Afternoon Tea at Historic Dalvay-by-the-Sea

The Lady Baker's team has been making the rounds this summer, enjoying afternoon tea at all the spots that now serve our blends. Our destination this past Tuesday was 16 Cottage Crescent, Dalvay, Prince Edward Island. Better known to tourists and Islanders as Dalvay-by-the-Sea, this beautiful historic home built in 1895 by Alexander MacDonald has been known for many years for its traditional afternoon tea.

There's not much time left to enjoy tea time at Dalvay. If you can venture out by Sunday, August 31, you will have the experience. Each day from 2:30 - 4 in July and August, tea is served in the dining room. The Inn, however, stays open till the end of September.

Having watched the Anne movies with Megan Followes many times, it is fun to think of Dalvay as the White Sands Hotel. Sitting down for a cup of tea there certainly helps fuel the imagination!

We sat by the windows looking out onto the herb garden. There was a lovely breeze thanks to the screened windows wrapped around the dining room. There were several guests sitting around the edge of the room taking in the water view. The lake was bright and sparkling. We had the perfect day!

This escapade was my thank you to Chelsy, my fantastic summer business Coop student assistant and Cathy, my sister-in-law and volunteer extraordinaire! For Chelsy, it was her first time to Dalvay.

First the waitress brought us each a pot of tea. The tea leaves were loose in the pot and we poured the hot water through a delicate strainer into our china cups and saucers. Cath chose the Vanilla Almond Rooibos, Chelsy picked the Lady's Slipper Blend, and I went for the Darjeeling.

The menu included a variety of open-faced sandwiches, a scone, several sweets and an array of fresh fruit. I was glad to see and taste the cucumber sandwich as it seems no afternoon tea is complete without one! Small dishes of lemon curd and toffee sauce accompanied the scone.

At our table, the three-tiered plates were assembled with a small flower vase and a liqueur glass attached with super glue - clever and something you can do easily at home!

After tea, we spent awhile browsing through Dalvay's old photographs in the Inn's elegant hallway. The whole experience felt as though we had stepped back in time. There we were 100 years ago sitting down for afternoon tea, not a care in the world!

I am truly grateful to the management at Dalvay for selecting Lady Baker's Teas for their popular afternoon tea. Have you had tea at Dalvay this summer? I would love to hear about your experience in the comments section below this blog post. If you didn't make it this summer, and don't have time to fit it in this weekend, plan it for next year. The drive along the dunes, the vista of the ocean and the ambience of the Inn are an experience you will never forget!