The Witches Gathering

One of the best ideas we ever had at the Ivy Tea Room was to celebrate each month with a Special Tea Luncheon. The last Saturday was given a title that would bring our customers in for fun and treats (with the exception of Valentine's Day which must be on the 14th). Other events included a Queen Victoria Special Tea Luncheon and the Christmas Tea Luncheon. The most popular event; however, was The Witches Gathering.

We encouraged our guests to come dressed for the occasion. Every year we would see the most elegantly dressed, the scariest, the few who came with sparkles, and the most creative witches come out to dine. We would serve a large assortment of tearoom fare including pumpkin soup with flax seed biscuit broomsticks that were great for dunking. There were plenty of treats and eats to choose from. The buffet table was filled with gooey iced cakes bulging with red jam hidden inside, frosted cookies, chocolate spiders resting on top of pudding parfaits, and an assortment of tasty sandwiches and pastries.

Tea luncheons were not only fun but they gave us an event to focus on and plan for. They were a key to guaranteed sales as people were encouraged to make reservations for these events. One event had thirty-three witches, topped with pointy hats, come for a visit. The costumes were amazing! It was good to see people having a memorable day. If someone arrived unprepared for the event, we had extra hats, gloves and capes on hand. Even the local papers would come to take pictures of the event. Everyone would leave with full tummies and good memories, cackling all the way to their cars in the street. What a sight to see! What great fun we had!