the famous Vedic Tea Rooms in Dunedin, NZ

[Guest guest]

FROM NEW ZEALAND

Afternoon tea in town

Margaret, an only child, had vivid memories of being taken to

afternoon tea in town. "I remember living in Dunedin and being taken

to town for special treats with my mother and one of her friends to

have afternoon tea at the Savoy or the Vedic.

 

"At the Savoy we would sit in the large gracious room with its rich

timbers, leaded windows and huge fireplace and I would be awed by the

grandeur. There would be someone playing the piano which was on a

platform adorned with magnificent flowers grown by the owners of the

Savoy, the Barling Family, at their home at Macandrew Bay on the Otago

Peninsula.

 

"The food was served by a waitress in a black and white uniform. In

the centre would be the three tiered cake stand with doilies on each

plate and small sandwiches made of very thin bread on the bottom,

scones in the middle, and little cakes (including butterfly cakes) on

the top.

 

"The Vedic was also elegant and to me as a little girl it seemed

large. It has been gone for years so I haven't been able to check

whether it has shrunk! For me the Vedic had a different magic. We

entered off an arcade and the tearoom had no outside window, but lots

of lights which lit up the very dark timbered walls. I could imagine

all sorts of mysterious conversations happening at the tables in this

hidden place.

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