Just say cheese when high tea is on the menu
For those not crazy about sugary food, this variation on high tea is just the shot.
The British often use the description of high, rather than afternoon, when referring to the spread of sandwiches and scones synonymous with hotels, country houses and posh cafes. I like the suggestion of an emphasis on tall as who wants an indulgence that can only be sampled at strict hours. I am pondering all this at voco Kirkton Park in the NSW Hunter Valley where not only are the tiered tea-time stands of a looming height but their contents can be ordered as a savoury option.
Welcome to High Cheese, which is perhaps not a unique concept but it’s new to me. This wine region north west of Sydney has broadened its produce reach in recent years with the likes of cheese, spirits, charcuterie and olives. Simon Gough of Binnorie Dairy has been a leader in the cheese revolution here since 2003 and his signature triple cream brie, plus chilli, garlic and rosemary labna feature on the High Cheese option at voco. So for those not crazy about sugary food, this is just the shot.
There are olives with feta, mushroom and cheese arancini, and creamy cheese in the mini-brioche and tiny sandwiches of the vicarage tea party variety. Of course, like any self-respecting purveyor of afternoon teas, the proper traditions must be retained. So stands of iced cakes, tarts and jam-slathered scones are on the agenda, too, and $6 buys you an extra bowl of strawberries and cream. How very Wimbledon.
Tables in the light-filled conservatory are strewn with petals freshly plucked from the rose beds beyond. But wait, what’s this? Several of the ladies at the next table reach into their handbags. At first I think they’re stealing the cutlery. But they produce shiny secateurs. Off they trot to the garden and, as bold as can be, gather armfuls of roses.
Meantime, because of an error in our order, my partner and I have been served two High Cheese and two High Tea. You can’t see our table for furlongs of food. The waiter simply laughs and tells us to try both. “Just dig in!” he laughs as one of the “pruning” ladies passes on her way out and waves at us. I wonder if she’s carrying a spare spade.
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