BERKELEY – A Victorian style tea party let Berkeley Township Historical Society members party like it was 1899.
The VFW 9503 on Veterans Boulevard in Bayville became a tea room with delicate decorations. There’s a large TV on one side of the hall. While that’s not a Victorian form of entertainment, it was playing “Downton Abbey” for ambiance. Members of Girl Scout Troop 77 and Central Regional High School’s hockey team waited on the dozens of diners decked out in their finest attire.
A selection of teas were offered with the meal that started with salad. The next course were tea sandwiches such as cream cheese on cinnamon raisin bread; gourmet chicken salad on sweet rolls; ham, cheddar, apple and honey mustard on a French baguette, and egg salad on whole wheat.
Breakfast scones and cranberry scones (which was appropriate considering the vibrant cranberry industry in the area more than 100 years ago) were then served with butter, raspberry jam and cream.
For dessert, there were lemon blossoms with Meyer’s lemon glaze; lemon blossoms with lemon buttercream; chocolate brownie squares; puff pastry cups with lemon creme; ladyfingers and other assorted cookies.
Historical Society member Helen King had long wanted to hold the tea party, going back some 30 years. Previous leadership had told her no because the museum didn’t have a water source. The new leadership said it was doable and the VFW was secured. The entire event had to be assembled from scratch.
“We started without a single saucer,” she said. Little by little the pieces came together through members having period-appropriate China, decorations and more. Soon, every element of a Victorian tea party was able to be duplicated in the VFW hall.
The fundraiser will go toward whatever is needed for the museum. Right now, they are looking to replace the windows, King said.
