Penny Black Victorian Tearoom brings a slice of 1897 to Christchurch. Established in 2018 and set within the unique environment of The Tannery Atrium in Woolston, it was created to bring back the days when 'taking tea' in a fine establishment was a genuine occasion — Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee year, etiquette and style included.
The kitchen serves light breakfasts and lunches, morning and afternoon teas, artisanal pastries, cakes and beverages that recall a time gone by. The centrepiece is the High Tea, which the tearoom describes as fit for a Queen and the best High Tea experience in Christchurch; these unique spreads require pre-booking at least 48 hours ahead, with a minimum of two people per booking. Decadent cakes can also be ordered for special events.
Beyond the dining room there are gift vouchers for easy gifting, online ordering with 10% off delivery and collection orders over $45, and a forthcoming online shop stocking Harney & Sons Teas and Zealong Teas. Guests consistently praise the warm service — one reviewer called her high tea with her mum 'so yummy' and the waitress 'simply superb'. Open daily from 10am to 5pm.
Tucked inside the Tannery Atrium in Woolston, Penny Black Victorian Tearoom has been serving Christchurch a taste of another century since it opened in 2018. The vision behind it is a simple and rather charming one: to bring back the days when 'taking tea' in a fine establishment was a genuine occasion, complete with etiquette and style. Step through the door and you are invited back to 1897 — the year of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee — a detail the tearoom wears proudly.
What you'll find on the table follows the same spirit. Penny Black serves light breakfasts and lunches, morning and afternoon teas, artisanal pastries, cakes and beverages that recall a time gone by. Nothing is rushed and nothing is ordinary; the whole setup is designed around the pleasure of slowing down over a proper cup of tea.
The tearoom's signature experience is its High Tea, which the team bills as fit for a Queen — and as the best High Tea experience in Christchurch. Guests settle in for one of the tearoom's unique High Teas, a spread of sweet and savoury treats served with all the ceremony the Victorian theme implies. Because each spread is prepared with care, pre-booking is essential at least 48 hours ahead, and bookings are for a minimum of two people — so plan celebrations a little in advance.
Diners seem delighted with the results. "My mum and I had high tea. Everything was so yummy. And our waitress Angel was simply superb. Highly recommend!" writes one guest, Libby.
Beyond High Tea, the cake cabinet is a destination in its own right, stocked with cakes and artisanal pastries made to accompany morning and afternoon tea. For special events, the tearoom will prepare a decadent cake to order — again with 48 hours' notice.
If you've ever wondered why we take afternoon tea at all, Penny Black has done the homework. The tradition traces back to Anna Maria Russell, the seventh Duchess of Bedford and one of Queen Victoria's ladies in waiting, who around 1840 found that the delayed evening meal left her with a 'sinking feeling' — prompting her to ask for bread, cake and tea to be brought in the late afternoon. Tea itself had arrived in England earlier, popularised by Catherine of Braganza, the Portuguese wife of King Charles II, in the 1600s. And as women were legally excluded from coffee houses, tea became a women's drink, flourishing through tea gardens, afternoon tea parties and a lady's visiting days.
The tearoom's history page even shares Victorian etiquette for the modern table: unfold your napkin onto your lap, rest your spoon on the saucer behind the cup, add sugar before thinly sliced lemon, and pour milk in after the tea — never combining milk and lemon. Take small bites, sip quietly, and resist the urge to blow on a too-hot cup. It's a playful touch that makes the experience feel all the more transported.
High Tea is only the beginning. Penny Black takes orders for decadent celebration cakes, sells gift vouchers for those tricky-to-buy-for friends and family, and runs an online ordering service for delivery and collection — with a 10% discount on website orders over $45 as a thank-you to loyal customers. Tea lovers should also keep an eye out for the tearoom's upcoming online shop, which will stock Harney & Sons Teas and Zealong Teas alongside its hot drink products.
Part of Penny Black's charm is where it sits. The Tannery is a boutique shopping, dining and arts emporium housed in a remarkable architectural destination, filled with unique shops for people who love quality, like to make ethical purchases and want to support local crafts and artisans. Pair your tea with a wander and you have an easy half-day out in Woolston.
Penny Black Victorian Tearoom is open every day, Monday to Sunday, from 10am to 5pm, at Shop 37, The Tannery, 3 Garlands Road. Bookings can be made online or by phone on 03 381 3445, or by emailing [email protected]. Whether it's a milestone, a mother-daughter afternoon or simply a Tuesday that needs improving, the tearoom makes a strong case that taking tea is an occasion worth keeping.