TAKING tea at The Fan Museum in Greenwich adds superb value to the afternoon ritual’s scones and culture to the clotted cream.
Served in the Orangery of the Grade II listed Georgian townhouse, the experience gains from the fan-tastic collections and becomes a genteel yet unpretentious way to while away a leisurely afternoon.
At just £6, the piled-high two-tier cake-stands and pots of tea and coffee act as a “hook” to bring people of all backgrounds to the small-but-perfectly-formed museum with its refreshingly egalitarian ethos.
With sunlight streaming through the French windows onto the romantic murals of the Orangery, and views onto fan-shaped flower beds, it is no wonder the tea rooms have recently surged in popularity and are often fully booked several weeks in advance.
“It is like stepping into another time-zone,” reflects museum curator Jacob Moss on the unique teatime treat. “It is phenomenally good value. It just means people that generally think they can’t go for afternoon tea can.
“It is a good hook and brings people into the museum who might not have come. It taps into the trend and fashion for teas and heritage activities.”
Sampling the selection of homemade cakes, Twinings teas, and scones accompanied by sundae glasses crammed with jam and cream, means buying a ticket to the museum first, but this is no great hardship.
Founded in 1991 by Hélène Alexander, the museum’s eclectic range appeals to fine art lovers but also has "a lot of humour” and perusing the 4,000-strong collection dating from 11th Century proves as delicious as the tea itself.
Variously used for flirting and shunning, as much as for cooling, the intricate and often quirky pieces are set in three tastefully-decorated rooms - where even a toilet trip is five star rated by the Loo of the Year Awards.
Six tables are set up for two sittings of afternoon tea on a Tuesday and Sunday at 2.30pm and 3.45pm and offer a tranquil, non-stuffy alternative to its London rivals at around a third of the cost.
Mr Moss told News Shopper: “I would like people to forget any preconceptions of a fan museum being an elitist subject and not for them.
“It couldn’t be further from the truth – this is a museum for all people and that is why we price our tea at that price – we want it to be accessible to all people from all backgrounds.”
Current exhibition The Fan in Europe: 1800-1850 will give way in mid-May to one showing unusual, sometimes comic fans with “transformative” properties such as those doubling as parasols.
Mr Moss said: “It offers an alternative view on the history of fans - fans that have those transformative qualities.
"It isn’t all high art and mythology, there’s a lot of humour in the subject.”
To book afternoon tea at the museum in Crooms Hill call 020 8305 1441 or email fanmuseum@btconnect.com
Visitors to the tea room must first buy a museum pass which costs £4 for adults, £3 for concessions.
There are various other discounts and offers available including free entry for individual senior citizens and disabled visitors on Tuesday for the 2pm sitting.
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