Tea with Jane Austen: A 250th anniversary celebration at The Pump Room Bath

Built in the 1790s, the Pump Room has been a mainstay of Bath society ever since. Strolling in from the Abbey Churchyard, guests are greeted with the Regency grandeur of the sunlit ballroom: Georgian accents, the original marble Spa Fountain and an imposing chandelier. The Pump Room overlooks the King’s Bath, part of the famous hot waters making up the ancient Roman Baths complex. Particularly noted for its associations with Jane Austen; her characters often met here after promenading to gossip over tea. The venue was immortalised in Northanger Abbey and Persuasion as the place where “every creature in Bath was to be seen at different periods of the fashionable hours”. Over the centuries, spa-goers have followed in the footsteps of Catherine Morland and Anne Elliot to participate in the ritual of afternoon tea.

Those sampling the Jane Austen Afternoon Tea can expect a savoury spread inspired by the refinement and flavours of the Regency era, with Cucumber, mint, sheep milk labneh finger sandwiches, St Ewes salad bridge rolls and Parmesan and pea croustades. Homemade fruit and plain scones will be served with West Country clotted cream, strawberry jam and an ensemble of Pump Room pastries. For special occasions, there is the option to add Avruga caviar, featuring herring roe served on warm blinis with shallots and cream cheese, presented in a glass and wrought silver display.

Teas will be supplied by Gillards of Bath, the city’s oldest tea merchant. From the bold and aromatic Pump Room’s House Blend, specially suited to Bath’s hard water from a recipe created in 1888, to the Guv’nors Blend, an elegant mix of Assam and Darjeeling said to have been favoured by Georgian households. Guests can also continue the Regency tradition of “taking the water” and sample a glass of hot spa water from the ornate King’s Fountain. Said to contain 43 minerals, it is England’s only hot spring. Offering a nod to the well-loved hero of Pride and Prejudice is The Darcy cocktail, made with Earl Grey and spiced rum.

Alongside the Jane Austen Afternoon Tea, Searcys is also launching the Pump Room Classic Cuvée, a sparkling wine produced exclusively in collaboration with Greyfriars Vineyard near Guildford. Available only to visitors at the Pump Room Bath, the Classic Cuvée features notes of creamy pears, a palate of orchard fruits, and a rich pastry finish from extended lees ageing, making this vintage the perfect accompaniment to a leisurely afternoon.

On hand to add Regency flair to the proceedings with period musical pieces will be the Pump Room Trio. Originally founded in the early 1700s by Beau Nash, the Grand Pump Room’s original master of ceremonies and a notorious dandy, the Trio is considered the oldest resident musical ensemble in Europe.

Daniel Graham, Searcys General Manager at The Pump Room says, “We’re celebrating 250 years of Jane Austen with an afternoon tea inspired by the elegance and sophistication of the Regency era. We invite guests to soak in the historic surroundings of The Pump Room whilst sipping fine teas and enjoying delicacies influenced by the flavours of Austen’s time.”