Our last “tea house” stop in Victoria was the Pendray Inn.

This one was a little different because we actually went for breakfast service instead of afternoon tea, but I’m counting it in my comparison of places because it was essentially the same as an afternoon tea service. We got a pot of tea, the three tiered tray, and scones but just fresh fruit and French Toast instead of finger sandwiches and sweets – which is arguably maybe better? Also, it was cheaper than both other afternoon tea services for essentially the exact same quantity of tea and food.

One thing I really liked about Pendray was their they tea menu actually listed the companies that their teas were from (mostly Westholme and TWG), whereas the other two places we went were ordering wholesale catalog blends and rebranding them under their establishment names. Just a small quirk that made this place stand out to me!

I ended up getting TWG’s Alexandria, which is a spin on a classic Moroccan Mint, just because I wanted something a little more “fresh and perky” to start the day and I was a little sick of pots of black tea after the last two places. It was very nice and smooth with a pleasant smoky grassy note with the sweet snap of spearmint!

Butchart was probably my overall favourite experience, but this was a SUPER CLOSE second. We had an absolutely charming view of their courtyard with some stunning vines wrapping over the windows – but glancing around their seating area it seemed we were just exceptionally lucky to get one of the best tables in the space. For the most part, it was a tightly packed room with not necessarily the greatest overall seating.

Food was excellent though, and I liked our server a lot too!

Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cs9DIT9rRYC/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxDMNfdoyos

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Hello! My name is Kelly, though many people in the tea community call me Ros or Roswell.

I am a mid-twenties tea addict, blogger, and all around nerd. I grew up in the Prairies, but a few years ago I relocated to Quebec to pursue a career with DAVIDsTEA in the tea industry! I’m still working on getting my French language skills down…

My first introduction to tea, in any form outside of instant and bottled iced tea, was about seven years ago when I happened to stumble upon DAVIDsTEA while looking for a birthday present for a friend! I tried their Birthday Cake rooibos blend, and I’ve been hooked on tea ever since! In those seven years; I was introduced to the online tea community, expanded my interest in flavoured teas to include a deep love and appreciation for straight teas and traditional brewing methods, got a tea themed tattoo, started reviewing teas, amassed a sizable tea and teaware collection, became a TAC certified Tea Sommelier, & even came full circle by beginning a career in the tea industry with DAVIDsTEA!

I consider myself a Jack of all Teas, and strive to have a knowledge and appreciation of all tea types, formats, and styles of drinking. I don’t like to feel boxed in to just being a “flavoured tea” or “straight tea” drinker – my expectations may vary depending on the type of tea or how it’s been processed/prepared but if it’s good tea, it’s good tea no matter how it’s been made!

You name it, I probably drink it- and I’ll absolutely try anything at least once.

My default method of preparation is hot, Western style, and straight – but I’m not opposed to additions if I’m in the right mood. If I ever add something to a tea or use a different method of preparation I will ALWAYS call it out in the tasting note though.

I like to listen to music when drinking tea, especially when I’m brewing a large pot at a time or steeping Gongfu. Often I curate very intentional tea and music pairings, and sometimes I share them here in my tasting reviews. Music is something that I find can deeply affect the experience of having tea.

I’m also one half of the “tea and fandom” podcast GeekSteep where, weekly, we discuss newly explored fandoms over tea as well as try to figure out the perfect tea to pair with each fandom. You can find us on Spotify and Apple & Google podcasts.

Favourite flavour notes/ingredients: Pear, lychee, cranberry, cream, melon, pineapple, malt, roasty, petrichor, sweet potato, heady florals like rose, hazelnut or walnut, sesame, honey (in moderation), and very woody shou.

Least favourite flavour notes/ingredients:
Lemongrass, ginger, strongly spiced profiles (and most Chai in general), mushrooms, seaweed, chamomile, stevia, saltiness or anything that reminds me too much of meat that isn’t supposed to taste like meat…

Currently exploring/obsessed with: Sheng from Yiwu, Yancha (Qilan in particular), anything with a strong sweet potato note. Also, I need to try ALL the root beer teas! Searching for a really good caramel flavoured blend, ideally with a black tea base.

Please contact me at the instagram account listed below if you would like me to review your teas.

Currently I’m employed in the tea department of the DAVIDsTEA head office. While I’m still sharing my own personal thoughts on new & existing DAVIDsTEA blends, I am no longer numerically rating them due to the obvious conflict of interest. Any comments expressed are a reflection of my own thoughts and opinions, and do not reflect the thoughts and opinions of the company. Any DAVIDsTEA blends you currently see with a numeric score were reviewed prior to my being hired there and have not been adjusted since becoming a DAVIDsTEA employee.

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Montreal, QC, CA

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https://www.instagram.com/ros...

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