Vintage Crockery Hire in Wales

Tea Cup Tales offers a beautiful collection of vintage crockery for hire at your special event. They are based in South Wales but all areas are considered. Afternoon tea can also be provided using a number of trusted catering companies. Here is their story and also tips for when looking to hire a similar provider.

What do you need to know from an organiser in order to provide a comprehensive quote?

For me to provide a detailed and accurate quotation for a customer, ideally I need to know the date of the event, the geographical location and the venue where possible. If it has a kitchen or at least access to water and electricity. Then I need to know the approximate number of guests expected, any children and any special dietary requirements.

What advice would you give to a customer looking to hire a provider in your area of work?

I would ask the provider if they offered food tastings and if the food they offered is homemade and locally sourced. I would ask if it was possible to arrange to view the crockery that would be hired to determine the quality and see any examples of previous events. I would also ask the provider to give examples of different menus for different budgets and options for presenting or displaying the food.

Please tell us a little bit about how and why you started the business.

Tea Cup Tales is a small but growing home business that I manage alongside being a mum to 2 busy, football-mad boys.I'm a wife, to a very patient husband who "generally" puts up with my inability to stop buying more crockery and I'm a part-time carer to a lovely, elderly lady with Dementia, soon to be 90. Born out of a personal love of all things vintage and a willingness to support my local community, it all started from a request to help source crockery for and to style a pop-up tea room for my village fete, about 5 years ago. Now, I have a personal collection of around 200 trios, 40 cake stands, 35 teapots and many other plates, jugs and bowls. Together with silver-plated cutlery, lead crystal glasses, linens and pretty hand-made bunting all available to hire for all types of events, big or small, private or corporate. I am also able to source and provide a fully catered afternoon tea service, using all locally produced homemade cakes, sandwiches and savouries for a complete Afternoon Tea package.

Please tell us about a booking you've had through Add to Event, how did it go? Would you recommend us to others?

I can't thank Add to Event enough for the many opportunities I've been made aware of since joining, to quote for business. In what would now be my quieter months, I have secured 3 bookings in a number of weeks, with a further 2 in the pipeline. My first event through this platform will be at the end of this month with the others all booked for 2020 so I have lots more to look forward to next year. I have already recommended the platform to a few suppliers and I hope that they benefit as I have done and I look forward to being a part of the Add to Event community as business continues to grow and develop for us all.