrow Airport. One thing I knew for sure was that she was a picky eater.
With a packed programme of places to visit all over the country, we spent the first weekend here in Sussex, enjoying beautiful weather - I had promised to take her to Bodiam Castle in the afternoon but first we had to find somewhere for lunch.
The Polish do not do traditional Sunday lunch the way we do, so I was not looking for a carvery
or a traditional pub. Hastings sea front was packed with people so the pavement cafe's were out too and then an inspired idea came into my head - Winchelsea!
It had been many years since I had last visited this wonderful little hilltop town, deep in the heart of 1066 country, all I rembered of it was that there was a superb old church, a pub and a ("T is for") TEA ROOM!
Winchelsea is worthy of a review all of its own, suffice to say here that it is well worth a visit for so many reasons. Lots of people visit nearby Rye - and for good reason, but they miss this little gem only five minutes drive away.
Anyway, we park the car on the ancient old main street opposite the tea room and at just after 1.00p.m enter this 15th century converted Post Office.
My Polish friend was immediately enchanted with the place. We were seated in the front room next to the ingle nook fireplace. She had been in this country (her first visit to England) for less than 24 hours and yet said that she felt "as at home" in the Tea Tree.
I have since read that there are 70 seats here, you would never think it, so cosy is the ambiance. This is partly because there are three seperate rooms - all of different character and period, plus an outside terrace area in a lovely walled garden at the back.
A note here, and of particular delight for the children, is that the toilets are situated outside behind the terrace area and are housed in wonderful old "privvy" style cubicals.
The manager is an extraordinarily friendly young man and makes all most welcome in this already welcoming establishment. He is extremely knowledgeable about all of the items being served, or sold here.
Particularly good is that if you discover a great coffee or tea, they usually stock it so that you can purchase a packet to take away with you. Not only that, but items such as honey and mustard salad dressing (simply superb!) that you have enjoyed on your meal can also be purchased to take home.
Incidentally they also stock a wonderfully original range of gift items ranging from very unusual tea pots to jewellery and a very good selection of unique hand made greetings cards. Usually in such places these items tend to be quite pricey, here they are not.
You are seated at a small (read intimate) glass topped table with tea menus cleverly placed under the glass. These cover the basic tea and coffee choices which are comprehensive to say the least, including several Fair Trade teas and coffees, a choice of decaf coffee too. For those that way inclined, a number of herbal and fruit teas are also available. On top of this they do have a license and are able to offer a limited range of alcaholic drinks as well as the usual soft ones.
The cold cakes are displayed under plastic domed lids on a wonderful old fashioned wooden stand. They are very obviously all home made and freshly baked.
The table menus show a chioice of set teas, ranging from your choice of tea or coffee with simple scone or tea cake for around £3.75, up to a full English traditional tea for two at £16.50. This is a top of the range home made cream tea for two. For this you have the choice individually of teas or coffees, then a scone each, with jam and cream, a large slice of cake from the display plus a sandwich prepared with a filling of your choice. Not cheap maybe, but you certainly will not be paying for dinner elswhere in the evening!
On the walls of each room are blackboards with the lunch menu displayed. Alongside you will find another showing a choice of made to order sandwiches - all served with salad, also a traditional ploughmans, not something you see so often offered down here these days.
Apart from the sandwich menu, all of these change on a daily basis along with the hot sweets. The number of main courses (there are no starters) varies between four and six, there is always a vegetarian option. Then you have a huge choice of sweet options, hot and cold, which of course include items from the aforementioned cake display.
My friend, not being terribly confident yet at ordering English food decided to play it safe with a jacket potato with cheese and ham, I feeling the need for a more substantial meal plumped for "honey and mustard chicken". When the food actually arrived at the table we were delighted with it, the food menus may not look terribly adventurous, but it all turned out to be of the very best, fresh, quality and simply but beautifully presented. The side salads are so fresh they could have been harvested the same day, whilst the bread is equally delectable.
The tea and coffee were excellent too and for around £15.00 we had had a thoroughly enjoyable Sunday lunch. We lingered in this simply wonderful place far longer than we should have done, finally arriving at Bodiam only just in time to be admitted!
To cut a long, and very romantic, story short, my Polish friend became my wife some six months later. When she arrived back in England for good - guess where we had our first Sunday lunch?
The Tea Tree of course!
We have been back more than a dozen times since then. After the first visit, you are remembered and warmly greeted by the manager. We have eaten lunches and on Easter Monday this year for the first time, a tea there. We have never been served anything that has been less than excellent, not only in flavour but also in terms of value for money.
We have to visit regularly to stock up on our favourite coffee - a Fair Trade Costa Rica medium roast, £3.15 for 227g and worth every penny! Our favourite honey and mustard salad dressing, Jasmine and Earl Grey Green tea too!
Tea Tree is easy to find, there is only one main road going through Winchelsea, it is just round the corner from the church.
The tea room is not open in January, or on Tuesday's but it is open from 10.00a.m until 5.00p.m. Last orders for lunch are taken at 3.30p.m., otherwise all items on the menu are available all day.
The Tea Tree 12 High Street Winchelsea East Sussex 01797 226102
Please note that, although Ciao has categorized The Tea Tree under 'Brighton Cafes', Winchelsea is approx. 1.5 hours drive along the coast to the east of Brighton. Winchelsea is located on the A259 around a mile to the west of Rye.
Pictures of The Tea Tree, Winchelsea
Inside The Tea Tree
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