Friendship and High Tea at Brambles

On Friday, May 16th, members of Marco’s Sunshine Sisters decided to leave Marco and visit Brambles English Tea Room in Naples for a “spot of tea and traditional English scone.” Michele Irimies joined Sunshine Sisters two years ago, and she was the host for this event. She wanted to experience the etiquette of “an afternoon high tea.” What could be more British than this!

In true British style, an afternoon tea takes you back to the pages of Jane Austen’s novels. She is a good resource for the strict English etiquette for afternoon tea and nibbling on tiny sandwiches while making polite conversation. It was known that Jane Austen bought her tea from Twinings in London, and they drank it often. The preferred tea was imported from China and consisted of black and green teas. They came in compressed cubes but now, Twinings is sold in supermarkets in tea bags. 

Brambles’ signature teas are a combination of black, green, and herbal tea. Their Voodoo Black Tea was flavored with mango, passion fruit, and coconut. It was quite the taste experience.

The best part of an English tea is the scone; you need to pronounce it properly and you never use a knife to cut into a scone. You use your fingers to gently break it in half. If you are on the other side of the pond, there is an entire ceremonial etiquette on how to butter or add a dollop of jam on your scone. But don’t ever refer to it as a biscuit.

Finally, we come to the essence of an English tea – the teacup and saucer. According to English tradition, teacups and saucers are made from materials such as porcelain, ceramic, bone china, and glass, chosen for their ability to retain heat.

As you walk into Brambles in Naples, you will immediately notice the charm of an elegant tea set, teapots, cups, saucers, plates, and other serving pieces artfully arranged on the various tables, capturing the elegance of a traditional English tea ceremony. All the teacups were small, and according to tradition, smaller cups were preferred for sipping and savoring the delicate flavors of the tea. 

How you hold a teacup properly is supposed to speak volumes about you. Etiquette suggested, “pinch the handle of the teacup gently with your thumb and index finger, allowing your middle finger to rest under the handle for support.” Rather, we usually loop our index finger through the handle like we are holding a coffee mug. We all came across as clumsy.

The smaller teacups made for a good table conversation. Teresa Perkins shared that she has been with Sunshine Sisters for only five years, and she enjoys the mix of ladies sharing the many monthly events.

Donna Wadsworth is one of the original members of the Sunshine Sisters going back to 2009. When she first moved to Marco, she met Denise Rose, and they both would walk the entire island together and then get on a bike for a quick loop. She is still friends with a lot of the original members who are no longer with the group. Kathy Fogg was also one of the original members, and she moved to Marco in 2007, thinking she would be bored.

Jaye Spencer is a newer member of the Sunshine Sisters. She was very active with Newcomers and Just Friends and was President for both. As the Chief Financial Administrator for the Marco Lutheran Church, she is kept very busy, but she enjoys the new dynamics offered by the Sunshine Sisters.

Maureen Wilke, the current President of the Sunshine Sisters, added that she wants to learn more about Marco and beyond by participating in the many events offered. The group is limited to 30 participants, and usually there is a waiting list.

The lesson on the Art of Sipping Without Spills was priceless! The classic cucumber and cream cheese with dill and lemon on sourdough bread was a table favorite.