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Savoy tea for two comes true at care home

Martin Heath
BBC News, Northamptonshire
Collingtree Park Care Home A square table covered in a white table cloth, with a tray of jam, cream and scones, tea cups containing tea and plates with scones on. Betty is sitting to the left with medium-length grey hair and a brown cardigan, Martin has very short hair and a brown beard and glasses and is wearing a pink shirt, and Jean has medium-length white hair and is wearing a white cardigan with pink flowers.Collingtree Park Care Home
Activities co-ordinator Martin Tilly-Reed set up the special tea for Betty and Jean

One of the UK's best-known hotels has stepped in to make a Christmas dream come true for two care home residents.

Betty and Jean, who live at Collingtree Park near Northampton, said they had always wanted to take afternoon tea at The Savoy in the Strand in London.

The hotel obliged with a hamper of treats, some genuine Savoy bone china, and a handwritten copy of their scone recipe for the home's chef.

The ladies said they were "treated like royalty".

The story began when the home's activities co-ordinator, Martin Tilly-Reed, set up a Christmas wishing tree for residents to reveal their hopes and dreams for 2025.

He got all kinds of responses, but the one from Betty and Jean caught his eye.

Mr Tilly-Reed got in touch with The Savoy to see if they would make the ladies' dream a reality.

Getty Images Gold-coloured frontage of the Savoy hotel, with SAVOY in thin green letters above the entrance. There are fir trees above the SAVOY sign and a three-storey stone facade behind.Getty Images
The Savoy has one of the best-known facades in London

The hotel was built by the impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte with profits from his Gilbert and Sullivan opera productions and opened on 6 August 1889.

It has three restaurants, all managed by Gordon Ramsay, but would they be able to bring something of their opulence to a South Northamptonshire care home?

The answer came in the shape of a hamper of Savoy treats, a bone china Savoy tea service, and handwritten instructions for the Collingtree Park chef to create Savoy scones for all the residents.

Collingtree Park Care Home A tea service in green and white including cream jug, sugar basin, tea cup and saucer. There is a red and green patterned plate and a pink flower in a vase. They are all on a white table cloth.Collingtree Park Care Home
The Savoy sent bone china crockery stamped with its name on the back

Betty and Jean said: "It has been the most fantastic afternoon, we have been treated like royalty.

"We had the most beautiful fine bone china, delicious Savoy black tea, home-made Savoy scones, and gorgeous Savoy preserves as well.

"Such a day to remember and so lovely to be able to share it with all our friends here and all the staff who really are heaven-sent."

The acting general manager of the home, Catherine Campbell, said: "The Christmas wishing tree was Martin's idea and he is busy fulfilling all our residents' wishes.

"This one took a little while to pull off but was it worth the wait."

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