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| Miniature Gluten Free Scones went down a treat! |
A Beatons Tearooms' Soirée is always an elegant and
sparkling affair but seldom includes 'royalty'. However, on the Queen's real
birthday (21st April) The Mayor of Blandford Forum, Councillor Steve Hitchings,
local business owners and some of Beatons Blandford's most regular customers
welcomed a very regal June King from Upton as their Guest of Honour at Beatons for its 'Scones, Thrones and Ninety Milestones' celebration.
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| June King, Beatons Blandford's 'Alice for the Evening' arrives in style in an open topped Bentley |
June acted as 'Alice' - the character referred to in the
specially composed song for the evening - set to the music of 'They're Changing
the Guards at Buckingham Palace'. The team thought it would be great to have a real life 90 year old 'Alice' for the song to be sung to! Link to the full lyrics of the song being sung here. June was nominated by her mother, Mandy Clement-Doble when the tearooms
appealed to the local press (who were magnificent in spreading the word and
covering the event) to help them find 'an Alice' turning ninety, like the
Queen.
June may not be an Alice but is a somewhat of a celebrity in her own
right, having been a Dorset resident all her life, have written a book
'Memories of a Dorset Parish' and still be giving talks on aspects of the
county such as 'Dorset Buttons!' She made a great 'Alice for the evening' and
even arrived in style in an open topped Bentley lent through Philip Palmer of FarmerPalmers near Poole, before being shown to her 'throne', a beautiful pink ribboned
rocking chair kindly lent by neighbouring Mandy Ford and Lisa Douglas,
co-owners of 4ever Vintage.
After a few words of welcome, 'Alice' and over sixty guests
listened to girls from Blandford's Performing Arts Theatre Academy perform the
piece before toasting the real Queen. Throughout the evening, local saxophonist
Wendy Allen played a relaxing set of jazz classics.
However,
perhaps the real stars of the show were the miniature cream tea gluten free scones,
painstakingly created by Ben Moxham (Beatons Blandford Manager and Chief Recipe
Creator for the group). Ben admitted perfecting their crumbly texture had been
an extended 'labour of love'! Already being previewed at Beatons Blandford, they
form part of the Gracious and Gloriously Gluten Free High Tea on the Beatons
Elegant Options Menu launched that evening for those with different dietary
desires.
Note! It will be available in all Beatons Tearooms from Monday 9th May...
read more on our menu for those with special dietary desires.
We hope these comments give you a taster of the evening and that you'll come in and try our Elegant Options Menu - or indeed our classic menus which change throughout the day - soon!
'We had a ball and were quite in awe!!' Mandy Clement-Doble and family
'Just a quick email to say how much we enjoyed last night’s soiree, and we wish you all the best with the new menu! It was delicious.' Kathyrn Clark, Lesley Shand Funeral Service
With thanks to our local press and for more detail take a look at and check out Dorset Society magazine next month!
http://www.blackmorevale.co.uk/Blandford-tea-rooms-welcome-guest-honour-Queen-s/story-29168020-detail/story.html
http://www.theftr.co.uk/mrs-king-is-queen-for-a-day/
