I can’t quite believe that a year ago, I launched my Crafternoon Tea Experiences in my studio. What’s a Crafternoon Tea I hear you cry? Well you’re in luck because I’m here to explain.
In my humble opinion, a Crafternoon Tea, is probably the best combination ever invented, bringing together two of my favourite pastimes, creating stuff AND eating. During my Crafternoon Tea experiences, you get a couple of hours of crafting and some all-important downtime, which is then followed by a delicious traditional afternoon tea, served by the adjacent Hanley Farm Shop. I mean come on…..craft and cake? What’s not to love?
If you’re reading this and have never sampled an afternoon tea before, then where have you been hiding? It is a pretty-important ritual that was introduced in Britain back in the 1840s and is available in cafes, pubs and hotels in every county around England in one form or another. It is a ‘light meal’ composed of delicately cut sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, sweet pastries and mini cakes – all beautifully served on a tiered plate stand. I’ve added the inverted commas around the words ‘light meal’ because the ones served at Hanley Farm Shop are not for the faint hearted or diet conscious, there is enough delicious goodies to feed a small family! But everyone deserves a treat now and again – right?
My Crafternoon Teas are not just about the food, they are also about the craft and are in no means original, there are plenty of other places around the country that offer such a combo. But! Over the last 12 months, I’ve discovered that there is something rather special about getting a group of like-minded people together who want to have fun whilst learning a new skill, but also fancy partaking in a little indulgence too. Since launching the experiences, I’ve had people attend with their friends, their daughters or their mothers and there are those who have come along alone. It’s always a lovely friendly atmosphere, so solo guests are made to feel very welcome.
Over the months, I’ve offered various ‘crafty’ activities and we’ve done things like needle felting, pom pom making and fabric bunting. However, the most popular craft, by far, is mosaic and I’m not surprised - my customers obviously recognise just how lovely the medium is to work with. So, for future Crafternoons, I will probably stick to just mosaic as it seems daft not to offer what the customer wants, as after all, they’re always right.
If you head over to the 'Workshop' section on my website, you will find all the dates and activities for the rest of 2019. I really hope you find something that rocks your creative boat and tickles your taste buds, as it would be lovely to see you in the studio soon.
