Historical society made time for tea

Sharon and Jonathan Thompson don’t mind serving a touch of history along with the sweet and savory culinary treats they make to accompany afternoon tea at their Smithfield tea shop.

The couple are both from England and own and operate Val’s English Tea and Pie Shop.  Earlier this month, Sharon was a featured speaker for the Johnston Historical Society — giving a presentation on the history and traditions of a proper English tea.

In a recent interview, she recapped the tasty history, noting that teatime as it is known now did exist in England until about 1840. Around that time, dinner was usually served later in the evening and the Duchess of Bedford would become hungry around 4 p.m. – far too early for her evening meal.

According to Thompson and the history she posts on the tea shop’s website, the duchess, a friend of Queen Victoria’s, compromised by asking that a tray of tea, bread and butter, and cake be brought to her drawing room and placed on a low table late in the afternoon.  She soon began inviting friends, and they enjoyed the teatime, often changing into long gowns, gloves and orientate hats for their afternoon repast.

A teatime tradition was born, Thompson said her shop continues to serve a traditional English afternoon tea.

Over the years, there were variations, she said.  Serve the tea with sponge cake, jam and cream — the way Queen Victoria purportedly liked it — and you have a Victorian tea. Serve it later with a full meal and then it’s High Tea.

“What we serve at the shop is ‘afternoon tea,” she said, describing how the tea is accompanied by a tiered serving dish which usually contains savory pastries or crustless sandwiches, warm scones accompanied by clotted cream, and sweet pastries.  (Clotted cream is smooth, thick, spreadable cream, and usually created by warming heavy cream and then skimming off the top while it cools.)

Thompson said that she and her husband share the responsibilities for their cozy eight-table shop located at 466 Putnam Pike in Greenville. They get very creative with their baking and the sweet treats at the top of the tea tray can include dainty cakes and tarts such as caramelized date squares, lemon meringue pie, pecan and flaky Bakewell tarts.

The tea is straightforward — simple black tea, the way the English like it.

Thompson said she likes explaining a little of the history etiquette surrounding tea customers, particularly youngsters. The most important thing though, she said, is that customers enjoy themselves and relax.

Anthony Ursillo, executive director of the Johnston Historical society, said the group enjoyed Thompson’s talk and appreciated her knowledge.

As for the name of the shop, Thompson said that it is named Val’s in honor of her mother, a lifelong Londoner who always encouraged her to open a true English tea shop here in Rhode Island.

“I know she is with me. In every pot of tea brewed, every sandwich made and every Bakewell Tart baked,” Thompson writes on her website.

“Kettle's on Mum — this Tea Shop is for you.”