Barcelona’s many rooftops are destinations in and of themselves. They offer spectacular views of the city and its landmarks like La Sagrada Familia, and the sparkling Mediterranean beyond. I thought it didn’t get much better than this, until I ended up on a rooftop with a beautiful garden setting, delicious scones, tea, local cava, and friends.
According to Angela Carroll of Rooftop Tea Barcelona, “a get together with friends is the perfect excuse for tea, scones and Victoria sponge cake.” It’s a sentiment that resonated with me and many others. What originally started as a side-hustle for this English teacher four years ago has now expanded into a successful catering and event business. So much so that Angela is training to become a professional pastry chef at the esteemed L’Atelier Barcelona.
After recently tasting Angela’s delicacies, however, I question whether this additional training is necessary. Buttery scones, fudgy gluten-free brownies, and savory chorizo pastry pinwheels were just some of the gourmet offerings she created for our rooftop tea party. Her beautiful presentation matched the lovely food, and personal connections are what make Rooftop Tea Barcelona special for Angela.
I just love having time to hang out with friends in a pretty environment, with delicious food and details. It all seems to create the perfect environment for meeting up and having a chat and a laugh. I love an outdoor garden vibe setting, but the most important part of the tea is the scones. I love scones and a decent scone with clotted cream and jam is the one!”
Pop-Up Tea Parties
It’s in the spirit of connection that Angela now also offers “pop-up” teas as events to bring people together. “Sometimes it is hard to get to know people in a new city, so I like the idea of coming with a friend or just coming alone and meeting up with like-minded people. I’ve met some of my really good friends through Rooftop Tea Barcelona luckily and they’ve become a strong group of caring, fun girlfriends for me here in Barcelona. I’ve also met some lovely Catalan and Spanish people who have always enjoyed the British tradition of afternoon tea and have come to my events on a number of occasions.”
A native Brit with Scottish parents, Angela hails from Surrey and South London. She extended her original stay of three months in Barcelona to more than eleven years now. Rooftop Tea’s success makes Barcelona feel even more like home for her, although she hasn’t quite found the perfect tea here. Angela loves the brand Birchall from England, especially their jasmine pearls tea. She is looking for a local brand to support, but in the meantime, she now has London brands asking to partner with her here in Barcelona.
Baby Showers, Bridal Showers and Birthday Parties
Rooftop Tea Barcelona is a natural for hen parties, baby showers, bridal showers, birthday parties, and press events. For a more personal affair, Angela can either host your group (up to thirteen people) at her rooftop, or she can come to you. Trendy Barcelona start-up businesses have done “desk picnics” with afternoon tea favorites to treat their employees. The Barcelona Edit team is excited to see where Angela’s unique business takes her and remain willing volunteers to taste-test any of her baking experiments as she expands her menu.
Sign up on Rooftop Tea’s website to be notified of upcoming pop up tea events, usually held four to five times per year, each at a unique location.
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