FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

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GIFT CARDS

 

Q: DO YOU HAVE GIFT CARDS OR GIFT CERTIFICATES?

A: We discourage new gift card sales because we find that people do not redeem them in a timely manner (or ever!) and people get confused about how to use them. But if you really really really want one, we can sell you one in our shop. The best time to stop by is weekends during lunch time to ensure we are available to help you. If you aren't able to come into the shop and you really really really want one, then you can purchase a digital one online here. We recommend emailing the info to YOURSELF and then sharing the gift card code with your gift recipient. Your recipient will need the long gift card code (eg.15 digits) when they pay for their Afternoon Tea at the tea house. A table reservation still needs to be made in advance when your recipient wants to come for Afternoon Tea. Yes, gift cards are confusing which is one reason why we discourage them :)

Q: HOW DOES ONE REDEEM A GIFT CARD?

If you have an existing gift card it will work at the tea house to purchase gifts or to pay for your Afternoon Tea in part of full. You may redeem a gift card in our shop for dine-in or gifts without issue. The gift cards will not work on this website; please email us.

Q: HOW CAN I CHECK THE BALANCE OF MY GIFT CARD?

A: You can check the remaining balance of a gift card here by putting the long gift card number in the blank. Click the "My gift card does not have a pin" box. 
 

BRIDAL/BABY SHOWERS & GROUPS

Q: DO YOU HOST SHOWERS?  HOW DO SHOWER AND LARGER GROUPS WORK FOR AFTERNOON TEA PARTIES?

A: Yes! We can host bridal showers, baby showers, or "larger" groups for other occasions! Groups of 7 or less can use our regular form for reservations. Pre-payment is required for groups of 8+ people. We can seat about 14 people along the red bench in our tea room. Our absolute maximum capacity is around 40 people for seated Afternoon Tea. If you wanted to book the entire space, please email us to discuss.

All reservations for all group sizes are limited to 90 minutes. If people generally show up "on time" this is the perfect amount of time to drink some tea, eat the goodies and chat with friends. If you feel additional time is absolutely required, please discuss with us in advance (an extra fee will apply). Yes, we are strict about our timings.

Here are the details on pre-payment: For groups of 8+ people, we will require a 50% deposit at least 14 days, or sooner, before the event date to hold the tables for you; (the total cost for Afternoon Tea is $47 + HST + 15% gratuity PER PERSON). If you're a very large group (14+) then we likely need this all arranged 60+ days before your chosen date so can hold enough tables for you. We prefer these payments to be made by eTransfer and we will send you invoices with details. Your final guest count and final payment are required 4-7 days before the event date and you will be charged for the total guest number you tell us. Should someone in your party be unable to attend on the day of, after full payment has been completed, we will package the serving of food & tea as a to-go package. Sorry, there will be no refunds after full payment is received. We apologize for any inconvenience but we will be turning away other customers to seat your larger group so we have found this is the best method for managing larger groups.

UPDATED: Beginning July 1, 2024 we will no longer allow guests to bring outside food inside our tea house (eg. cake) nor permit group gift opening due to time constraints and clean up. If you are looking for spaces to rent by the hour we would suggest the options presented by the City of Kitchener on their website.

If your group would like to join us for Afternoon Tea, we invite you to please contact us BY EMAIL to discuss your group size, dates, and timing.

GLUTEN FREE & ALLERGIES

Q: DO YOU HAVE GLUTEN FREE FOODS?  HOW DO YOU SUPPORT FOOD ALLERGIES?

A: GLUTEN We do NOT have gluten-free foods and each tier includes a lot of gluten-rich foods. We are sorry but there just is not enough demand to create a entirely gluten free menu each week. There are several Gluten Free food options in our region (eg. Winnie's Gluten Free, Cafe Pyrus, and Gluten Free By Suzie).

DAIRY/VEGAN We can NOT accommodate dairy-free as our scones are full of dairy and our sweets are made with pure-butter and whipping cream. We can likely accommodate a "less dairy" option if you let us know in advance. This would allow us to swap out some cheese in our savoury offering (scones & sweets will still have full dairy).

VEGETARIAN We can accommodate vegetarian only foods, if you let us know in advance. We often serve pork so let us know IN ADVANCE if you do not eat pork.

NUTS We are NOT a nut-free facility and use them frequently in our kitchen, but we can accommodate a nut-free order/tea, if you let us know in advance. We do not guarantee no cross-contamination.

There may be other allergies we can accommodate, please contact us by email to discuss directly.

CHILDREN

Q: DO YOU HAVE A CHILDREN'S MENU? POLICY ON CHILDREN?

A: We do not have a children's menu. Our Afternoon Tea has one price (details here); any food not eaten during your visit can be taken with you in a to-go box.  We do not have high chairs nor changing tables in our washrooms.  Well behaved children are welcome as long as they do not disturb our other guests (eg. are well behaved). We usually find that an Afternoon Tea dining experience is best suited for children age 8 and older. With these things in mind, your child may attend and you can request a reservation here.

COFFEE & BAKING

Q: Can I walk-in and buy scones/baking? Do you serve coffee?

A: Sorry, we no longer serve coffee - we specialize in tea. We do have hot chocolate and apple juice for anyone who has an aversion to drinking tea during our Afternoon Tea service. We do not have a grab & go bakery case. We rarely have extra scones to sell as we only make what we need for the day based on our to-go orders and dine-in guest counts. We are only open for Full Afternoon Tea, by reservation only. There is a Star Bucks and an independent cafe (called "Cafe O" at 901 Victoria St N.); both are close to us on Victoria Street for all your bakery and coffee needs!

Submit your question to us!