The Talking Teacup Ready for Royal Wedding

If you're looking for a unique dining experience, look no further than Chalfont, where, for a leisurely lunch, you can pretend you’re British and imbibe a spot of tea.

With royal watchers all agog over the impending wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, what better time to visit The Talking Teacup?

The tea room is planning a special event this Friday, April 29. Guests can make reservations for a Royal Wedding Tea in honor of the event.

Between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., a four-course high tea will be served, where the menu will be a bit fancier, to coordinate with the theme of the event, said owner Kathy Heck; think wedding soup and wedding-blend tea.

A television will be set up so guests can observe the recorded proceedings at Westminster Abbey.

Dressing up is encouraged. Those wearing festive hats will receive a wedding favor. The cost for the event is $25, which includes tax and gratuity.

It's a fitting event for the charming restaurant, opened in 2003 by tea aficionado Heck.

The Talking Teacup makes its home in a 250-year-old farmhouse along West Butler Avenue. The land on which it now stands was part of an original land grant made to William Penn by Chief Tamany of the Delaware Nation in 1683.

The farmhouse was built by William James and today comprises the right front portion of the building, which houses the main tearoom, front entrance, stairs and the upstairs private party "Little Tea Room."

Guests enter through the rear of the building, which also doubles as the gift shop.

Continue on, and seating for dining is in the next two rooms – the main dining room and an enclosed porch.

The décor is definitely country, with mismatched chairs and china lending to the overall shabby-chic appeal of the adventure.

Morning tea is served from 9 to 11 a.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, and the menu is less varied, although breakfast-goers still have the same amount of tea – more than 100 kinds – from which to choose as their lunch counterparts.

We made reservations for afternoon tea, which is served from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays (the establishment is closed Mondays).

Unanticipated delays forced us to be late by half an hour, but following a quick call to apologize and forewarn them, we were warmly greeted and accommodated at the later time.

An avid tea drinker since sharing her first cup with Grandma as a little girl, Heck successfully turned her love of tea and food into a business.

“I’ve always loved tea, and I’ve always loved to cook,” she explained recently prior to being beset by midday kitchen duties.

The philosophy she brings to her tea room is one of relaxation.

With most people leading such busy lives, “I want the tea room experience to be a leisurely one – to sit back and catch up with friends and family,” she said.

It’s not unusual that guests spend up to two hours having tea, sampling a variety of tea sandwiches and sweet treats while enjoying each other’s company, she said.

First up: choosing a tea – not an easy feat considering the wide selection. My companion, a native Brit, opted for no-nonsense Earl Grey, a tea-lover’s favorite. It was going to be my pick as well, but at the last minute, I steered toward a vanilla tea, a fragrant blend of black tea and Madagascar bourbon vanilla. The subtle aroma was reflected in the delicate flavor.

I decided to order high tea ($18.95), which provided the most food from a menu offering (our lateness to lunch now evident to my stomach). The choice offered an assortment of scones with Devonshire cream and preserves, a cup of soup, a collection of seven tea sandwiches, a sampling of dessert and a pot of tea.

My friend chose the lighter side tea ($10.95) – tea bread or scones, an entrée-sized salad and a pot of tea.

Soup of the day was broccoli cheddar, but that was replaced with chicken vegetable when it ran out. Chatting over tea and the assorted breads, I quickly realized I probably wouldn’t be able to finish my whole meal, so I opted to forgo the soup. Good call on my part, since the sandwiches, even though finger-sized, were quite filling.

The crustless nibblers were spread with different fillings on a variety of breads. Heck always serves a couple of traditional ones, including cucumber with an herb spread on white bread. During the season, she tends an on-site organic kitchen garden, growing fruits, vegetables and herbs to be used in tea room dishes. One of my favorites was an interesting pairing of ham and homemade apricot-honey mustard on cinnamon-raisin bread.

“It works well,” she said. “You get a little sweetness from the apricot and cinnamon, and then a kick from the mustard.”

My friend tackled a large green salad, chock full of nuts and dried cranberries and drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette dressing.

Dessert followed with another assortment: a square of vanilla cake with an orange filling and frosted with buttercream icing; a mini key lime and cocoanut tartlet topped with a fresh raspberry and their signature tea-infused sugar cookie.

The Talking Teacup is at 301 W. Butler Ave., Chalfont. Reservations are suggested.

Information: (215) 997-8441; e-mail kheck@thetalkingteacup.com; or www.thetalkingteacup.com.