Tea Gathering (your own tea)
Handle the silver and porcelain, and watch the butler's manner up close
About Tea Gathering (your own tea)
A tea gathering with a butler is a way of using the Odaiba Manor of Queen's Butler The Studio: bring the tea and cakes of your choice and, with up to six guests, handle the silver and porcelain and observe the butler's manner at close quarters. The butler tells the story of the collection, selects the cups, and lays the tea things and the table.
The tea gathering begins with the choosing of a cup.
Choosing the cups is the moment, before any tea is tasted, when the story of the day's table is decided. In the curved-glass display cabinet stand porcelain from France, England and Japan. The butler opens the doors, takes out floral, gilded and turquoise pieces one by one, and carries them to the Dining Room.
We ask about the tea and cakes you have brought and compare the colour, size and handle of each cup. The butler does not decree a single correct choice, but asks which patterns catch your eye and quietly explains their provenance and handling. As the pairing of pieces with what you bring, and the serving of cakes on the Manor's porcelain, require confirmation in advance, please tell us the details when booking.
At the table you may watch the white-gloved hands at the silver tea service, the angle at which a cup is set down, and the pause before it is offered. No fixed programme is imposed: the butler waits for a lull in conversation, then quietly brings the steaming cup to hand. Move without haste between learning about the collection and talking together.
Floral patterns, gilding and silver, presented by the butler
| Rocaille silver | Shell and scroll motifs derived from the Château de Marly. Twelve pieces for six, taken by the butler from their wooden case; the fine relief of the handles is seen in white-gloved hands |
|---|---|
| Floral porcelain with gilded rims | Made in the French porcelain region. Dinner plate 25.5 cm, plate 21.2 cm, soup plate 22 cm, side plate 16.5 cm: compare how the flowers and gilding read at each size |
| English cups | Six cups and saucers. Compare shape and pattern one by one; before your fingers reach the handle, the butler shows where to support the cup |
| English side plates and cups | Bread plates, dessert plates, demitasse cups and saucers. See how depth and outline change with use |
| Turquoise tea set | Teapot, sugar bowl, creamer, cup and saucer with a griffin motif. The vivid colour may be photographed as a complete setting |
| Victorian-style silver | Five pieces of silver plate: pot, sugar bowl, creamer and more, handled with the tray. Watch the butler's order of touch on handle, spout and lid |
Choosing, pouring and receiving, observed at close quarters
Choosing the cups
The cabinet is opened and colours and patterns compared. The butler supports each cup in both hands, turns its face to you, and explains the differences in form and their provenance.
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Handling the tea things
Pot and cups are prepared, tea and water brought together, and the cup poured. Watch the white-gloved hands, the angle at which the spout is drawn back, and the pot set down without a sound.
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Receiving the cup
The butler supports the saucer in both hands and offers it to you. The direction of the handle and the place where it is set down are checked, so that no one touches a hot cup unawares.
Read moreWhat the butler arranges
- One butler in attendance, and places laid for a tea gathering of up to six
- Time to handle the Manor's silver, porcelain, glass and three-tier stand under the butler's guidance
- Preparation of the tea things once we know what tea you have brought; the extent of brewing is confirmed in advance
- Taking your coat and belongings on arrival, and guidance from the cabinet through to the Dining Room
- The provenance, patterns and uses of the silver and porcelain, and how to handle them
What you bring
- Tea and cakes. Please bring the items of your choice so that we may confirm their contents and any handling required
- Checking the ingredients or allergens of what you bring.
- Taking pieces of the collection from the cabinet, or carrying them away from the table, without the butler's guidance
- Gatherings of more than six, or use of the Manor unattended
- Loud noise or performances involving naked flame. If you have such a wish, please tell us the details in advance
The butler's manner, at a distance that never interrupts conversation
The butler's service is not a display of technique, but the attentiveness to read your cups and the flow of talk, and to bring what is needed at the right moment. While you are speaking, the butler stands a step back, approaching quietly when the conversation loosens. Care is taken over where a hot cup is placed and the sound of silver set down.
Both male and female butlers are in residence. Whether you wish to photograph the white-gloved hands, to hear more about the provenance of the pieces, or simply to talk in peace, please tell us at booking. The butlers belong to the Japan Butler Association, a general incorporated association. Protecting the pieces and protecting your conversation are given equal weight.
At the close of the gathering, each piece is checked and returned to the cabinet. While the butler receives them, wraps them in soft cloth, and reconciles what remains on the table with what you brought, there is no need to hurry from your seat. Watching from the choosing to the putting away, you feel in the movement of the hands how silver and porcelain are passed down at the Manor.
Choose your closeness to the pieces and your way at the table, to suit the occasion
| How you spend it | Main setting | Tell us at booking | What the butler arranges |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enjoying the choosing of pieces | Cabinet and Dining Room | Colours, patterns and types of piece that interest you | Takes out each piece and explains its provenance and handling |
| Watching the white-gloved service | Dining Room | The movements you wish to see, whether photographing, your number | Lays the tea things and places, and serves in the pauses of conversation |
| Talking with close friends | Dining Room and Fireplace Room | Your number, what you bring, when you wish to be left in peace | Guides you from the door to your seats and keeps a suitable distance |
| Photographing the pieces and the table | Dining Room | Pieces to photograph, equipment you bring, the composition you wish | Handles the pieces and checks the spacing of furnishings and camera |
Choosing your tea gathering means deciding where to place the weight: on looking at the pieces, watching the manner, talking together, or keeping photographs.
From enquiry to putting the pieces away, in five stages
Tell us your wishes
Date and time, your number, the tea and cakes you will bring, the silver and porcelain you would like to see, and any scenes you wish to photograph.
Greeted at the door
The butler bows and receives you, taking your coat and belongings. Once what you have brought is checked, you are led to the curved-glass cabinet.
Choosing the pieces
The butler opens the cabinet, supports each piece, and explains pattern and provenance. When you take one in hand, the butler quietly shows how.
Laying the table
The butler carries the pieces to the Dining Room and lays the places and tea things. The pairing with what you bring is confirmed in advance, and the final arrangement is set before you.
Enjoying the manner and the talk
Watching the butler's hands, you gather around your tea and what you have brought. The butler waits for a break in conversation, brings what is needed, and steps back.
QMay we bring tea and cakes?
Yes, you are welcome to bring your own food and drink. Please tell us in advance what tea and cakes you will bring and any handling required. The Manor does not serve meals, and the extent to which we brew tea and serve cakes on our porcelain is confirmed case by case.
QMay we actually handle the silver and porcelain?
Yes. The butler takes each piece out and shows where to support it and how to set it down before you take it in hand. Please do not remove pieces from the cabinet or carry them away from the table without the butler's guidance.
QMay we request particular pieces?
Please tell us the colours, patterns and types that interest you. The butler checks the condition of the pieces, your number and the pairing with what you bring, and tells you before booking what can be presented on the day.
QHow many may attend?
Up to six. Please tell us your number, including those attending and those photographing, and the butler lays places and pieces at the yew table.
QMay men attend?
Yes. Queen's Butler The Studio is open to all, regardless of gender. Both male and female butlers are in residence; if you have a preference, please say so at booking.
QWhat if someone has a food allergy?
Please check the ingredient labels of what you bring, and what each guest may eat, yourselves. We will note any points you wish to share with the butler in advance, but the Manor cannot assess the ingredients of what you bring.
About using The Studio
- The manor is never let unattended. A butler is present for every booking, and keys are not handed over
- You are welcome to bring your own food and drink. We do not provide meals
- Please use the antique furnishings under the butler's guidance. The armour, hall clock, porcelain and silver are handled by the butler
- Please consult us in advance about loud sound or the use of naked flames
- Prices shown include tax
About bringing food and drink
- You are welcome to bring your own food and drink
You may also wish to read
Your favourite tea, at the Manor's table.
Tell us the date and time, your number, what you will bring, and the silver and porcelain you would like to handle. The butler lays the pieces and the places.