TeaTime in England 2022
London and Derbyshire/Nottinghamshire
May 15–22, 2022
We’re taking TeaTime on the road in 2022 and heading across the pond so you can be steeped in English tea wares, history, and traditions and learn recipes for delectable tea fare. This weeklong trip will begin and end in London, with travel to the picturesque English countryside.
Don’t wait! Register today.
Sunday, May 15
Arrive in London and get settled into The Milestone Hotel, a luxury, five-star hotel featured in TeaTime’s January/February 2020 issue. The hotel is located in the Kensington neighborhood, adjacent to Kensington Palace and Gardens and close to Royal Albert Hall. We’ll have a proper afternoon tea at the hotel so you can meet TeaTime editor Lorna Reeves, London-based contributing editor Jane Pettigrew, and your fellow tea travelers.
Monday, May 16
As our day begins, Jane Pettigrew will give an overview of British tea history, followed by a tasting of six rare teas she has selected exclusively for us. This will prepare us well for our private tea-themed tour of the Victoria & Albert Museum. Enjoy lunch on your own in the museum café and peruse other exhibits at your leisure. Later, we’ll partake of an elegant afternoon tea together at Claridge’s.
Tuesday, May 17
After breakfast, Jane Pettigrew will continue the discussion of Britain’s important historic role in the global tea trade as well as British tea traditions. A private coach will take our group to visit the Chitra Collection of exquisite tea wares, where we’ll enjoy an exclusive guided tour. We’ll take in a bird’s-eye view of London as we enjoy an early afternoon tea at Ting in The Shard, the tallest building in the city.
Wednesday, May 18
Have breakfast and then check out of the hotel before boarding a private coach that will take us north to Derbyshire. We’ll wind through tiny villages and picturesque landscapes before we check into the charming Hotel Van Dyk. In the evening, we’ll have a very special dinner at The School of Artisan Food in Nottinghamshire and will be joined by our instructor, Chef Ross Sneddon. The meal will be prepared from local produce and meats, much of it grown on the adjacent Welbeck Estate or on other nearby farms.
Thursday, May 19
One group will spend the day at The School of Artisan Food for a hands-on afternoon-tea baking class with Chef Ross Sneddon that will feature many of the recipes he uses at The Balmoral hotel where he serves as Executive Pastry Chef, such as a range of scones, French macarons with lemon cream, filled choux pastries, and delicate chocolate and hazelnut sponge cake. The other group will spend the day in Stoke-on-Trent exploring the Spode Museum Trust Heritage Centre and the Wedgwood Factory and Museum before having afternoon tea at the Wedgwood Tea Room.
Friday, May 20
Groups will switch activities, with one going to The School of Artisan Food and the other to Stoke-on-Trent.
Saturday, May 21
After breakfast, we will return to London and to The Milestone Hotel, stopping to explore the village of Woburn in Bedfordshire. (Anna Russell, the 7th Duchess of Bedford, is credited with inventing the practice of afternoon tea circa 1840, and the current Duke and Duchess of Bedford still reside at Woburn Abbey. Sadly, the abbey itself is closed to visitors while it undergoes a massive renovation.) If you’re hungry, you might want to grab a quick bite of lunch, but you’ll want to be sure to save room for the closing afternoon tea we’ll have together in London in Fortnum & Mason’s stunningly beautiful Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon, where we’ll toast our amazing week together.
Sunday, May 22
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before your noon checkout.
Half of the retreat cost (50%) is due at booking. The remaining balance of the retreat cost is due by March 1, 2022. Your reservation will be confirmed upon receipt of initial payment, which is nonrefundable. We accept payment by American Express, Visa, and Mastercard, PayPal, and Amazon Pay. Trip prices are in U.S. dollars.
Accommodations in London
Located in the Kensington neighborhood of London, adjacent Kensington Palace and Gardens and close to the Royal Albert Hall, The Milestone Hotel is a five-star historic hotel that’s steeped in British style and charm. Each room features fine fabrics, fresh flowers, antique furnishings, and rare artwork.
We have a limited number of rooms available for the evening of Saturday, May 14, if you plan to arrive in London a day early. To include one of those rooms in your package, place “Hotel add-on for Saturday, May 14” in your cart for checkout. We also have a few rooms for Sunday, May 22. If you wish to extend your stay, you can include one of those rooms by placing “Hotel add-on for Sunday, May 22” in your cart for checkout.
We will do our best to arrange for double-occupancy rooms with two beds, but due to the uniqueness of the hotels where we will be staying, we cannot guarantee separate beds. If there are not two beds, guests will be provided with two sets of linens on one bed.
Accommodations in Derbyshire
The charming Hotel Van Dyk is conveniently located about 5 miles from The School of Artisan Food.
We will do our best to arrange for double-occupancy rooms with two beds, but due to the uniqueness of the hotels where we will be staying, we cannot guarantee separate beds. If there are not two beds, guests will be provided with two sets of linens on one bed.
Costs
The price of the trip includes all hotel accommodations, afternoon tea six days, all breakfasts, all tours, a full-day baking class at The School of Artisan Food, lectures, a tea tasting, and private coach transfers to/from retreat activities. It does not include airfare or ground transportation from or to the airport.
Single occupancy, double occupancy, and participant plus one guest rates are available.
Your credit card will be charged by Hoffman Media, the parent company of TeaTime.
Cancellation
Since the trip is nonrefundable, we suggest buying trip insurance through a company like Travelex. You can also check with your credit card company to see if they provide travel insurance.
If you don’t purchase travel insurance, you agree to indemnify us against any charges that might have otherwise been covered by your insurance. You further agree that we are not responsible for any costs of cancellation or costs related to COVID-19. Due to COVID-19, there may be limitations relating to activities. Certain services and amenities may be reduced or unavailable as a result of changing circumstances. Please know that we are working closely with our partners in England to plan and execute a safe retreat for our guests, but there is an inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 when traveling. By booking this retreat, you acknowledge and assume these risks associated with travel.
If a mandatory quarantine for visitors is in effect for travel to the United Kingdom during the retreat, the retreat will be cancelled, and your money will be refunded in full. If quarantine is required of you due to not meeting entry standards such as a COVID-19 vaccination, you are responsible for adhering to the United Kingdom’s quarantine regulations and will not be offered a refund. You are responsible for following all travel protocols to enter the United Kingdom. These may include proof of vaccination, a health visa, and/or a negative COVID-19 test. (We will help you navigate this process, so don’t worry.)
We reserve the right to cancel this retreat if fewer than 10 participants have signed up by March 1, 2022. We will send an email confirmation to all participants when this number has been met. If TeaTime initiates the cancellation, we will refund all payments. Please note that we will be monitoring travel advisories related to the COVID-19 pandemic closely.
Have a question about this retreat? Contact us.