I'm not a tea or coffee lover, and this is largely due to my upbringing. I was raised by a single mum who did it the African way. In Africa, for most families, it's about the availability of food that you eat, not just your preference. Drinking tea daily is a culture of others, like the English, who are accustomed to drinking tea almost throughout the day.
The majority of people I have come across love tea a lot and in the workplace, you start learning to live the English way. You become a tea lover at all cost because they will keep asking if you care for a cup of tea all the time😅. I never been a lover of tea but a recent visit to The Bridge Tea Rooms seemed to make me develope a deep appreciation for it. This place is known to be UK's top tea rooms and double winners of the best teas.
We traveled for an hour and a half to Bradford on Avon, and apart from visiting the town's historical sites, The Bridge Tea Room was on top of our list. I learned that to visit Bridge Tea Rooms, you need to book in advance. Even though you can just walk in, as we did, booking in advance saves you the time you would need to queue or wait outside while they set a table for you. It's an old building and not a big place, so you understand why you need to book to save time. Bridge Tea Rooms is located in a building that dates back to 1502, this makes you feel every sip like a journey through time.
It's such a lovely place for a cup of tea, and I loved every moment we spent there. I love history as it reminds me of life back then, something that has changed a lot over time but still seems like a lovely time to experience it.
The first thing you see outside is the menu, which sets out the general list of teas they offer. But guess what? that's just a few, If you request the main menu book, you'll see a big list of teas with different names and prices. I knew a few teas, but I never realized there were so many types with different flavors until I visited The Bridge Tea Room.
Well, as someone who is gradually becoming a tea lover, I wanted to try different flavors and looked through the menu to decide which one I should start with.Before we could get into the tea room, we had to wait a bit outside since the place was fully booked, and we needed a big table for our team. It didn't take long for us to get in, and their wonderful receptionist came immediately to inquire about our choices.
We chose to try several teas: English tea, Green tea, and Chai of Madagascar tea. I loved the latter since its flavor was something else. When my colleague, Joan, is around, I know I won't go wrong with food choices. Joan is our awesome staff and the best chef, everyone at work knows it.
I was initially skeptical about my tea choice and wanted to go with the same tea she chose. I don't know why I chose the English tea, perhaps because I was with the majority. Later, I regretted not choosing the Chai of Madagascar tea. But we all got to enjoy the different flavors anyway. We spent time drinking together and chatting as well. It was such a lovely experience for me personally.
The Bridge Tea Rooms, apart from their tea, also offers other snacks and food that you can pair with any tea. There were others who weren't drinking tea but were enjoying different snacks. The place is quite busy as people keep coming and even queuing for their tea. One thing I never asked was if they do tea deliveries in the town, but if they do, I guess people would be ordering tea all the time, saving those who wish to stay at home and still enjoy their tea.
But guess what? Even if I lived in Bradford On Avon, I would still want to book and be at the Tea rooms instead. I believe in atmosphere, it really matters a lot and changes many things. If you don't believe me, why would you want to be in a sports stadium when you can watch a soccer match at home? Why would you want to be in church when you can enjoy a live service at home? Why do some people choose to be in a club when they can enjoy the same music and drink in the comfort of their home? It's all about the atmosphere.
Traveling to Bradford on Avon made me discover lots of things, especially historical sites that I will talk about later. For those who are not tea lovers, I guess perhaps you haven't tried different teas like I am doing these days, and if you ever do, trust me, you will change your mind.
