the perfect cuppa at the house of commons in denver, coloradoAugust 10th, 2011

promising an oasis of calm and a taste of england, the house of commons in denver, colorado, is a quaint little tea shop that gets five stars for british-style tea and scones. as for the calm oasis, owner jessica avery is a former psychotherapist who moved across the pond to denver in 1980. she opened the tea house 6-1/2 years ago and has been offering tea therapy ever since.

the space is as comforting as you might hope for, located in an old brick warehouse-style building, with dark forest green accents on the outside that are echoed on the inside with seafoam green accents against cream-colored walls. there are large storefront windows and wooden floors.

although the shop originally served british favorites pg tips and taylors of harrogate, the selection has expanded over time to a sophisticated assortment of more than 60 teas. there is a certain loyalty from the brits, and even with the broad selection of teas, they often gravitate toward the pg tips and taylors of harrogate yorkshire gold.

but there is a tea for everyone – and the most wonderful scones. just spread on the jam and devonshire cream, close your eyes as you take a bite, and you’ll think you’re in london. these scones have been served at the british consulate in denver and loved by many british travelers who find themselves in the charming platte river valley area of town.

we shared a wonderful pot of ti guan yin and along with our scones sampled a red velvet mini cupcake and a beautiful pastel macaron. all of the house-made food was delicious and perfect with our cuppa.  

the house of commons serves a british-themed lunch, with double-decker sandwiches plus salads such as the wimbledon, westminster or chelsea. afternoon tea includes scones, an assortment of finger sandwiches, english biscuits and petits fours on a three-tiered tower, along with a pot of tea. whatever modifications were needed to adjust jessica’s recipes for high-altitude baking in denver, she’s made in spades. wishing we’d gotten about a dozen of those scones to go!

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