Now open Thursdays to Sundays
12 to 2:45 pm, no reservations required
The Camellia Tea Room is located in what was once the Milner Drawing Room, used only for special occasions or social drinks with guests after hosting dinner. The adjacent veranda was a favourite spot of Veronica’s, taking her daily afternoon tea here at 4 pm sharp.
Today, the Camellia Tea Room is a humble operation supported by a dedicated team of hardworking volunteers. The menu offers a selection of custom tea, coffee, English-style scones, savoury soups and decadent desserts that rotate through the seasons to use fresh produce from our Gardens.
Sit, relax and enjoy a pot of tea or two with a view.
Our menu
Milner Classic Scones $12.95
Two traditional English scones served with Devonshire cream and strawberry or raspberry jam.
Chocolate Cake (GF and DF) $12.95
This quinoa-based, gluten and dairy-free chocolate cake is light, spongy and packed full of flavour.
Seasonal Garden Delight $12.95
From the abundance of heritage apples in our orchard, to raspberries, kiwis, rhubarb, and carrots growing in our Children’s Food Garden, our Chef has the creative freedom to craft something delicious for you to enjoy straight from our Gardens. Our volunteer servers will inform you what is on the menu today.
Lemon Blueberry Tart (VG) $12.95
A creamy, lemon filling perfectly balanced between tangy and sweet, generously layered on top of a graham cracker crust and topped with blueberries - and completely vegan!
Seasonal Garden Bounty Soup (GF and VG) $12.95
This vegetable inspired soup is crafted using the harvest of the season direct from the gardens and served with focaccia bread. Our volunteer servers will inform you what is on the menu today.
Salish Sea Chowder (GF and DF) $12.95
A creamy red chowder base featuring fresh BC salmon and potatoes from our garden. Served with focaccia bread and complete with a view of the Salish Sea and coastal mountains from your table. This can also be enjoyed without the salmon for a fully vegan alternative.
Our tea and coffee
Rina’s Breakfast - Irish Breakfast Tea $4.75
Irish Breakfast Deluxe by the Denman Island Tea Company.
This Irish Breakfast blend is an homage to Irish-born Rina Milner (née Bury), Ray’s first wife, credited with planting the Orchard and the early stages of the garden. A wartime nurse remembered for her kindness and warmth – this strong black tea with notes of sweet honey complements Rina’s legacy.
Gardens of Glin - Green Tea $4.75
Belizean Bloom by the Denman Island Tea Company.
This exquisite green tea transports you to the vast green gardens of Glin Castle, Ireland, where Veronica lived during her first marriage to Desmond FitzGerald, the 28th Knight of Glin. Featuring a vibrant green tea base, this fresh blend showcases enchanting notes of jasmine and rose, perfectly balanced with fruity notes of grapefruit and delicate peach.
Long Distance - Black Tea $4.75
Exclusive Milner Tea by the Denman Island Tea Company.
A smooth, black assam tea featuring cold pressed bergamot, highlighting citrus rather than floral notes, is complimented by subtle hints of lavender and bachelor buttons. This blend is fondly named after the nickname Milner House was given by Veronica, as she felt far away from the rest of Society and her family, always needing to make long distance phone calls back home.
Veronica’s Garden - Herbal Tea $4.75
Exclusive Milner Tea by the Denman Island Tea Company.
A wonderfully fragrant herbal tea complete with notes of crisp apple, invigorating peppermint and spearmint, rosehips, blackberries and aromatic hibiscus. It's given a natural pink hue from elements of strawberries, rose petals and beetroot. This concoction is a true celebration of the plants that have been inhabiting the 10 acres of garden since Veronica's time.
Ray’s Blend Coffee - Dark Roast $3.50
Roasted for Milner by French Press Coffee Roasters.
Named after Ray Milner, this delightful selection of Ethiopian and Sumatran coffees makes our house blend full-bodied and balanced. With rich notes of dark chocolate, almond and red fruits, Ray’s Blend makes a dynamic and bright cup of easy-sipping drip coffee. A decaf alternative is also available.
We do not take reservations or host private parties.
The Camellia Tea Room is a humble operation run by a dedicated volunteer team with a limited capacity of eight tables and twenty-two guests at one time. Additional seating can be found in the Wisteria Room and Patio if we have the adequate volunteer numbers to accommodate the extra capacity, and/or proper weather for outdoor dining that day.
Because of this, we do not take large group bookings, shut down for private parties or take reservations of any kind. It is our goal is to be able to serve as many of our Members and walk-in visitors as our limited space allows, per open day.
Groups of 4 or less are easily accommodated. Groups of 5+ may need to be added to a waitlist, or split into separate tables.
Important information
- Cash and AMEX are not accepted in the Camellia Tea Room.
- The Camellia Tea Room is wheelchair, walker and stroller accessible.
- We do not take reservations for dining.
- The Camellia Tea Room is primarily volunteer run. If you would like to join our wonderful volunteer team, fill out this application today!
- Pets are not permitted in the Gardens or Camellia Tea Room.
- Tipping your server is not necessary, but anything generously left behind is given as a donation towards supporting the Gardens and educational programming on site.
Admission to the Gardens is required to access the Camellia Tea Room.
