BY JANE MEGGITT
Staff Writer
FARRAH MAFFAI staff Nancy Guilfoy sits at one of the tables in her new Allentown cafe. ALLENTOWN — When Nancy Guilfoy lost her job in the computer industry, she knew she wanted to try something different.
A visit to a tearoom with her sister gave her the impetus to set up her own shop. She found the tearoom experience to be “nice and unique” and made the decision last April to go into business for herself. The results of that effort can be found at 4 S. Main St. at The Garden Tea Room.
Guilfoy, of Plainsboro, originally wanted to set up shop in a historic building in Bordentown, which had a garden — hence, the name.
However, that endeavor fell through because of changes required by the fire code.
But a Realtor took her to Allentown, and Guilfoy was impressed by the town’s historic character and quaint shops.
The Garden Tea Room is a café/store with a Victorian décor, which lends itself to “a pleasant eating environment,” said Guilfoy.
Thirty kinds of tea are served, of the finest-quality loose leaf tea. No tea bags — which Guilfoy calls “the crumbs of tea” — can be found there.
The Garden Tea Room also serves such classic fare as finger sandwiches, cakes, and scones with jam and clotted cream, as well as salads, quiches and soups. In addition, tea and teapots are for sale, and catering is available.
Tea is served in the English tradition, which Guilfoy said began in the 19th century in Queen Victoria’s court. At that time, the court did not eat until rather late in the evening, and one of the queen’s ladies-in-waiting instructed the staff to serve the queen sweets and small sandwiches at 4 p.m. to tide her over until dinner, according to Guilfoy.
Guilfoy also touts the health benefits of traditional teas, which contain antioxidants that are known to aid in fighting the free radicals that may cause cancer.
All traditional teas — black, green, white, and oolong — come from the same evergreen plant, Camellia sinensis. Differences in processing are what account for differences in teas.
Black tea undergoes a full fermentation, or oxidation, process, while green tea is referred to as unfermented tea. Oolong tea is semi-fermented, while scented teas are created by adding flavorings before the tea is packed.
Herbal teas do not come from Camellia sinensis, but instead are an infusion of leaves, bark, roots, seeds and flowers of other fruits and herbs. They are not known to contain the same antioxidants found in traditional teas.
While the shop most recently was home to a candle business, for more than 50 years it was a candy store, and the signature mirrored wall fixture from that era still exists.
Guilfoy hopes the ambience of the tea shop lends itself to private parties such as bridal showers. Guilfoy also plans to offer various programs of interest to the community.
On Dec. 2, Julee Csuri will be giving a demonstration of the Victorian woman’s daily toilette, as she puts on authentic apparel and speaks about the lives of women of that era.
The Garden Tea Room is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, and from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.