The British Accents Tea Room in Sarasota: A taste of England in The Sunshine State

The Barb Gulleys enjoy traditional afternoon tea time at British Accents

In an unassuming strip mall in southern Sarasota, there's an aptly named tea room and retail store:   The British Corner Shop and The British Accents Tea Room. In this little corner of the gulf side of Florida, you walk through the storefront doors of an All-American shopping center into a most delightful slice of England, complete with tea time and merchandise from "across the pond".

Burgundy-hued lines cover tables donned with three-tiered trays and fancy china.

Last week, my mother-in-law, Barb Gulley, and I (the other, "Barb Gulley"), visited The British Accents Tea Room, having made reservations the day before for their Traditional Afternoon Tea.   We enjoyed every minute of our stay, from the retail shop's shelves filled to the brim with fanciful English merchandise to the cozy tea room in back, with tables covered in crisp, burgundy-hued linens donned with three tier trays and teapots festooned in hand-knit coverings. A glowing "fire" in the fireplace along the back wall added to the ambiance, feeling much more British Isles than tropical U.S.

Moira Nichols and Arlene Sullivan add to the British connection

But, perhaps most importantly, the food and service are excellent. We were cheerfully greeted by chef and server, Moira Nichols and Arlene Sullivan respectively, and they bring home the British connection. Moira is from England, having moved here over twenty years ago and Arlene did a study abroad in Britain.  Both shared interesting stories of their native/adoptive home.

Delicious scones served with strawberry preserves and Devon cream

The Traditional Afternoon Tea is absolutely delicious, consisting of scones, sweets and savories all served up with a smile and an expertly brewed pot of Earl Grey (our choice, there is a wide selection of teas to choose from).

Tea sandwiches include, cucumber and smoked salmon

Our scones, accompanied by strawberry preserves and Devon cream, were freshly baked and scrumptious -  and just the right consistency, too.

We were given the choice of two sandwiches each and you can easily share their generous portions. We asked for the smoked salmon and cream cheese, the egg and cress and cucumber. All were amazing, but I especially loved the smoked salmon!

Three-tiered tray topped with miniature pastries.

All of this was topped, quite literally, by an assortment of small pastries for dessert. Chocolate-topped tiny tortes and lemon cake were our favorites.

The British Corner Shop shelves are filled with merchandise fro England

And, after dessert, there's shopping to be had. The British Corner Shop carries a wide variety of products from England including tea, tea sets, purses and teddy bears.

Tea accessories, including child tea sets in hampers

The store caries a full-line of assorted teas.

Cute purses and British snacks are also available

The British Corner Shop and British Accents Tea Room is a lovely trip to England without ever needing to cross the ocean.  A wonderful place to enjoy a spot of tea in Sarasota, Florida.

The British Accents Tea Room serves tea Tuesday - Saturday

The British Corner Shop and The British Accents Tea Room are located at 2236 Gulf Gate Drive, Sarasota. For more information, check out their website at The British Corner Shop.