F & B : TABLETOP
TEA TIME ,
SERENGETI
STYLE
Perhaps the most long-distance sourcing of patterns is done by Angama Mara in Narok County , Kenya . The resort offers 11 tented suites whose floor-to-ceiling windows offer sweeping views of Maasai Mara National Reserve , where guests can observe migrations of gazelles , wildebeest — and the occasional cheetah and lion .
The romance of the location is reflected in the details , including teacups collected from antique shops across South Africa .
“ All the patterns are different ,” says Kate Fitzgerald , who handles sales and marketing for Angama . “ Mostly we have pairs of cups , saucers and cake plates . In fact , we also have a few gifted to us by a guest who bought them at the Buckingham Palace shop ” in London — more than 6,000 miles away .
The cups are used exclusively when the guests return from safari and sit down for an afternoon tea , when traditional English fruitcake , shortbread fingers and cucumber sandwiches are served . “ Using the mix-and-match approach allows us flexibility in adding to the collection , and in replacing any breakages ,” Fitzgerald says .
If all of this is reminiscent of “ Out of Africa ,” parts of which were filmed nearby , that ’ s just fine : “ We wanted touches that hark back to the 1920s , when safaris were taken in grand Victorian style ,” she says .
Angama Mara lodge in Kenya uses cups sourced from antique shops in South Africa exclusively for its afternoon tea , when guests return from safari .
40 HOTELS March 2016 www . hotelsmag . com