Spring 2021

The tearoom has a separate gift shop located at 34 E. Main St., which is open 10-5p.m. on Saturday. Visit the shop before or after your tea for a variety of tea and gift items.

When The Royal-Tea Club gathers, its always a gala event; this was not to be true for our tea at Mt. Hope Estate. With great anticipation, we arrived at the estate, which hosts an afternoon tea in the elegant Victorian mansion. We had dreamed of sipping tea while we gazed at the amazing stained-glass windows, admiring the rich history of the estate.

The afternoon tea with finger sandwiches and scones left a little to be desired. And, our tea was served with tea bags and warm water.

To address the situation, several individuals felt that we should share our lackluster experience with the staff at Mt. Hope. Our kind words of sharing brought an overwhelming response by the staff at Mt. Hope.

Vicki, their coordinator, extended an invitation to several members of The Royal-Tea Club to attend a focus group, the purpose of which was to provide feedback on their upgraded tea service for the many bus trips they would be hosting during the upcoming holiday season.

Just to sweeten the entire experience, Vicki and the Mt. Hope chef joined us for focus group tea. Their goal for the teas is to host a crowd-pleasing event that aligns with Victorian tradition. We were served a cup of tea, three finger sandwiches, and a scone with jam and clotted cream, which were enjoyed by all. We also enjoyed pound cake and poached pears for dessert, accompanied by nearly faultless, ever-gracious services. 

Fittingly, the afternoon tea was not rated over-the-top by the focus group members, but a big improvement over our initial visit. It was a great learning experience for all that once you open your heart to others, the possibilities are endless. 

Reviewed by

Elaine Agee

NEW MEMBERS AND MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS

Membership dues for new members and for membership renewals are payable Jan. 1 of each year.

• Dues: $10/year for an electronic copy of the newsletter; $15/year and receive a mailed copy of the newsletter. Download the renewal form here.
• New Members: Additional $10/one-time new member fee. (The charge allows the Club to purchase a magnetic name tag for individuals to wear at Club events.) Download the form here.
• Magnetic Name Tag: $10/name tag.

All dues, new member, and renewal applications should be sent to:

Betsy Green

365 English Ivy Drive

Lititz, PA 17543.

Please note: This is a new address for Betsy. She also can be reached at (410) 259-1853 for any questions regarding your dues or membership.

TEA RESERVATIONS

• Reservations are on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Emailed reservation requests must be confirmed by the Club before they are considered accepted.
• Due to the ongoing pandemic, please indicate members of your party when making reservations so we can assign seats appropriately to help keep everyone safe.
• Do not send payment until your reservation is confirmed.
• After a reservation has been made and confirmed, payment must be received by the Club within 10 days. If it is not received within that time frame, the reservation may be canceled.
• Club events are closed 10 days before the event takes place or the date specified in the newsletter.
• Due to the ongoing pandemic, please adhere to all current mask guidelines.

Reservations and questions should be sent to Donna Lerew at [email protected] or 717-741-2684.

CLUB EVENT PAYMENTS

Checks made out to the Royal-tea Club and mailed to:

Donna Lerew

110 Reynolds Mill Road

York, PA 17403

IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO ATTEND

If you are unable to attend an event you have reserved, contact Donna Lerew as soon as possible at [email protected] or 717-741-2684. This will allow her time to contact the next person on the waiting list and you may receive a refund. Please, do not give your seat to another person in order to be fair to those on the waiting list.

REFUNDS

Payment for tea reservations is non-refundable, unless cancelled prior to the cutoff date posted in the newsletter or if someone on the waiting list can take the reservation.

Any money from a cancellation will be a credit that can be used for future events. All unused credits will be returned after the last event in December. No refunds or credits of less than $1 will be given.

GUEST POLICY

Guest fee: $5, which is added to the cost of the tea event. If the guest decides to join the Club, the $5 fee will be applied to dues for that calendar year.

Club Committee and Contacts