The Hoghton Tower Vaio Tea Room

Have you ever wondered why the Tea Room at Hoghton Tower is called the Vaio Room? “Vaio” or “Vair” (from the latin “varius” – “variegated”) is a heraldic pattern of alternated “band and white” or “black and white” patches. The ornamental design takes its name from a now extinct squirrel: the “Sciurus Vulgaris”, whose winter coat was blue-grey on the back and immaculate white on the belly. IT was extremely precious and soon became a status symbol for aristocracy as well as an all-important form of insulation: coats, hats and even walls were lined with this valuable fur. “The Vaio Tea Room” has been decorated to represent the tradition. Out of curiosity: Cinderella wasn’t wearing crystal that night! Her Shoes were made of fur: in French, the words “Vair” (Fur) and “Verre” (Glass) do sound terrible alike! Don’t they! Hoghton Tower Vaio Tea Room We have some wonderful news to share; we are delighted to announce that we have relaunched our tea room here at Hoghton Tower! We are now offering what we consider to be a quintessentially English experience. After careful planning and consultation with our valued patrons, we have created a menu which epitomises the spirit of the classic English tea room, using both local and seasonal products in all of our dishes. In addition to our delightful new menu we have teamed up with the award winning tea suppliers Teapigs to offer the perfect cuppa‘ each and every time to our valued customers. The range offers a great choice of variety, with flavours ranging from an everyday brew to the zesty rhubarb and ginger. If tea is not your thing then why not come down and try one of our freshly ground coffees; the perfect match to one our freshly homemade scones. Or, if feeling indulgent then a slice of sumptuous sponge cake supplied by Lathams of Broughton may be just the ticket. Whatever your mood, we hope you will feel enticed by our homemade ‘cake of the week’, which will reflect the seasons and the produce that the great North West has to offer. We are also pleased to announce our new partnership with the locally renowned ice cream suppliers Mrs Dowson’s, who will be supplying us with an ever changing menu of delicious ice cream flavours aimed to delight our guests here at the Tower. Don’t forget we have a seasonal specials board which may tempt your taste buds when you visit. Afternoon teas, private functions, business meetings or family get togethers, whatever the occasion it can be catered for by our friendly, attentive team. We aim to offer the best service to our customers and strive for a smile upon every visitors face after an outing to us here at the Vaio tea room. So please come and give us a try! Please feel free to contact Paul should you have any questions about us or about the services we can cater for.