The South End Buttery has turned a former bagel shop on Shawmut Avenue into an English-style tea room, pouring loose-leaf tea and champagne for guests just steps from its original storefront. The dedicated space, which seats 18 people and can fit up to 30 standing for receptions, opened June 4 after about two months of renovations.
The tea room sits next to the Buttery's main entrance at Shawmut Avenue and Union Park Street, occupying a spot once used by Brick Street Bagels, according to MassLive. Brick Street Bagels relocated to the South End Buttery Annex at 37 Clarendon Street, as reported by Boston Uncovered. Co-owner Richard Gordon opened the Buttery with his partner in 2005 after purchasing the property at 314 Shawmut Ave., and the pair have kept up a personal ritual ever since: having tea together around 4 p.m. every day, per MassLive.
From Coffee Shop to Full-Blown Tea Service
What started as a neighborhood coffee shop serving fresh coffee, pastries, sandwiches and salads has since expanded its footprint, added dinner service, obtained a liquor license and grown its catering operation, according to the same MassLive report. Gordon studied in London and his partner attended St. John's College at Cambridge University, backgrounds that inform the tea room's English sensibility. Gordon told the outlet he wanted the tea service to be elegant and elevated while remaining casual.
The Buttery's events manager Grace Kerlin, pastry chef Brian Grabowski, and general manager Juan Pedrosa worked alongside Gordon to design the room, which features artwork and decorations pulled from Gordon's own home, per the same account. Pedrosa described the space as built for comfort and conversation, calling it a complete departure from what the Buttery is typically known for, MassLive reports.
Champagne, Scones and a Seasonal Menu
The afternoon tea experience runs 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, with the Buttery planning to extend hours if demand increases, according to MassLive. Full afternoon tea service, which includes tea, a food tower and a glass of champagne, costs $68 per person, while a non-alcoholic version runs $58 per person, the outlet reports. The tea room accepts walk-ins, though the Buttery strongly encourages reservations and offers online booking through OpenTable.
The food tower includes finger sandwiches, baked goods and chocolate, with the current lineup featuring deviled egg salad sandwiches, smoked salmon mousse on focaccia, honey madeleines and dark chocolate truffles, per MassLive. Pedrosa noted the tea-service food is made fresh every day by the same kitchen team. The tea itself comes from Cambridge-based Mem Tea, and the Buttery's menu changes with the season, currently offering English breakfast, Moroccan mint, white peach, Red Zen and Rooibos Decorated — the Red Zen blended with orange, clove and lavender, and the Rooibos Decorated flavored with cherrywood, orange peel and vanilla, according to the same report.
Solving a Long-Standing Space Problem
The Buttery's own site describes the offering as a traditional afternoon tea experience featuring fine loose-leaf teas, freshly baked scones, tea sandwiches and an assortment of seasonal pastries and sweets, calling it a charming escape in an elegant setting, according to the South End Buttery. The new room was designed to host both couples and larger groups, and it's already booking birthday parties, baby showers and engagement parties, Boston Uncovered reports. Private bookings are open for occasions including graduation parties and engagement parties as well.
Gordon said the tea room means the Buttery no longer has to turn down small and large events, according to MassLive, which also reports the business can now book group gatherings it historically had to reject because it lacked the space. Boston Uncovered notes the Buttery plans to soon add a high tea service featuring the Buttery's signature scones, jams, clotted cream, finger sandwiches, pastries and freshly brewed tea, though a launch date for that offering has not been set.
The tea room joins a small but growing roster of Boston spots pouring into the afternoon-tea trend. Silver Dove Afternoon Tea, elsewhere in the city, offers full service starting at 11 a.m. Wednesday through Sunday for $56.64 to $76.70 per person, with walk-ins accepted but reservations strongly encouraged, according to MassLive's roundup of the city's tea scene.
