CHIANG RAI, 16 October 2018: Afternoon tea is something we associate with English rose gardens, church bells ringing, village cricket and the traditional invitation “more tea vicar.”
But the grand tradition has found a following in Thailand’s far north Chiang Rai, a popular tourist town perched on the banks of the Mae Kok River.
Legend Chiang Rai Boutique Resort and Spa introduced its monthly “afternoon tea” session, last week, to local residents including a growing community of expatriate retirees.
Scones, strawberry jam, dainty sandwiches and cakes were presented to the “test audience” as a worried general manager, David Holden looked on to see if the resort’s pastry chef had worked a miracle and replicated a near perfect traditional English afternoon tea party.
A string quintet from the local youth orchestra entertained as the Brits tripped down memory lane scoffing the scones as if there was no tomorrow.
The chef was pleased with the outcome, as was the hotel’s team who watched guests raising their glasses of chilled Prosseco in a toast of appreciation.
The Legend will feature its afternoon tea on the first Sunday of every month from 1530 to 1630 at the resort’s new terrace and pub that overlooks the river and is due to open during first week of November. No guarantee that the superb string quintet will be there as that depends on how many advance bookings are secured, but it is likely with time that the monthly ‘high tea’ will become a popular event for both locals and guests staying at the resort.While the Legend takes the cake for presenting a grand version of afternoon tea there are daily slimmed down versions of the English tradition at two other riverside restaurants. Melt in Your Mouth and Chitwit Thamada, both traditional English style restaurants on the riverside, are famous for their coconut and chocolate cakes served with coffee, or a posh version of English tea poured from Sunday’s best china teapot. But that is not exactly the traditional cuppa of Earl Grey tea, scones, tarts and refined cucumber sandwiches that set the scene for a perfect tête à tête of gossip and catch-up with friends.
Media and tourism consultant, Jaffee Yee, who is also the chairman of the Pacific Asia Travel Associations chapter in Chiang Rai attended the launch “high tea.”
“It’s an opportunity to promote the variety of teas grown and packaged in Chiang Rai,” he said noting the destination’s coffee and tea plantations were top attractions for tourists visiting the destination.
The Legend is also undergoing changes that include upgrades of its villas and the introduction of a terrace pub with a library overlooking the river.
The terrace and wine bar will open 5 November and during the same month the resort will launch a weekly Hill Tribe Market where minority ethnic groups will sell handicrafts and hand-woven textiles every Saturday afternoon.
“It will be entirely free for the vendors,” said the hotel’s GM David Holden. “It will serve as a way to enable our guests to access genuine hill tribe products and to give the hill tribe people an opportunity to reach out to our guests.”
He is also confident that it might be popular event for Bangkokians who book the hotel’s upcoming weekend package promotion.
