Tea parties often conjure up images of women wearing white gloves and fancy hats, while chatting over pastries and sipping herbal brews out of fine china. But these formal gatherings are so much more than that. In fact, some significant periods in U.S. history came together over cups of tea. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt used afternoon teas to further her agenda, and movements, such as women’s liberation and the fight for civil rights, were planned at these soirees.
“All of our teas are named after women who made a difference and really elevated society using tea parties to do it,” said Laurie Giles Shipp, who recently opened Posh Tea Room in Suite 6 of Bradford Green, 755 Main St. in Monroe. “Elegant women elevate society around a cup of tea.”
Among Posh Tea Room’s varieties of tea are Susan B. Anthony Equity Brew, Mary McCleod Bethune’s Essense of Uplift, Eleanor Roosevelt’s Inspiring Reserve, and Gloria Steinem’s Visionary Blend.
Shipp enjoyed her first afternoon tea when she was six-years-old. A family from England moved into her neighborhood in Trumbull and invited Shipp and her mother over to get to know each other.
“I loved the formality, the elegance, the china, silverware and crystal,” Shipp recalled. “My mom is not formal. She said, ‘we’re not doing that again.'”
Shipp’s fond memory never faded and later in life, when she was a college student, Shipp sought out afternoon teas. She has attended teas around the world in places like London, where she tries to go at least twice a year, Paris, Belize and numerous destinations in the U.S.
“All of our black teas I got from my trips to England,” she said.
Shipp started Posh Tea Room with help from her daughter, Brittany Giles.
“She’s half the brainchild of this,” Shipp said. “When my daughter was in middle school, I would bake scones and we would have pastries and the tea and sandwiches.”
Shipp took hours of courses to master etiquette, baking and proper afternoon tea service. There are three tiers in an afternoon tea: sandwiches on the bottom, then scones, then pastries among the courses, she explained.
“As the first course of sandwiches goes out, we put the scones in the oven,” Shipp said of the freshly baked scones at Posh Tea Room.
Robin Shells, the kitchen manager, takes Shipp’s culinary creations and makes them a reality. All courses are available gluten-free.
Posh Tea Room offers reserved seating for afternoon teas and it plans and hosts private tea parties. The Tea Room has a Baldwin piano for live weekend performances, crystal chandeliers, artwork on the walls and tables covered with white tablecloths.
“We set it up for 24 guests to make sure everybody has a great experience,” Shipp said, though the room can seat up to 30 people.
The party room for adults and older children can seat 32 to 35 guests.
The Enchanted Butterfly Garden is a room to host children’s parties. Green carpeting and murals give the appearance of a garden. The room has the capacity for 12 guests.
Posh Tea Room offers three menus. A Classic Menu is “very British,” according to Shipp, Sereni-tea is “to find your oasis of calm” and Teas Around the World has a more international twist. Each includes a refillable pot of tea.
Tea sandwiches include favorites like Coronation Chicken, Tremont Chicken, Hummus and Roasted Red Pepper, Egg and Mayonnaise, Cucumber and Herbs, and Smoked Salmon.
“We offer unlimited sandwiches so guests may choose as many or as few as their appetite allows,” Shipp said.
Tremont Chicken is an homage to Shipp’s grandmother. The menu describes it as “a twist on southern fried chicken: roasted chicken blended with spices and herbs.” “It’s chicken salad seasoned to taste like fried chicken,” Shipp explained.
The second course includes freshly baked scones served with rich clotted cream and specialty jam.
The third course consists of pastries, including macarons, petit fours, fruit tarts and shortbread cookies.
The hours listed on Posh Tea Room’s website are Thursdays and Fridays from 12 to 3:30 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. For details on pricing, reservations and booking parties, visit the website by clicking here.
A grand opening
On Friday afternoon, floral bouquets adorned a table in the Tea Room as Robin Shells brought out plates of food, including scones with clotted cream and jam, petit fours, shortbread cookies dipped in chocolate and varieties of tea.
Among the invited guests were First Selectman Terry Rooney, Monroe Community and Economic Development Director William Holsworth, Monroe Chamber of Commerce President Ray Giovanni and several members of the Chamber and of the Monroe Economic Development Commission.
The gathering was a celebration of Posh Tea Room’s grand opening and a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held. Shipp’s husband, Nate Shipp, the couple’s friends and members of Posh Tea Room’s staff were also in attendance.
“Congratulations, on behalf of the town of Monroe, we welcome Posh Tea Room,” Rooney said after cutting the ribbon. “We really appreciate new and unique businesses in town, and this is a new and unique business. This is very well done. I can look at the fixtures and know you put in a lot of time and energy, so thank you for investing in Monroe. Thank you for being here, and we’re always here to help you whenever you need us.”
“We totally appreciate it,” Shipp said. “We are excited to be part of the Monroe community and we really look forward to being here for quite some time — and as a Trumbullite I’m loving just being a town over.”
As branch manager of Union Savings Bank in town, Giovanni said he’s spoken to clients who travel around the country “to find beautiful places” like Posh Tea Room.
“I’ve been telling people how we finally have one in Monroe, because not many communities have this service and wonderful delicacies,” he said, “so thank you for bringing it to our Monroe.”
“We want to thank M&T Bank, the Monroe Chamber and everybody who’s helped us on this journey,” Shipp said.
For information about Posh Tea Room, visit its website, Facebook and Instagram pages.
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