A High Tea Experience at the NGA Wedgwood Tea Room

The National Gallery of Australia is currently exhibiting the artworks of Tom Roberts, one of Australia’s most renowned and influential artists. Not only is this an exciting visual experience of Australian art but the NGA have partnered with Wedgwood to offer a unique opportunity to complement your exhibition viewing with an elegant Tom Roberts inspired High Tea at the Wedgwood Tea Room.

I was very excited to receive an invite from the NGA for a guest and I to try out the High Tea and as soon as my lovely mum and I stepped inside the Wedgwood Tea Rooms we knew were in for a very special experience. The Wedgwood Tea Room is simply gorgeous to say the least. Guests are seated on plush blue velvet seats and the Tea Room is trimmed with gold accents, beautiful blue florals and a spectacular floor-to-ceiling view out over the gumtrees and the NGA sculpture garden. The result is a contemporary Australian elegance that makes you feel as though you are in your very own exclusive sanctuary.

The High Tea option is available all day and features a selection of delicate sweet and savoury cakes and sandwiches inspired by traditional Australian flavours all served on classic patterned wedgwood china. The arrival of the High Tea at the table is enough to make anyone smile and it was almost too pretty to eat! All of the little cakes and sandwiches are perfectly presented on a two-tiered cake tray with savoury treats on the bottom and sweets on top plus an additional plate full of mouthwatering Buttermilk Scones with preserve and cream.

It is hard to pick a favourite as all of the sweet and savoury options were delicious and complemented each other very well. There were mini brioche buns with salmon and dill creme, ribbon sandwiches filled with citrus poached chicken and cucumber and lime sour creme, Peach Melba cakes and little bit sized lemon and yoghurt curd tarts with toasted meringue. However, those Buttermilk Scones were so fresh and soft that I would consider going back again just for them!

The High Tea experience also comes with your choice of coffee or a selection of T2 teas. Tea would be the traditional option to go with the Wedgwood china but we were in much need of a coffee and were not disappointed with our choice.

We followed up our High Tea experience with a wander through the Tom Roberts exhibition itself. Many of the paintings will be familiar to you like the iconic “Shearing of the Rams” but it is a very rare opportunity to see such a huge collection of his artworks all together and I would highly recommend checking it out.

This was my very first High Tea experience and I think it will be a difficult experience to match in future! The Wedgwood Tearoom really is a unique opportunity that you shouldn’t miss whether you choose to experience the High Tea by itself or along with the Tom Roberts exhibition that it takes its inspiration from. It’s a perfect place to take your partner or your mum for a pampered lunch date or celebrate a special occasion with a few friends or family.