When Olga Penney nee Petrova was a little girl growing up in the Siberian town of Kurgan, she was captivated by the age old traditions that went into preparing proper Russian tea. Opening her own tea room would give her the opportunity to safeguard these traditions. Well 30 years and 3,000 miles later, Olga has got her wish.
On Saturday 6th March, The Russian Tea Room opened in the rather unlikely venue of Bacup, Lancashire.
Olga says “My grandmother taught me the intricacies of selecting the correct tea and using a samovar and I loved the mystery and artistry that went into preparing not just the tea, but also selecting the accompanying food and entertainment, all of which are essential to create true Russian hospitality. But most of all I loved the ritual that went into ensuring friends and family, and even visiting strangers were warmly accepted and made welcome.”
And why Bacup?
“I have lived in the area now for quite a number of years and when the opportunity came along to take some premises in the town centre and open my own tea room I thought, why not? The Rossendale Valley is already home to some award winning retailers and enterprises, and we intend to follow in their footsteps.”
As well as serving upwards of 50 different blends of tea and 20 speciality coffees, the Russian Tea Room will also be offering a selection of mouth watering cakes, pancakes and other delicacies, many of which will be freshly prepared on the premises.
The interior of this splendid Tea Room was designed and created by Suzanne Dickson of SD Interiors who pride themselves on innovative and affordable schemes.
"Our goal was to create a strong visual image whilst retaining a relaxed calm atmosphere and to provide a recognisable brand for the client to repeat on further sites" says Suzanne.
The lost art of ‘afternoon tea’ will be a speciality at the Russian Tea Room, where great attention has been paid to creating a stunning slice of Romanov inspired decadence.
The last word must go to Olga on her mission for the Russian Tea Room: “In these modern times you need time to sit down, take a breath, smell a tea or a coffee, close your eyes and think of the pleasures in life. Enjoy the moment.”