One of Rona Ogilvie’s fondest memories is of being taken to ‘high tea’ in her home-town of Fife, Scotland. “Nana would put on gloves and makeup and off we’d go to the tea shop every Saturday afternoon, it was great fun.” Now Rona is bringing something of that experience to Greytown, by opening The Vintage Tea Shop on Main Street.

While you may remember the Kiwi tea rooms of old, with their lukewarm percolated coffee and orange Formica tables, the traditional English and Scottish ‘tea shop’ is something rather more elegant: think white linen, silver tea services and of course dainty, gold-rimmed china teacups.

Rona went on an extensive ‘antique trail’ stretching from Napier all the way to Featherston, to fit out the shop, pouncing on teacups, antique cake stands, and teapots. She also sourced period furniture, a chandelier and a vintage styled cake carousel to display the handiwork of her baker Amanda Savage, formerly of Providore, Martinborough.

There are several large armoires full of vintage items for sale, and interior designer Rose Fonlowe completed the look with a feature wall of luxurious floral Sanderson wallpaper.

“Going to a tea shop should be a visual and taste experience,” says Rona. “I wanted to take people back to the elegant experience of those days.”

It’s true, tea does taste better from a china cup and pouring tea from a perfect spout is a subtle pleasure, probably not so far removed from the aesthetic feeling of a Japanese tea ceremony. While there are many teas on offer here, including herbal, Rona has classic tastes: “I’m just a very plain Jane, I like Earl Grey.”

Rona has worked in hospitality since her first job in a Scottish coffee shop at age 14. She test-drove the delicate teacups in the dishwasher, and all have passed so far. Small children, another potential hazard for fine china, are kept occupied in a delightful Alice in Wonderland-themed ‘children’s library’ complete with fairy lights.

Rona moved to Wairarapa seven years ago and ran Wet & Wild in Martinborough as a family business. She then worked at Jaqs Bar, Martinborough. Along with tea, cakes and scones, the Tea Shop serves jacket potatoes, cooked in a ‘King Edward’ oven (similar to an AGA), just like the one she remembers at that first coffee shop she worked in. And if you feel the need for something stronger than tea - though still ladylike – Rona also serves Pimms, sherry, champagne and Martini. Perfect for a spring afternoon, and very civilised.