Couple begin afternoon tea delivery service 'Tea to the Door'

Date published: 21 November 2019

A Castleton couple have begun a 1940s-themed afternoon tea delivery service, bringing all the charm and nostalgia of a vintage high tea right to your living room.

Having always taken an interest in the 1940s era, Lesley-Anne Pilling and her husband, Stephen, deliver a bespoke service for any celebration through their venture ‘Tea to the Door’, whether you just fancy tea for two, or a special occasion with an air of nostalgia.

Lesley-Anne said: “We’ve always done re-enactments all around the country. We go to the 1940s festivals like Twinwood and Pickering; we’re part of that community.”

So, it’s no surprise that the couple wanted to bring an element of this to their work, where they can provide vintage china and 40s decorations and music.

“It’s good for perhaps a residential home, where they might think of that as the ‘good old days’.”

They’ve been collecting memorabilia for years, including vintage cake stands and china that they use for Tea to the Door. Lesley-Anne even has her own vintage caravan.

The couple have been providing afternoon tea for a long time, but the business is quite a recent venture for them.

The idea started when Lesley-Anne heard a friend saying how much she’d love to take an older relative out to tea but couldn’t due to her immobility. They decided to bring the afternoon tea to her instead.

Lesley-Anne noted that there can be an element of rush when going out for afternoon tea, so Tea to the Door comes with no time limit. Their vintage china can be delivered for the occasion and can be collected again as late as the day after.

She said: “We’ve got lots of nice, pretty pieces and we can come and collect the china later that day or the day after to save you the washing up.”

Lesley-Anne and Stephen do everything from scratch, from celebration cakes to scones.

While it might be assumed that a 1940s-themed afternoon tea isn’t for everyone, Tea to the Door can adapt their service to any kind of occasion.

Lesley-Anne said: “Just recently I had an enquiry about a hen afternoon tea, or we could do an Alice in Wonderland theme for a little girl’s birthday party.”