797 Chesham Road, Harrisville, NH 03450
(603) 827-3163
NOW SERVING:
Tea and Bliss
Bliss lets us dismiss the small irritations of life so that we can indulge in the sweet flavor of life’s offerings. Whether you choose Chamomile, Earl Grey, or Chai, fill your cup and fill your day with, love, faith, hope, and joy.
Nothing says ‘slow down’ more than an afternoon with a hot cup of tea and some amazing savories, scones and sweets.
The history of tea dates back almost 5,000 years and tea itself now has more than 3,000 different variations. The most widely consumed beverage in the world has both a historical and cultural importance that cannot be rivaled.
Tea is one of the most popular beverages in the world, second only to water. More health-conscious Americans are turning to tea, rich in polyphenols, natural plant compounds with potent antibacterial and antiviral properties.
The days may come, the days may go,
But still the hands of memory weave
The blissful dreams of long ago.
– George Cooper
If you are cold, tea will warm you;
If you are too heated, it will cool you;
If you are depressed, it will cheer you;
If you are exhausted, it will calm you.
_William Gladstone
To begin, you will start with a choice of teas, after you’ve enjoyed your first sips of tea, a tiered tray of scones, savory sandwiches, pastries, cakes and fresh fruit complete the experience.
Thursday and Saturday from 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Some flexibility in the schedule may be requested.
Please let us know if you would like to book the entire room – any day of the week. We’d love to have you!
Moms, Grandmothers, sweep your little princess off her feet with a special treat. Enjoy an afternoon of tea at the Barn at Harrisville Inn.
Parking is available in the overflow lot across the street.
Afternoon tea was introduced in England by Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford, in the year 1840. The Duchess would become hungry around four o’clock in the afternoon. The evening meal in her household was served fashionably late at eight o’clock, thus leaving a long period of time between lunch and dinner.
The British tradition of High Tea began in the mid-1700s as an afternoon meal usually served between 3 and 4 o’clock. Initially, it was a meal for the working man, taken standing up or sitting on tall stools, thus ‘high’. Tea with cakes, scones, even cheese on toast would have been served.
According to legend, tea was first discovered by the legendary Chinese emperor and herbalist, Shennong, in 2737 BCE. It is said that the emperor liked his drinking water boiled before he drank it so it would be clean, so that is what his servants did.
Anna Maria Russell, Duchess of Bedford (3 September 1783 – 3 July 1857) was a lifelong friend of Queen Victoria, whom she served as a Lady of the Bedchamber between 1837 and 1841. She was also the originator of the British meal “afternoon tea.”
A possible explanation why this type of meal was called high tea is the fact that it was eaten at a table. In comparison, Afternoon Tea was taken whilst seating in low, comfortable chairs or sofas. Of course, soon after, the upper classes developed their own variation and also called it ‘high tea’.
Tea was first introduced to Portuguese priests and merchants in China during the 16th century. Drinking tea became popular in Britain during the 17th century. The British introduced tea production, as well as tea consumption, to India, in order to compete with the Chinese monopoly on tea.
When you sit down to a beautifully set table, sip a good brew from thin-lipped teacups, and enjoy delicious sandwiches and pastries, it is like taking a mini-vacation from “real life.”
_ Susan Rios