Dogs do High Tea

I was recently invited by a dear friend , who is part of our ever growing Instagram family (@goldengirlcali), to join her for High Tea at The 12 Apostles Hotel here in Cape Town. What made this even more special was not only that it was a pre Birthday Gift but also the fact that…….. OUR DOGS WERE INVITED! Yea! Of course this is completely my Cup of Tea…..pun intended…. What the heck is a “High Tea?”                                                                                                               Noun ; high tea (plural high teas)Initially, it was a meal for the working man, taken standing up or sitting on tall stools, thus ‘high‘. Tea with cakes, scones, even cheese on toast would have been served. But in our case, our version of High Tea involved scoffing our faces with cakes and tea in a fancy Hotel with our Dogs next to us! Upon arrival, I was offered to have my car parked for me & was handed the most beautiful flowers. Bailey was greeted by the staff with such warmth. Not for one second did I feel as though Bailey would be in the way of others, or be a nuisance for the staff at 12 Apostles Hotel. They embraced two (GORGEOUS) dogs, one Retriever (Cali) & one Labrador (Bailey) – bearing in mind these are not small lap dogs. I was well impressed & knew that they did their best to accommodate us! While wearing a Collar (Thanks Benji & Moon) & leash, we headed out for a little stroll around the gorgeous grounds of this Iconic Hotel. Nestled against a magnificent mountain while overlooking the ocean. The setting is undeniably one of the most beautiful and one to experience! Now LET´S EAT CAKE! Only Images will suffice such delectable treats. This cannot be explained in words – We ate scones , chocolate mousse , cheese cake , tiny sandwiches, drank Camomile tea in gorgeous glass teapots & so much more. The attention to detail was refreshing! One question may be on your mind, where the heck are the dogs, and did they get cake? Cali & Bailey were lying next to us. But if you know Labradors & Retrievers, you will also know that the begging eyes were in full force! The cake stands were pretty high, but they would always manage to peek there snouts in somehow….. Now of course saying no to these faces is virtually impossible & being the responsible dog owners we are, we did not feed them cake, maybe a cucumber here & there 🙂 . We felt bad stuffing our faces (elegantly of course) in front of our kids, so the staff happily served our dogs a delicious raw egg each served in a 12 Apostles dog bowl. With popping tummies & full hearts it was time to head home. It was an awesome experience & one I hope you can enjoy too. When we own a pet it is up to us too be responsible owners. Although I know that Bailey is a well behaved dog & is used to social outings, I made sure he was on leash at all times out of respect for others. I was very aware of our surroundings and how it may or may not affect guests & staff. It was up to me to be responsible in taking my dog with me to such an occasion. So if you are planning on going for High Tea or any fab event with your dog, No matter how friendly or well trained, always remember how important YOUR job is. The more responsible & respectful we are, the better the chances are for more human spaces to become pet places. A huge thank you to Lorien & Cali for spoiling Bailey & I. We will never forget it. Thank you to 12 Apostles Hotel for being incredibly hospitable, friendly & professional. We had a stunning time!