Love is in the air!

What is love? I can hear Deb saying “oh there’s a song about that”

Nothing like someone making you a good brew to show you they care….

It’s February, it’s snowing and it’s a bit chilly,,, but it’s also time to celebrate the ones you love and show them just how much you care! It’s Valentine’s Day this weekend and what better way to surprise that special someone than to give the gift we all love….that’s right some delicious, fresh baked BritsBrand scones! As we long for the beautiful days of Spring, let’s brighten someone’s day! Last year these tea boxes were so popular that we knew we couldn’t let this February holiday go without offering our ‘cream tea for two’ again. They are perfect for everyone. Filled with our traditional scones, clotted cream, strawberry jam, tea and some delightful Macarons, these tea boxes are the perfect gift. Order an extra and treat yourself. We don’t do that often enough do we? So this year when you’re wondering how to ‘share the love’ think of the BritsBrand girls and share some British scrumminess one scone at a time!

Orders must be received by Thursday evening (February 11th) so don’t delay, email us here or call us on 860-384-0331. Pre-payment is required and pick-up will be between 12-3 from the Smithy Market, 10 Main Street, New Preston, CT on Saturday February 13th. Can’t wait to see you there!

We love you guys x

Here's to 2021!

Raise a brew to 2021!

It’s 2021! A time to look forward to a new beginning, new adventures and batches and batches of scones! What a year 2020 was but we made it and we left the year behind bigger and better. We wore our tears and heartbreak like battle scars and used them to push forward like the scone making wonder women we have become. Like Bob Marley said “you never know how strong you are, until being strong is your only choice”. If there was a camera at our kitchen, you’d see us creating, not only our amazing baked goods, but memories that will last a lifetime. We sing, we dance, we laugh and we cry… but we still manage to bake up a storm and deliver our famous BritsBrand scones like clockwork. Fresh and ready to be devoured. Our playlist is diverse and we are all scone baking divas who can carry a tune like no other…. (thank god). From Abba to Adele, from Duran Duran to Dexys Midnight Runners, we have danced like the royals and stayed alive till the wee hours so you can enjoy your favorite scones fresh the following day. We dream of having an ‘open’ kitchen, where the customers can sing and dance along with us. Hey, if you can’t be yourself, who can you be!

It’s this ‘dance like no one is watching’ attitude that has carried us through this crazy year. And, it’s you, our loyal customers who have brought us into 2021 bigger and better. How can we thank you? Like we always do……by supporting the community who made us what we are.

‘Thank you’ doesn’t even cut it…. we could never repay you for all the support you have shown us. We’ll just keep doing what we do, giving back to our community and sharing the love, one scone at a time.

We love our Brit fans. Here’s to a year full of love, kindness, friendship and massive amounts of ‘know no bounds’ happiness… now ‘jog on’ 2020 and make room for the new. 2021…. please don’t disappoint us…. we’ve been waiting for you!

Falling behind?

Not us, we are on top of our game, baking and creating. Thank goodness for the extra hour, we’re going to need it. We’ve gone from one location to now being showcased in 6! We are so grateful to all of you for your continued support. Without you we wouldn’t be where we are today. You asked and we delivered (quite literally). From new scone flavors to our yummy warm sausage rolls. You can now purchase your ‘little slice of England’ year round. Thank you to our friends at the Smithy for providing us another location from which to sell our yummy treats.

Chance meetings, conversations with strangers, everything is a new chapter just waiting to be written. Our story has just begun and we are so glad that you guys are along for the ride.

I know most of us cannot wait for this year to end….. but in the meantime…. soak in all the beauty that Fall has to offer and grab a brew and a scone to enjoy while you are doing just that.

Winter is upon us!

Christmas Greetings!

As winter tightens its hold, we are keeping nice and toasty baking all your favorite flavored scones and some new ones too! Take a trip to Litchfield and visit our friends at Toast & Co to get your nice cup of hot coffee and a yummy baked treat to warm yourself up. While you’re in the area, why not head over to Morris and swing by Bella Luna Gifts to browse their amazing selection of Christmas goodies? Make sure you take a look at our British section, where you will find tantalizing teas, proper British chocolate and spectacular gift baskets to thrill your loved ones with this holiday season and beyond!

We would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Blessed Kwanzaa, Bright Diwali and most spectacular Holiday greetings all round! With much love to you all and thanks for your continued support—

Ali, Clare and Deb xxx

Savoring all that Litchfield County has to offer

Living so far away from home you find yourself seeking places that transport you back to those familiar places you cherished growing up in England. You’re always on the look out for a main street that reminds you of happy Saturdays ‘up the town’ or poking around the local market. One of those treasures, for us, is Topsmead State Park, right here in Litchfield. You can imagine our excitement when we were asked by one of the members of Friends of Topsmead, Diane Ryan, to collaborate on one of their wonderful fundraising events. On the last glorious Sunday in August the BritsBrand girls served cream teas on the lawn outside the former summer estate of Miss Edith Morton Chase. We were in heaven. It felt like home! We even got to tour the house which is incredible. Thanks to the generous support of local businesses the event was a huge success.

It was a spectacular day at South farms in Morris for the annual Savor Litchfield event. From vineyards to bakeries, from sea glass jewelry to little free libraries…. Savor Litchfield showcased just a ‘taste’ of what Litchfield has to offer. This was our 3rd year so we decided to kick it up a notch and do something totally different. I think our choice went down well…. to say the least! We made over 400 chocolate Guinness cupcakes with our delicious Baileys cream cheese frosting. I know…. you’re reading this thinking “oh I could eat one of those right now”. They are amazing, even if we do say so ourselves. Not forgetting the younger guests this year, we made over 150 delicious Victoria sponge cupcakes with vanilla cream cheese frosting. It was a wonderful event, yet again, and it was lovely to catch up with old friends and make some new ones too. Another plus…. very wisely we were positioned between the Litchfield Distillery and Spring Hill Vineyards, our neighbors in Washington Depot. Well, we had to do our bit and make sure their initial samples were safe for the general public!

The weather was perfect and we had a quick look around at the food vendors outside and the ‘pop-up’ shops down below on the field. We couldn’t have wished for a better day. Everyone was thrilled to discover that they could purchase our yummy scones from Toast & Co. and pick up some of delicious tea and British goodies from Bella Luna Gifts in Morris. It was so much fun… we can’t wait for next year and are already planning what we will serve.

Check out some of our photos below and don’t forget to visit our guestbook and leave a comment!

Scones for days......... well about 2....

So if you don’t already know, you can now buy our famous scones at Toast & Co. in Litchfield. If you don’t know where Toast & Co. is well, then you just need to get out more. Toast & Co. opened in April and soon became the place to be. Christine and Mark had a dream and decided to make it a reality. Toast has quickly become the place to be. Serving their famous smoothie bowls, avocado toast and Ami’s bagels, it has something for everyone. They are open 7 days a week (check the times on their website) and greet their guests with smiles and enthusiasm as their serve Omar coffee and wonderfully flavored hot and iced teas. When Christine heard that we baked she asked us if we would make some scones and see how they went. The rest, as they say, is history.. months later we can’t make them fast enough. From Blueberry lemon, cranberry orange, chocolate chip, raspberry white chocolate to our newest flavors - banana pumpkin spice and peaches and cream, they are fast becoming everyone’s go to treat.

We are so grateful for the opportunity to showcase what we do and Toast has offered us a platform to do just this.

Thank you Christine and Mark and all the staff at Toast & Co. You guys rock!!!

Summer's here....

Well, hello Brit fans. It’s been a while! We’ve been run off our feet baking, sewing and selling, so much so we haven’t had a minute for a brew and a catch up. But we’re here….melting in this heatwave. We had to explain to many locals why, in this excessive heat warning, us Brits still enjoy a lovely brew…… it cools you off that’s why and, of course, it makes everything better!

So what have we been up to you ask?? Well we’ve been hard at work creating more fantastic breezebreakers for Cape Tradewinds up in the Cape. These are selling fast and we’re about to deliver another order at the beginning of August. If you fancy taking a look at just what a breezebreaker is, you can always pop in to Bella Luna Gifts in Morris and check them out. If you find yourself at the Cape, say Hi to the lovely staff at Cape Tradewinds…. we can’t wait to get up there and see their fabulous store.

Our other BIG, local news is……….. (drum roll)…….(wait for it)…… you can now enjoy our lovely scones year round at the newest and bestest coffee shop in Litchfield County - Toast & Co. They have amazing tea and coffee and some lovely sandwiches and baked goods…..not to mention their smoothie bowls and milkshakes. Stop by and check them out and be sure to let them know the BritsBrand girls sent you. Tell us what you think of our scones. We’re adding new flavors all the time. Featured this week are our cranberry orange, blueberry lemon, chocolate chip and good old raisin scones.

Saturday night we ‘did our thing’ at the Litchfield Community Center’s annual Summerfest fundraiser. Boy was it hot, but we were on hand to serve our signature European style lemonade, lemon and lime infused water and delicious iced tea. The featured desserts were apple and blueberry pie and yummy peach cobbler. As always we met some amazing people and danced and chatted the night away scooping ice cream and squirting whipped cream on these delicious pies.

Check out our pics below and don’t forget to visit our guestbook and let us know what you think about any of our products or events.

Until next time “tara for now” and keep cool!

Feeling thankful....

Happy New Year…. a little late, we know, but the sentiment still counts. We’ve raced into the New Year head on and still strong. BritsBrand continues to thrive with bookings coming in and parties being planned. Meetings with the ‘Brides to be’, event planners and party organizers, this year is set to be our best yet.

Thanks to our fantastic friends at Bella Luna Gifts, in Morris, we were able to offer our fabulous Christmas Hampers to our lovely clients. We know our traditional Christmas crackers, beautifully decorated many Christmas tables, filling their recipients with delight as they ‘pulled their cracker’ to reveal their prize on Christmas day. We introduced the folks of Connecticut to our British Selection boxes and Christmas puddings…. sharing our hometown British traditions with so many. ‘It’s what we do’ and it makes our hearts happy to know that we can bring these traditions to our little corner of the world.

So, as we head into the New Year, we hope that it brings every bit of happiness you wish for and that your blessings are abundant.

We hope we get to share a brew with you at some point this year, whether it be at Bella Luna or at one of our many events coming up.

Until then, our best wishes to all of you for a peaceful, safe and very Happy 2019!

Small Business Saturday

Deb, Ali and Clare enjoying a brew

Small Business Saturday is an American shopping holiday held on the last Saturday in November. The first one was sponsored by American Express and was held November 27, 2010 to encourage shoppers to start off their holiday shopping in small and local establishments. Where else would the Brit Girls be on such a special day…. at Bella Luna Gifts in Morris of course! We knew it would be an amazing day, after all…. we were there last year and it was fabulous. The store opened early to a flurry of customers wanting to get a head start on their holiday shopping. Sounds of Christmas entertained the guests in the form of the ever amazing Grace Nield, the talented cellist. Others were treated to free massages by Rita Lombardi. Tea, coffee and European style lemonade was served as well as our famous scones with clotted cream and jam as well as Auntie Pat’s mince pies getting everyone into the Christmas spirit. I caught Dave, the owner, just watching everyone busy shopping, chatting and visiting their favorite place. I know last year Dave and Anita stood watching with tears in their eyes at how Bella Luna Gifts had been welcomed into this town and community. I don’t think they every dreamed this year could be better than last, but they were wrong, it was bigger, better and made them smile even more!

When you live away from your family and friends it’s hard to recreate the spirit of the holidays you grew accustomed to. Growing up in England you had the markets, the late night shopping, the works’ ‘do’ and the never ending family dropping in for a brew and a mince pie (sometimes something stronger…. for medicinal purposes of course) to start off the celebrations each year. Unless you find yourself in a city here in the USA, you miss the hustle and bustle of the main street….. but Bella Luna Gifts is our little slice of this. Dave and Anita have worked hard to create not only a unique gift store but a destination. Not just a place to find that special gift, but a place to meet friends, come for a chat or pop in to see Charlie the dog! It’s calming, quaint and relaxing. You’re always welcome no matter what. I walked out of the store the other night and looked back on the beautiful window displays, ever so carefully set out by Anita’s sister Grace, and thought…..”this is it…. it’s just like back home” So, if you haven’t already, do yourself a favor and stop in. You’ll love it!

Good morning Brit fans. Hope you’re managing to keep up with this ever changing New England weather. One week we were sunning ourselves in Woodbury at the Fall Festival and the next we’re up to our shins in mud at the Hopkins Vineyard! Either way we always have a good cuppa brewing and some fantastic baked goods ready to cheer you up! Last weekend really was a blast. If you’ve never visited the Hopkins Vineyard you really don’t know what you are missing. No matter which route you take to get there you will be stunned by the scenery, no matter what the season. Last weekend, despite the rain, visitors were treated to a beautiful display of Fall colors all around. A bonfire was roaring while the band played and despite the rain everyone had a great time. We were kept warm, not just by the copious amounts of tea consumed, but by the never ending warmth from the people we had the pleasure of meeting. My favorite part of the afternoon came in the form of a comment from one of the guests (sorry Tilden’s your fish tacos were to die for but…) “these are the best scones I have ever tasted”. For our little company, comments like these mean everything. We started as 3 friends throwing out ideas and coming up with solutions and it’s turned into a thriving little business that can only go from strength to strength. That very same day Deb got to spend the afternoon at the gorgeous salon Byrde & the B. Joined by the owner Scott Bond, multiple Emmy award winner and nominee, and Justine Hoagland with CLOTH clothing, guests were treated to an afternoon of shopping for beautiful children’s clothing while they enjoyed a spot of tea and a scone or fairy cake. This salon is amazing. Decorated with antiques and a unique flair, it offers everything you could want in a full service salon. So while Ali, Clare and Hannah were sloshing about at the Hopkins Vineyard, Deb and Deb were nice and cozy in the luxurious surroundings that spell out star treatment from the moment you walk in the door.

No matter where we ‘pop up’ you’ll always find us enjoying what we do. Our love of our British heritage is what inspires us and to share it with you all is what makes us happy. Keep an eye on our blog to see where we will be next. Until then ‘tara for now’ x

Festival season

As those lazy summer days draw to a close we jump straight into the Fall Festival season and the BritsBrand girls are making their debut at several local fairs. Last weekend was the WOW Fall Festival, which welcomed thousands of visitors to the beautiful town of Woodbury, CT. We were there with our British accents, humor and bunting galore. You couldn’t miss us! With lines weaving from our tent, the ever famous scone was devoured by everyone who stopped to sample our baking. We were there….. and everyone knew it. Serving scones with clotted cream and jam, mince pies and almond slices we didn’t have a minute. Our famous European style lemonade (and no, you cannot have the recipe…..) was so popular we couldn’t keep up with the demand. Of course, it wouldn’t have been an ‘afternoon tea’ without a brew and you could catch many tea fans enjoying a steaming hot cuppa to ‘cool’ them as the temperatures soared and the summer sun made a welcomed appearance. This was a first for us and we hope now a new tradition. If I said one person asked us “where we were based” it would be an understatement and one of these days we will be proudly responding with “oh, you know that cute little tea room on the main street in………., well that’s us”. Until then we’ll continue to share what we do ever so well, and continue to ‘pop-up’ where the demand takes us. If you missed us in Woodbury, never fear, we’ll be at the Hopkins Vineyard this weekend at their wine and cheese festival and also at Byrde and the B, bringing a traditional cream tea to the guests there as they enjoy an afternoon of shopping with Cloth children’s clothing.

At BritsBrand we judge our success by the feedback of our clients. When they are smiling and happy, then so are we. If we can make your event a little more special then we’ve achieved what we set out to do. Success is measured in many ways and for us small town British girls it’s no different. To hear that we have the best scones someone has ever tasted, or we get an email saying that we went above and beyond at a private party…. then we have done something right.

We continue to grow and evolve and you’ll never find us stopping still for too long. We are ever changing, improving and developing. Don’t believe us?…. just pop in to Bella Luna Gifts in Morris and check out our brand new display!

We thank you for all your support! Keep liking our posts and blogs and of course, signing our guestbook so we know what you think.

Hope to see you this weekend, but if not, don’t worry….. we’ll be popping up at an event near you in the not too distant future.

Now, get that kettle on and enjoy a brew!

Tara for now….

Busy, busy, busy

Hello everyone!   Hope you've all had a great Summer!

It's been a while, I know, but we are back.  It's been a great summer full of adventures.  The Brit girls have been busy working on some fabulous projects.  From beautiful favors, to fantastic themed teas, it's been so much fun!

The Summer months saw our innovative Breezebreakers find their way to a wonderful store in the Cape.  Check them out at Cape Tradewinds in Orleans, MA.  We served up our treats 1950's style at the Litchfield Community Center for their annual Summerfest Gala.  Our beautiful favors graced many celebrations this Summer too.  From beautiful covered jam pots to our lovely Yorkshire tea favors.  Thank you to all who chose to include us in their special occasions.

Always thinking of ways we can use our beautiful china, when it can no longer grace our tables, we decided to re-purpose them to make gorgeous bird feeders and candles.  Check these out at Bella Luna Gifts in Morris on September 23rd where we will be holding a 'Pop in and Paint' day and later this month at the Woodbury Fall Festival on Sunday, September 30th. 

This might just be a record-breaking month for the most scones ever baked!!!  We've been hard at it at the Mindful Kitchen today, busy prepping for our second year at Savor Litchfield.  Over 500 scones are ready and waiting for guests to enjoy as they sample all the wonderful delights Litchfield has to offer.  Join us tomorrow at South Farms in Morris, there might be a few tickets still available.

Well guys, it's been awesome, so awesome we've not had time to 'blog' we've been so busy!  Looks like Fall is finally here, so enjoy these beautiful Fall days and all the amazing colors nature has to offer. 

Hold on tight BritsBrand fans....... it's going to be crazy ride!!

When Harry met Meghan

What a weekend!  If you're British or just a fan of the British monarchy, this weekend was a weekend to make us all proud.  Our very own Prince Harry married his sweetheart Meghan in the most beautiful ceremony that broke many traditions and spoke volumes to people all over the world.  In true Brit Girl style we celebrated as any Brit would - at the pub!  While serving a full English, on a bun, we watched the happy couple share the vows.  Yes, the upstairs event room at the Village Restaurant, Litchfield, was the place to be!  As good friend of ours said "Meghan has showed little girls all over the world that anyone can become a princess".  The whole day just spoke 'new Royals'.  A gospel choir sang Stand by Me, and a young cellist by the name of Sheku Kanneh-Mason gave a breath-taking performance which will be remembered for years to come.  I could go on and on.  The day was amazing and the Brit Girls will be watching and re-watching with many a glass of fizz in the coming weeks.  It just made us feel good and proud to be British.  Here's to the happy couple, we wish them nothing but happiness.

Everyone loves to paint!

We have been busy coming up with new ideas for our famous Paint Alongs with Miss Deb.  Deb's been busy painting all sorts (not the liquorice type).  If I stood still long enough today she would have painted me!  There are glasses of all kinds, bottles, canvasses...... you name it Deb can paint it and you can too.  Don't miss out, book your painting party today by clicking on "Inquire" in the main menu to contact us!

Brit girl adventures!

What a great start to our week.  We got to share a lovely cappuccino with the Caroline, the owner  of Old Platform 6, in Oakville, CT.  We walked into this beautiful space and we were immediately transported back to a European style club.  If you've not visited this place you are missing out!  We're always looking for unique venues for our pop-up afternoon teas and this one has to be one of our favorites.  

We then took a drive to Middletown, CT..... (we don't mess around) where we met a fantastic local artist , Dan, who had created a table that you would have thought was tailor made for us!  We had a lovely chat and gave him a few ideas for other pieces we would love.  We cannot wait to share a brew and some of our fabulous scones with Dan, served on another table created just for us!

Downton Abbey Celebration

It was all things Downton today in Burlington, CT.  The Brit Girls brought a little slice of England to a beautiful venue and served an afternoon tea fit for any lord or lady.  Guests dined on a variety of delicate tea sandwiches and scrumptious desserts, topped off with hot British tea and European style lemonade.  The guest of honor looked fabulous in her 1920's style attire and everyone joined in the fun and wore Royal worthy hats and jewels.

A table fit for Lord and Lady!

BritsBrand are now offering gluten free products

What a discovery! Pure Love Bakery in Avon, Connecticut will now supply gluten free products for any of our guests with dietary requirements.  Before Christmas we sampled some of their bakery delights and just loved them.  We served up these gluten free versions of our own tried and tested favorites at a baby shower over the Christmas holiday and everyone was delighted!  Here are just a few pictures of these delicious delights!

Gluten free fairy cakes provided by Pure Love Bakery of Avon, CT

Gluten free scones served with homemade clotted cream and strawberry jam.

The Brit Girls arrive at Bella Luna in Morris

We are thrilled to announce that our lovely products will be available exclusively at Bella Luna gift store in Morris, CT.  We were asked to sell our baked goods and home made products there over the festive period and it was so successful we will now have our very own 'spot' right in their store, year round!  Come and look at our beautiful handmade table runners, place mats and gift baskets.  As always stock up on your favorite teas and jams too!  Stop by for a spot of tea and a biscuit and watch out for our famous scones, millionaires shortbread and mince pies on sale on select dates in the future.  

Beautiful handmade throw pillows now available at Bella Luna

Yorkshire tea!

Beautiful handmade table runners and mats

All-Wright Acres

We have lived in this beautiful area of Connecticut for many years but only this week discovered the beauty and delights of All-Wright Acres farm in Bethlehem.  Nestled among the Abbey of Regina Laudis this beautiful property is home to Karyn Wright and her family.  As we went down the driveway we truly felt like we were entering a little piece of England.  Karyn and her friend Donna showed us around the house and property which features the Bethlehem Bunkhouse, a beautiful barn, pool, farm and gift store as well as home to Karyn's home made products creatively named The Hippie Chicks.  We shared our scones, clotted cream, jam a lovely brew in Karyn's gorgeous dining room as we discussed and planned for her annual Christmas Sale to be held November 24th.  This is how we do business, over a brew and a scone!!! 

A British girls' Guide to dessert - Millionaire style!

We had the pleasure of bringing our British flair to the Palace Theater in Waterbury.  A perfect compliment to A Gentleman's Guide To Love and Murder.  After hours of baking we served over 1000 "Millionaire's Shortbread" delights to the guests of the theater.

It's just what we do!