It’s Tea Time

Tea, pastries, and catching up with girlfriends on a Sunday afternoon- what could be better? Shenuka from Tea Time treated some of us Our Collective Muse gals and our little ladies to a delectable high tea a few weeks ago.  

Shenuka started her Tea Time business about one year ago, as she has a keen interest in small business.  The first year has been successful, with word spreading around Saskatoon about the unique service she offers. When I heard about Tea Time I just had to try it out for myself...

Tea Time hosts tea parties for many special occasions including bridal showers, baby showers, birthday parties, and graduations.  Any occassion is a good excuse to have a tea party in my opinion! I think a tea party would be especially cute for a little girl's birthday party! How sweet would it be to have a bunch of little ladies sipping tea while wearing their fancy dresses and white gloves?!  ;) 

I hosted the eloquent event in my home and we opted for the full service high tea; Tea Time's complete package which includes set up, equipment and supplies, tea, sweet and savoury treats, and take down. 

Shenuka arrived about an hour and a half before the tea was scheduled to start, to begin setting up our party.  She assured me she had everything under control and didn't need my help with anything. What a relief! Anyone who regularly hosts events is familiar with the usual panic that ensues shortly before guests arrive.

I left her to do her thing and went upstairs to finish getting ready. Once I had my things sorted I realized I still had about 45 minutes to spare before the party was set to start. So I laid down to aimless look at my phone (my daughter was napping) and the next thing I knew, I woke up 30 minutes later! I had fallen asleep and needless to say was obviously feeling relaxed about this whole high tea party :)  

When I woke up, I came downstairs to find my kitchen transformed into a classy, English high tea. Shenuka supplied all the decor including linen table cloths, vintage tea pots, cups, saucers, plates, and serving dishes, as well as centerpieces and fragrant fresh flowers.  She even set my daughter's little table and chair set for a tea party for the little ladies- so adorable! 

My daughter Bella was equally excited when she woke up from her nap and came downstairs to discover our dining room had transformed into a high tea. Her current favourite past time is to play 'tea party,' so she exclaimed "Wow! Tea Party!" as soon as she saw the room.  Of course she couldn't resist helping herself to some of the treats before our guests arrived. 

I made a mental note to enlist Tea Time to plan any future events I host at my house and took one of her business cards off the table :) As a busy working mom, taking away the stress of planning, setting up, and making a tea party happen is invaluable.  You are actually able to sit back, relax, and enjoy visiting with your guests, rather than jumping up every few minutes to refill something, or get something you forgot.  Priceless.

Our tea party was for four of us lovely ladies, as well as three little lovelies.  Susan, Erin, Lindsay and I, along with Mackenzie, Kennedy, and Bella got the chance to be treated to a lovely afternoon. Here's what each of them had to say about it...

"We had such a lovely little tea party with Tea Time ! The floral china, the cute dainty trays, and selection of gorgeous treats made every one of us (bigs and littles) oooh and ahhh when we first saw them. The chai tea and food were delicious ( my faves were the gluten free scones and tarts) . What a lovely way to spend a few hours with your best gals. Thanks, Tea Time! 

-Susan Busse

"Mackenzie and I had such a lovely time attending the OCM tea party! Literally every little girls dream - or girl of any age would love the whole experience. The set up was beautiful, elegant, and perfectly radiated spring vibes and class. Not only did the table look insta-worthy, all the snacks and finger foods from a variety of local bakeries were so delicious. Mackenzie loved the mini cupcake decorating station and the kids chocolate milk tea set. I would highly recommend this service for everything from bridal showers & baby showers to kids birthdays and more!"

-Erin Boechler

"An absolutely beautiful presentation with scrumptious dainties and delicious teas! It would be perfect to have at either a bridal or baby shower.  My favourite aspect was the tea setup for our littles, complete with chocolate milk and cupcake decorating."

-Lindsay Wiebe

We were treated to a variety of treats from some of our favourite local bakeries and restaurants, including The Night Oven.  We were served delicious sweets including blackberry cheesecake tarts, vanilla cupcakes, grapes, chocolate croissants, and scones, as well as savoury delicacies like spinach, sundried tomato and feta pastries and cucumbers with Boursin cheese. We all ate more than our fair share and yet there were still leftovers. 

Tea Times makes it a priority to serve organic, fair-trade, and ethically sourced teas.  Shenuka often seeks out unique varieties online, but also supports local and selects loose leaf teas from McQuarries Tea & Coffee Merchants on Broadway in Saskatoon. 

Depending on the number of people attending the party, two varieties of tea are typically served.  We enjoyed a flavourful chai tea, complete with cream, sugar, and honey for those interested, while the little girls opted for chocolate milk.  

Shenuka also included a cupcake decorating station for the little ones.  They loved decorating mini cupcakes with icing and colourful sprinkles.  It also kept them busy for a few minutes so us ladies could have time to finish a conversation with one another. Win-win. 

When we couldn't possibly eat another treat or drink another cup of tea and the party was over, Shenuka took over and cleaned up.  Within 30 minutes the mess was gone and my kitchen was back to it's normal state. I couldn't have been more pleased! The entire day went off without a hitch and it's all thanks to Shenuka from Tea Time. 

A big thanks to Erin Crooks for the lovely photos (I also snapped a few), as well as to Shenuka from Tea Time. Check out her website, Instagram, or email her.  

Pinkies up!

Xo Kk