Enjoy afternoon tea at the White Linen Tea House

The White Linen Tea House has been offering a unique, relaxing environment for lunch for the past decade.

Located in Wheatfield, this teahouse offers customers their pick of more than 100 teas, including green, white, red, black and herbal. To go along with their beverage is a homemade menu featuring desserts, scones and sandwiches, known as afternoon tea.

Owner Linda Kloch has always loved tea parties. She said she would often have them as a little girl. Working in several restaurants in the past, she decided she wanted to open up a place that was laid back and took people back to a relaxing time.

“We like to pamper people and make them feel special,” said manager Tracy Bauch.

People who come for tea can choose from three different rooms to sit in, each room is decorated with items from Kloch’s personal collection.

During the afternoon tea experience, those dinning can select a tea, which is brought out in their own teapot. They then get to brew their tea and are educated on how to perfectly time the process. There is also information to go along with the teas that explain why they are good for people to drink.

Gourmet coffees are also offered.

The meal comes with a garden salad with homemade strawberry-raspberry vinaigrette. Guests are then presented with a three-tier plate filled with two different types of scones and Devonshire cream, five different types of desserts and four different types of sandwiches. At the end of the meal, everyone goes home with a special tea treat.

“Everything is homemade,” said Bauch.

She said they also are willing to take special precautions for people with allergies or food sensitivities. The teahouse offers a full gluten-free menu, including scones, desserts and sandwiches and all food is served and made separately.

If a person finds a favorite tea, they can then find it for sale in the gift shop.

Kloch said they are always willing to get teas in customers suggest or ask for.

Both Kloch and Bauch said children really love to come for lunch or to have a tea party.

Besides tea, children can have hot chocolate and there is a special menu. When they leave they get a chocolate sucker in the shape of a teapot and if it is their birthday, they get a brownie in a china tea cup, which they get to take home with them.

The White Linen Tea House is also available for showers, parties and other special events. They recently added a 60-person banquet room to cater to bigger gatherings.

The teahouse will also cater parties and cater tea events, where people can enjoy the full tea experience.

In the next few months people can also look forward to a new banquet menu and more options on the regular menu.

Throughout the year, the White Linen Tea House holds several special events for people to enjoy, including Victorian psychic teas. They also highlight local artist and will soon be exhibiting work.

The next event, the second annual Artisans Shopping and Tea Tasting, will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 18.

Various local artisans will be selling handmade items, psychic Dennis DiGesare will be doing 15-minute readings and people can sample holiday teas.

The White Linen Tea House, 6610 Shawnee Road in Wheatfield is open daily for afternoon tea from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. excluding Wednesday. The teahouse is open at 9 a.m. Sunday for brunch.

Reservations are recommended, especially on weekends. For reservations or more information call 731-1685 or visit www.whitelinenteahouse.com.

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Contact Rikki Cason at rcason@metrowny.com.