Tea at Butchart Gardens?

I'm wondering if anyone has done the tea at Butchart Gardens, and if it is a nice experience?

I'm trying to decide between the basic Butchart Gardens Tour offered by Princess and the tour which also includes Tea at the residence inside Butchart Gardens. I can see that the Gardens only tour allows a bit more time to explore the gardens themselves.

Thanks,

Mary

Did the tea a few years ago independent of a tour. The house is lovely. The gardens also are lovely, so it's a bit of a quandry when deciding. The tea is a nice respite if the day is warm and you tire from walking.

What does "high tea" mean, please? Does this happen at a certain time? Does it happen only once each day? Approximately what is the cost? Is casual attire ok?

Thank you.

What does "high tea" mean, please? Does this happen at a certain time? Does it happen only once each day? Approximately what is the cost? Is casual attire ok?

Thank you.

Whenever you see or hear High Tea in North America, 99% of the time it actually means Afternoon Tea (i.e. you get nibbly snacks like scones, tiny cucumber sandwiches, cupcakes, perhaps a few small savouries that are still basically all-carbs). Occasionally they add a warm savoury item like pasties and change the label to High Tea, but a true High Tea is basically an early dinner - despite the label 'high' it was for us common working folk who burned lots of calories and couldn't wait until the 7, 8 or later that the nobility would dine at and didn't have the free time mid-afternoon for the little 'pick me up' that was Afternoon Tea. Go google the Duchess of Bedford for way more info than anyone ever needed to know about afternoon tea!

Fairmont Hotels generally run you $60+pp for Afternoon Tea; anywhere but the Empress there are slow times of year where deals can be had (e.g. Groupons for 2-for-1 at the Hotel Vancouver), but the Empress remains so popular they have expanded their hours in high season (basically cruise season) so instead of their normal noonish to 4ish you can have Afternoon Tea in the evening!

Butchart actually DOES offer a proper High Tea, but only in winter - in cruise season you get Afternoon Tea only, just like the Fairmont, but about half the price. Really you're paying for the experience, not the food or drink, at any Afternoon Tea - they're terrible value in terms of a meal but for a one off bucket list thing YMMV.

Dress Code: Fairmonts do ask you to be 'smart casual', but just like on cruises many people will dress up because it adds to their experience. Butchart has no dress code.

Links to the most-likely-to-be-accessible-while-cruising-Teas, with menus, times and costs:

Fairmont Empress, Victoria

Hotel Vancouver, Vancouver

Butchart Gardens

martincath: Terrific info! THANK YOU.

Great info!! Thank you

My sister and I had tea at Butchart Garden. We took the local bus there, no problem at all. That gave us much more time to see the garden, walk around, enjoy ourselves and then have tea. Just as you would imagine, a tiered tray, with small sandwiches and sweets. And of course a choice of teas. Not crowded, busy and impersonal as the Empress seemed to be.

We did this tour a few years ago. Princess only offered this tour or a tour with butterfly gardens, not just the gardens alone. Since I was traveling with my Mom who has a Seeing Eye dog, the butterfly gardens was not an option.

If it were me, I would just do the gardens by itself and then eat on your own. I am not one who thought the cost of the tea is worth it - I would rather have a really good meal.

The room they had us in was very cramped. We could not scoot our chairs back with out running into someone else. Our room was packed. It was very impersonal and I would have escaped earlier if I could have gotten out of the room. Maybe my experience was different than the other person as this was included in the excursion and we all had to go at the same time.

There was tea, scones, sandwiches, etc.... There was one food tier serving plates (I am sure there is a better word for this) per two people and there was more food then one could eat. We shared with others at our table as there was some food I definitely did not want on my tier and others felt the same.

Coral, that is really good info. Just what I was worried about! We currently have just the gardens booked and will stick with that!!

Thank you,

Mary

Coral, that is really good info. Just what I was worried about! We currently have just the gardens booked and will stick with that!!

 

Thank you,

Mary

This way - if you do decide to get tea, you have the option to do that on your own. I love the gardens and always fill my time with that.

Coral, that is really good info.

Curious how long does just the tour last? We live about 5 minutes from the gardens and go over for a walk quite often. If you are leisurely strolling it will take well under an hour. If you are looking at every petal then all day! I love afternoon tea, the gardens is good (it's been several years) but the Empress is amazing. Not quite as good as Harrods but close.

What makes "high tea" good, better, or best? We've never done one.

1) Food: variety of (just sandwiches and scones, or a much wider assortment?); complexity of (multiple baked items are of higher value than one kind of scones with three different kinds of jam, at least a few items should be savoury not just sweets); amount of (is it enough to sate your hunger? will they bring extra if not?); if it's supposed to be a High Tea, is there actually something hot and is there enough to make it a full meal?

2) Tea: (despite the name, the beverage is secondary - the entire concept of afternoon tea is that it's a civilized snack to tide one over for a few hours until dinner time); assuming you care about different kinds of tea, then not just the more types the better but also whether it's designed primarily for British or American palates (Chinese, Japanese etc. not relevant as ANY 'afternoon/high tea' experience is fundamentally a British thing to do). Ideally different temperature distilled water should be made available for the different kinds of tea, but at the very least a separate pot with freshly-boiled water should be available as needed

3) Service: are servers formally-dressed? white gloved? are there enough of them? do they bring extra water without having to be sought out? do they ask if you would like a paper?

4) Environment: are the chairs comfy? (it's a leisurely snack, so your bum needs to be considered as well as your tum!); is there a nice view out the window? can you even SEE out of a window, or are you jammed in the middle of a huge room? is the room spacious, or are tables packed together so you bang elbows? are the papers crisply-ironed broadsheets on newspaper sticks or just tabloids? is there a dress code for your fellow tea-takers? (one does not eat or drink afternoon tea, one 'takes tea')

5) Probably the most important - your expectations! If you want something that you've seen on Downton Abbey, you're basically going to be disappointed everywhere they want money from you. These days all I care about is whether there's something safe for me to eat (diabetes does not go well with white flour, sugar, jam...) and who I'm there with - good company is the factor that overrides all other considerations!

What makes "high tea" good, better, or best? We've never done one.

I have just booked afternoon tea at the Empress for a Monday in our pre cruise tour. Wondering what the dress code is there. Here in the UK it would be smart for a hotel such as the Empress but we will only have hand baggage with us at that stage and wondering what to wear.

They are catering to tourists so no real dress code in effect. Wear whatever you feel comfortable in.

Great! I was getting slightly worried and had visions of having to dress for tea!!!

Just a note about tea at Butcharts. The year you turn 80, entry to the park and afternoon tea are free for the 80 year old and a guest. Reservations reccomended.

Just a note about tea at Butcharts. The year you turn 80, entry to the park and afternoon tea are free for the 80 year old and a guest. Reservations reccomended.

Thank you for that information. My mother just turned 80 in February and we're going to be in Victoria in mid May. We've been debating about going to Butchart Gardens (we used to live in Victoria so used to go often). Now this is extra incentive to go. Can you direct me to the relevant information on their website?

It's not advertised. Here is my email inquiry.

*

Thank you for your interest in The Butchart Gardens.* Our 1936 Gift is an unadvertised gift.* Established by the family in 1984 to celebrate The Butchart Gardens’ 80th anniversary year, The Gardens extends the gift of complimentary admission for the person born in 1936 plus one guest, and a complimentary Afternoon Tea for two.* The gift is a one-time offer and must be used within the calendar year of 2016. *The 1936 guest should please bring a piece of identification to be presented at the Admission Gate upon arrival that indicates year of birth (a driver’s license or medical care card, for example).* We suggest making advance reservations in the Dining Room for the tea which is available from 12pm-3pm.* You can contact the Dining Room at 250-652-8222, foodservices@butchartgardens.com, or you can make reservations through “Open Table” on our website at the following link: http://www.butchartgardens.com/dining/dining-room**

Thank you, Lulubelle! You helped to confirm our plans for our stop in Victoria!

It's not advertised. Here is my email inquiry.

*

 

Thank you for your interest in The Butchart Gardens.* Our 1936 Gift is an unadvertised gift.* Established by the family in 1984 to celebrate The Butchart Gardens’ 80th anniversary year, The Gardens extends the gift of complimentary admission for the person born in 1936 plus one guest, and a complimentary Afternoon Tea for two.* The gift is a one-time offer and must be used within the calendar year of 2016. *The 1936 guest should please bring a piece of identification to be presented at the Admission Gate upon arrival that indicates year of birth (a driver’s license or medical care card, for example).* We suggest making advance reservations in the Dining Room for the tea which is available from 12pm-3pm.* You can contact the Dining Room at 250-652-8222, foodservices@butchartgardens.com, or you can make reservations through “Open Table” on our website at the following link: http://www.butchartgardens.com/dining/dining-room**

I hope I'll still be around in 20 years to celebrate my 80th birthday year at Butchart Gardens! :D

Thanks to everyone for the info about tea at the gardens. On my last visit to Victoria in 2011, my friends and I booked the ship's tour to the gardens, but we reserved afternoon tea at the Empress on our own.

Thank you, Lulubelle! You helped to confirm our plans for our stop in Victoria!

You are welcome! I'm spoiled living in Victoria and try to visit the gardens a few times a year. Christmas is magical!! Too bad no cruises visit in winter (yet, can always hope) any other questions fire away

Thank you, again, Lulubelle! I sent an email myself to Butchart Gardens because I'm anal about things like that.:D I got the exact same response.

So, I've booked a car and made reservations for tea! The timing will be a little tight because we don't arrive in Victoria until noon and tea service ends at 3 pm but I think it's doable, as long as the ship clears in a timely manner and customs goes well.

It's a very generous gift; almost $130 value. It will only cost us the car, gas and the taxi or shuttle to get to/from the car rental agency. What do you think, is it less expensive to take a cab to the car rental (across from the convention centre so we have an easy right turn on to the Pat Bay Highway) or should we use the port shuttle and walk from Government Street? I suppose if we are delayed at all, we'll just take the cab there.

I posted about this on my roll call in hopes that someone else can take advantage of this offer.

I did the same thing (being anal that is)when i first learned of this. It is a phenomenal offer, no wonder its not advertised. I would cab it to the car rental place. Less stressful as its a good 40 min drive out to the Gardens from there. What day of the week is it?? That will make a difference as the gate time to get into the gardens can have a cue on saturdays due to the fireworks. At the gate, they will check out the ID and then give you a VIP parking pass to get you closer to the entrance. Head straight to the restaurant and enjoy the gardens and walk off the calories after.