The Old Kitchen Tearoom - Chawton House

Opening Hours

The Old Kitchen Tearoom is open Monday-Sunday 10:00am-4:00pm.

Last food orders at 3:00pm.

Last drinks orders at 3:30pm.

‘The dinner too in its turn was highly admired. He begged to know to which of his fair cousins the

excellence of its cookery was owing. But here he was set right by Mrs. Bennet who assured him

with some asperity that they were very well able to keep a good cook, and that her daughters had

nothing to do with it’

Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, 1813

Cakes in the Old Kitchen Tearoom
© Claire Lewis Photography 2019

The Old Kitchen Tearoom

Open 10am – 4:00pm

Kitchen closes at 3:00pm, last orders in the Tearoom for drinks is 3:30pm. Tearoom closes at 4:00pm.

Seating is on a first come, first serve basis with table service in operation. Indoor diners are restricted to groups of 6. For larger groups, please telephone 01420 541010.

Download the Summer 2024 Tearoom menu

Takeaway service

The Old Kitchen Tearoom is not currently open for takeaway – you can instead visit the Tea Shed on the driveway (scroll down for more information).

The Tea Shed

Why not visit our refreshments hut, the Tea Shed, whilst out for a stroll in the wider parkland? Parkland walks are free of charge and the Tea Shed is located outside the Chawton House grounds so is open to ticketholders and non-ticketholders alike. Enjoy a freshly roasted coffee, hot chocolate and a sweet treat to warm you on your winter walk.

Afternoon Tea (pre-bookings only)

By appointment (with a minimum of one week’s notice), we can arrange Afternoon Tea for your party.

Our Afternoon Tea includes a selection of sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, homemade cakes and a hot drink of your choice.

Prices start from £25 per person, please contact us on oldkitchentearoom@chawtonhouse.org to find out more and to book your Afternoon Tea session. Please notify us of any dietary requirements at the time of booking.

Alternatively, if you are looking for a gift for a loved one, why not purchase one of our vouchers via the online shop?

The History of the Old Kitchen

The Old Kitchen, built in 1592, was at the heart of a cluster of spaces where the servants carried out their work, including the Scullery, Wine Cellar, Game Larder, Well House and Pump Room. Enjoy several period features whilst taking tea, such as the early Victorian range set into a brick alcove, a late-Georgian dresser, a copper kettle and two coffee grinders attached to a timber post above the work table. The bowed table in the picture above dates from the eighteenth-century and has been worn to an uneven surface by centuries of chopping and scrubbing.

The Old Kitchen can be found on the ground floor at the end of the Servants’ Passage. There is additional seating in the Courtyard, which offers stunning views of the Library Terrace and grounds through the archway. We hope you enjoy your visit!