Tea For Any Season

Picture ladies and gentlemen seated at a lively parlor decorated with crystal chandeliers, white linens, and colorful flowers. China cabinets are filled with assorted plates and cups (sometimes neighbors drop off family heirlooms as donations), while classic period paintings adorn the walls. Outside, a red telephone booth and a United Kingdom flag hint at your upcoming journey across the pond. But here you are in downtown Alpharetta. You have arrived at the Ginger Room!

Located inside a charming, brick home from 1856, the Ginger Room occupies what was once known as the Skelton-Teasley House, the oldest house in Alpharetta, which sits on one of the city’s highest points.

The Ginger Room is an English-inspired tea café, perfect for a romantic date, lunch with coworkers, or a delightful afternoon with friends. Aren’t we always looking for the perfect Mother’s Day and Easter brunch spots? Reservations are required for seated service, but you can pop in without a reservation to purchase sweet treats and gifts to go.

Established in 2021 by Roswell couple Karl Walbrook and Angela Avery, the Ginger Room transports you back to a lovely tea salon without the heftier price point of high tea at a luxury hotel. Since the owners are always on site, expect more personal and attentive service too.

The entrepreneur couple started with Ginger Yums, a homemade ginger juice business. They began selling the juice at the Alpharetta Farmers Market in 2019. They talked about opening a juice store but settled on tea, given Walbrook’s English background as a habitual tea drinker, always brewing for friends and family. Today, he manages the back of the house, making English style scones that he serves with jam and clotted cream, quiche, and finger sandwiches. In his chef’s jacket and English accent, Walbrook explains his creations, which are elegantly presented on a tiered serving tray. Meanwhile, Avery greets customers and introduces them to the world of tea with her friendly smile and Southern charm.

If you opt for the afternoon tea experience, expect a traditional tea tower with a sizable portion of finger sandwiches including curry chicken salad with grapes, classic cucumber & dill, egg & watercress, and smoked pimento cheese, among others. Walbrook is also a storyteller. He will brief you on the history of curry in English cuisine starting with The British Empire’s hold in India. The tray comes with a daily selection of pastries and chocolates that the couple says is sourced from local businesses, such as Angel Lane Bakery, Orchid’s Baked Goods, Sweet As Heaven Goodies – Kendra Terrell-Brown, La Macaroon Alpharetta and Ché René Macarons.

The high tea option has the same offerings as the afternoon tea and also includes a side salad and a hot item, such as savory sausage ricotta pie, tomato pie or Quiche Roswell, made with spinach, mushroom and goat cheese.

And of course, there is tea! An extensive tea menu highlights tea selections from all over the world. Try the Harry and Meg’s Royal Wedding blend or the Highgrove organic Prince of Wales blend to feel like instant royalty. And if you can’t decide, try the Gatwick Flight tasting of three different kinds of teas. The best part is you can purchase most of the loose-leaf teas and blends to take home, along with chocolates, cookies and desserts. If you are short on time, just go for a quick lunch of a fresh made juice and homemade salad.

You will feel the essence of England with hints of the South at the Ginger Room, without the long flight or the rainy weather.

Photos provided by the Ginger Room