#beatonstearooms: F is for...Franchise Focus!

Sometimes it seems as if serendipity arranges things to fall magically into place. February 2017 was scheduled as our 'F is for...' feature in Beatons Bulletin - our monthly newsletter distributed across all our tearooms for customers' delight. It was also the month when we were at The Franchise Show at London's Excel!  So 'F was perfect for Franchise Focus'. 


We had a fabulous show with our (now) Beatons' Petersfield Franchise Business Owner earmarking us out for her first stop.  Now she has her own Beatons Tearooms!

Want to know how we care for our Tearooms Owners? The gracious hospitality, restorative experience and generous value which you experience as a customer are also embedded - in different ways - in how our franchisees are cared for.

Ensuring a confident start!
Months before a franchise opens, the 'Beatons Central' team visit the location and delve into the library's reference section, trawl through community websites and do that old fashioned thing (we love) called talking to the locals. All to determine precisely the engagement and creative mix for successful launch events - and the all important ongoing marketing strategy. 

Oh, and our House Poet, Liz, goes incognito to conjure up a poem postcard so the Franchise Business Owner has something unique and inspiring to give away free from the outset. And with a start-up manager working alongside the franchisee in the first month, the franchisee can enjoy feeling a proud local business owner from day one.

Behind the scenes on keyboards and screens!
Sweating the small stuff - like financial processing - can be fiddly and time consuming. For new and established tearooms alike the Central team are all geared up and happy to take care of this, freeing the franchisees' time.

Weekly support and a lot of thought...
Unlike some franchises, ongoing undivided attention and encouragement through one to one  weekly meetings and regular visits is part of providing generous value.

And of course, our customers know, all kinds of events, promotions and new additions to the menu mean there's always something new to come in for, apart from your favourites!

Landed here because you're curious about becoming one of our franchisees? There's much more to it than that! Click here to learn a bit more...

#tea: taste the Champagne of Teas...

What is it? 

Darjeeling

If you enjoy a cup of tea, you may be familiar with a type called Darjeeling that comes from India. Sometimes called the champagne of teas, Darjeeling is a black tea grown in the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains and has a light, delicate flavour and aroma when brewed.

Like all black teas, Darjeeling tea leaves are rolled and then oxidized, or fermented, before being ready to use. The leaves are rich in many different bioactive compounds, including several that may have significant health benefits.

Some suggested perks to drinking this tea are the Antioxidant Components that are said to neutralize unstable and potentially harmful chemicals in our bodies, this tea is also said to help the Cardiovascular system, and may even increase the density in our Bones!

At any rate, we certainly think this is the perfect cuppa to accompany an Afternoon High Tea!

#behindthescenes : Because great service matters!

Blandford Tearooms has been the first Beatons to receive an intensive course in service over the last couple of months. It is designed to refine the skills the Front of House Team have already acquired.

We believe that great service matters almost as much as great food.

Our Founder, Patrick, feels that waiting staff are often the unsung stars of the catering world, when their brilliance can transform an ordinary meal into an unforgettable experience.

Good service involves discipline, care for others and self confidence. As the faces that the customers see, the team at Blandford have learned the importance of being attentive, elegant and showing passion for their work.
To close the training program the team hosted a Full Afternoon High Tea Service.


It showcased our delicious December Festive High Tea, but more importantly demonstrated the skills that have been honed over the last few weeks.

The team have already been on the receiving end of some great comments since investing there time in this intensive training:

‘The most enjoyable things out here is the excellent service from the waiter and waitress, very, very polite and attentive,

They both repeatedly offered service to the customers, such a dedicated team!’

“Excellent Staff” ‘I came for my hen do with a group of 15 for high tea at Beatons and the staff were wonderfully patient and helpful, the food was lovely, we all had a great time and even though we ended up staying 30 minutes after closing time we never felt rushed out or harried.’

#beatonstearooms: E is for...the Elegance

'What is elegance? Soap and water!'- Sir Cecil Beaton

Sir Cecil Beaton made his mark as a portrait photographer for the most beautiful celebrities, such as Audrey Hepburn, and socialites of his day. As a costume designer he not only knew beautiful women, he himself became a member of the International Best Dressed Hall of Fame. And while it may take a bit more than soap and water, it's true the women who manage to maintain consistently well manicured hands and feet, glowing hydrated skin and shiny, silky hair are extremely elegant.

Inspired by the elegance and style that was extravagant during the 20's, we pride ourselves in our stylish, elegant surroundings and always aspire to deliver charming service.

But how do we deliver elegance?

Well, our beautifully bespoke Villeroy and Boch china and the rolled fluffy hand towels in the bathrooms assist...  And all our staff are trained to provide a welcoming, dignified service and their appearance to be neat and well presented - using plenty of soap and water of course!

Some of the elements which we recognise help to create a sense of 'elegance' is by being self-confident ourselves so all our attention can be on you, the customer; also taking care of little extra needs you might have so your experience is smooth; and even when we're having an 'off day' to try and put that behind us so that you, the customer feel special.

These days there are any number of things which conspire to steal our natural 'elegance'. Taking a little time to ensure you feel elegant by allowing yourself time to rest and may be relax in a bubble bath, will pay high returns to your family and friends so you're able to add a splash of Cecil Beaton elegance to your festive season.

As the Beatons brand continues to grow we are actively seek-ing new franchisees both in the UK and overseas… We are seeking hard-working, dedicated and capable people to become Beatons franchisees with the sparkle and passion that comes with turning a dream of owning a tearoom into a reality.

If you are interested in finding out more about our Beatons Tearoom Franchise opportunity please contact us and request a Franchise Application Form. More information can be found here.

#beatonsbod: Liz - Panther and Poet!

Beatons ‘Bod’ - Liz Darcy Jones

What's your role and what do you like best about your job?

I'm Liz, and a Non-Executive Director ('NED') of the group and House Poet. I’ve worked with Beatons since 2011 – I run a consultancy which provides impeccable copy and strategic advice enterprises. During that time, I’ve worn all kinds of titles from House Poet, Press Officer to Director of Engagement.

What's your favorite drink or edible from our menu?

Hands down it’s The Gluten Free Afternoon High Tea called The Ascot. Being gluten intolerant it’s a real delight to find scones which are so crumbly and allowed! 

And how about your favourite book from our shelves?

A new favourite is 'Being Animal' by David Abram. It's like the best poetry but in prose and submerges you into the heart of what it is to be part of the planet and how everything is animate!

Which of the ways we like to go about things at Beatons means most to you and why?

The corporate side of my activities - Darcy Jones & Associates - help businesses find their 'true content' and underlying intangible wealth so I think it’s probably ‘restorative experience’ because that so clearly encapsulates what Beatons delivers, coupled with its unmistakable elegance. Simply walking into a Beatons reminds me of the graciousness I aspire to!

If you were an animal, what would you be and why?

In the past when asked, I’ve said a horse, but more and more I’m feeling like a black panther – so powerful, lithe and yet sensitive. This probably because I'm trained in Biodanza which integrates your body, mind and emotions in a way that makes you feel smooth and empowered!

#beatonstearooms: Three Afternoon Teas to Please!

"There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea." Henry James

We couldn't agree more here at Beatons Tearooms! We are a small Tearooms inspired by the style and elegance of Sir Cecil Beaton, epitomising the quintessentially British tearoom with gracious hospitality and table service.

First we would like to share a little history of the afternoon tea tradition with you…

‘Afternoon tea, that most quintessential of English customs is a relatively new tradition. Whilst the custom of drinking tea dates back to the third millennium BC in China and was popularised in England during the 1660s by King Charles II and his wife the Portuguese Infanta Catherine de Braganza, it was not until the mid-17th century that the concept of ‘afternoon tea’ first appeared.

Afternoon tea was introduced in England by Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford, in the year 1840. The Duchess would become peckish around four o'clock in the afternoon and as the evening meal in her household was served fashionably late at eight o'clock, this left a long time between lunch and dinner! The Duchess asked that a tray of tea, bread and butter and cake be brought to her room during the late afternoon. This became a habit of hers and she began inviting friends to join her.

This became a fashionable social event and during the 1880's the upper-class and society women would change into long gowns, gloves and hats for their afternoon tea which was usually served in the drawing room between four and five o'clock.’

Today, sadly, afternoon tea is likely to be just a biscuit and a mug of tea, usually produced using a teabag. Sacrilege to us tea lovers! To experience the best of the afternoon tea tradition, indulge yourself and take a trip to one of our beautifully decorated Tearooms.

We have three takes on Afternoon Teas to please, all titled with a link to Cecil Beaton - you'll have to look at the Afternoon Tea Menu to find out (and one is a Gluten-Free version too!)

• The Ashcombe Tea
• The Ascot Tea
• The Windsor Tea

We're committed to making Afternoon Tea an affordable treat on your local British High Street - so you can enjoy it's pleasures regularly (we know of some customers for whom it's become a weekly habit!)