Blackcurrant at Berryfields
161 Gardiners Rd, Harewood, Christchurch.
We’d heard… The rural garden setting is an adorable spot to stop and smell the roses, literally and figuratively.
We started with… Settling into a courtyard table underneath a rose archway. On a Sunday afternoon the quaint teahouse is humming with ladies dolled-up in frocks nattering over towering tiers of high tea.
A delightful young waitress takes our order. We get the Devonshire tea which includes a pot of tea and two scones with lashings of chantilly cream and raspberry jam ($14) and also the tea and cake ($14) which, as the name suggests, comes with a pot of tea and a slice of cake from the cabinet. Breaking away from traditional Ceylon, we opt for blueberry tea and jasmine green
tea from the Boutique Dilmah Leaf Tea range.
Just a few deep breaths of fresh air later and we’re presented with afternoon tea. The scones have been warmed, but are a tad tasteless. So before they cool we load them with generous dollops of cream and jam. The jam is the standout, I suspect it’s made inhouse.
Turning to the carrot cake, we wonder how we’ll ever finish it. The menu describes it as a ‘‘generous wedge’’ and it certainly delivers on the promise. My dining partner comments it tastes a little dry, but that doesn’t stop the two of us from polishing it off. While everything is nice, at almost $30 it isn’t great value for money. You certainly pay for the sweet rural setting.
The vibe… Thoroughly pleasant and pretty. Crisp white linen tablecloths and blooming rose bushes create an air of traditional English elegance. Beyond the courtyard stretches a garden of berry brambles. Sipping our tea in such scenic surrounds, we feel no rush to leave. It’s apparent others feel the same as we watch young children tear about the garden and grandmothers smell the flowers.
If you go… Don’t make my mistake. As a complete high tea novice I didn’t know the threetiered Victorian high tea required an advanced phone booking. Give them a quick call at least a day beforehand if it’s what you’re after.
Rating out of 5: 3 – Laura Baker