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The only place I've been able to find PG Tips in any size larger than 40 bags and the myriad of other British condiments that are out there. HP Fruity for example.
I agree with Ian C.'s review 100%. Watch the expiration dates.
5 stars because the little lady behind the register reminds me of every British grandmother!
I'm seeing a lot of negative reviews but I still have a soft spot for this place. I am British by the way and spent the first 40 yrs of my life there!
First, one clarification - there are 3 parts to this establishment:
British Pantry (store)
Nevilles (Cafe/restaurant)
Three Lions (English Pub)
First the store - overpriced for sure and sometimes stock is past it's sell by dates. But if you really want Branston pickle, McVities Choc biscuits, Wagon Wheels, Custard Creams, (real) Mars Bars (in the black wrappers), Vimto, PG Tips or Dettol - where else will you go? Yes you pay a premium - but no-one's forcing you too do so. By the way, it's still cheaper than having the stuff shipped over (I've done both) and some things just won't travel well anyway. The in-store baked goods are pretty good - pork pies and pasties especially. They may not be as good as the best you could get 'back home' but again, where else can you go? And it's worth a visit at special times of the year (Hot Cross Buns and Easter Eggs). My only gripe is the prices.
Nevilles looks like an English tea-room but it's not England after all. The menu is ok - Bangers & mash and Sheppards Pie etc. But they still don't make a good ploughman's lunch and the fish and chips are nothing special (why won't someone serve one big piece of fish like they do in England? huh?). They do have some unusual British beers (try Speckled Hen if they have it!).
As for the pub - similar comments. Food is so-so but pricey. Beer is good and has a reasonable range on tap. But no atmosphere and does feel 'fake' really. There are plenty of good Irish pubs around that overflow with atmosphere and serve Guinness and Caffrey's on tap -recommend them instead.
If you're going there for the tea room faire or pies, then I'd give it 3 stars, maybe. The egg custard tart was bland and had no sugar in it. What the He**? Most of the tarts in fact taste nothing like the ones I had throughout England just last week. In a weird way, it's like they closed their doors 30 years ago, then just reopened only to sell flavorless leftovers. The meat pies aren't too bad however.
If you're going there to restock your bare British ex-pat cupboard don't bother. Unless, you don't mind paying quadruple what Auntie Liz can send you from her flat in Clapham. The Salad Cream is $5 (that's like over 3 pounds!!), the prices are ridiculous. Hell, if you really need something that bad, contact me and I'll have my auntie send you the stuff you need. That or save on the stuff you'd be wasting your money on and actually fly over.
Bottomline: If you've never been to England, it's a must (if you do get to the UK it'll just make it seem that much better). If you have been, and expect it to be like you remember, go once only long after your memories have faded. If you're from England and under the age of 65, you'll just get depressed. Trust me.
If this place was housed in a thatched cottage in the woods somewhere, then it might make sense. Instead it's stuck in a cheapo mall which deletes the integrity of any affects intended.
I've been coming here since I discovered it right after my move to the area 10 years ago!
It's a bit of a slog from Seattle but worth it if you're an Anglo & teaophile.
I'm a big fan of the sausage rolls with a green salad. The rolls have just the right amount of grease and a flaky shell that's near perfect and the sausage has the right amount of pepper.
Follow it up with a pot of black tea and a warm scone with golden raisins, butter, jam and cream on top and it's the perfect Sunday afternoon lunch.
Or just come of the high tea in the afternoon- it's got the same great scone but some nice fruit added to it. It's better than any high tea in Seattle IMHO. (Queen Mary included- there's something about too much non-ironic floral prints crammed together in one room that puts me off of that place!)
After lunch the store draws you in. There's a tonne of great candy, teaware, hard to find foods (Bisto anyone? there was alos a South African soup mix there that looked intrigueing) and tea galore. Barrys, PG Tips, etc.
Fish and chips, for those unaware, is not made merely by the quality of the fish... or the chips.
No, gentle readers, it's all about the tartar sauce. Fried fish is merely an element of the dish used to temper the creamy, tangy, herbaceous dilly-tude that exemplifies that condiment-of-condiments... and Neville's does it right. The actual "fish" and "chips" parts ain't too shabby, either. Big chunks of flaky white fish, batter-dipped and fried to a golden crisp level of awesome.
If you're not into the tea & crumpet scene and craving something a bit more substantial, go for the fish.
Intriguing, to say the least. A friend who's a fan of the weekend tea at Neville's took me out;… Read more »
Overall: Reminds me of a typical cheap store in the UK (except for their prices)
I first heard about the British Pantry when we were toying with the idea of moving to Seattle - mainly because I thought it would be novel to start up a British style bakery/eatery. Anyhow, we were shown where the store was by our ex-pat real estate agent. It's been over one year since we've lived in the US, and it was ONLY today that we decided to go in.
Before entering the store itself we were laughing at the menu of Plougman's and fish 'n' chips - I don't miss this crap at all! The store itself had the feel that I'd been time-warped back in time into this old granny-ish style store.
On walking into the store, it reminded me of those cheap stores you'd find dotted around in the UK that boasts their $1.00 items.... There was a distinctively large number of teapots and China (teaware etc), odd - I don't recall ever having one of these things, neither do any of my family!!! Funny how stereotypical these places can be.
They stocked the usual disgustingly unappetizing looking pies/tarts/cakes like in good ole England - I should know, I've lived there for over 29 years, so they were true to form.
It wasn't an overly well-stocked store, which actually boasts that it stocks "all the stuff you miss from the UK". Their main items were biscuits/cookies - Digestives, jams/preserves/curds, cakes, paxo stuffing (ONLY sage and onion), Bisto gravy granules (yuck), teas, Twiglets, Atora vegetable suet and other tat (that made me cringe). They also stocked a tiny selection of British cheeses (approximately 10) bearing in mind there are over 700 varieties of British cheese actually available. They also had bacon (the main reason for coming in), they stocked Danish (yes, in the British pantry) AND Irish, neither were smoked - puh!
They have significant overheads and profit margins here - one packet of say Atora suet was around $5.00 (in the UK, it would be $1.80), a packet of party rings (biscuits/cookies with frosting, which are meant for paupers) were around $4-5.00 a packet (in the UK, they would be $1.60). Ok, I do understand they have to import the stuff...
They didn't have ANY of the things I missed from the UK - the McVities Jamaican ginger cake, the rindless smoked bacon, the soda farls the list goes on... ok, well it doesn't go on for that long!!!!
I wouldn't revisit here even if it was for the novelty - ewww... if I wanted to be transported back in time, I'd visit some backward town in the UK.
Just an edit regarding the pasties and heating them up...Oven on at 400 with the pasties in for 15-18 minutes.
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If you want/need tea. scones, pasties, biscuits, Yorkies - come here. We've been buying things here steadily for a couple of years now as it's much cheaper than ordering online. Hint on the pasties: don't heat them in the microwave; heat them up in the oven as they taste much better.
Are the pasties as good as the Cornwall Pasty franchise in Britain? No.
Are they close enough substitutes? You bet!
One caveat: don't go here for the special dinners. Waiting time to be seated and to eat is horrendous. If you do come, book as early as you can make it as you'll probably end up spending 3 hours over dinner. Teas can be catch as catch can also, but nowhere near as bad as the dinners. Overall food is great. Dinner food is very tasty but the service can be really poor.
Good spot especially if you are from the UK and are lost....Bangers, Fish and Chips, etc. they have it all! I like their "Pasty's" ....NO, not that kind! they have beef or chicken in them, and WE would call them "pastry's" The restaurant is actually called "Neville's at The British Pantry" You will see many older tea sippers here with "proper" accents. This is a great spot for British products (Tea, jams,beer,etc.)within a deli that is adjacent to Neville's.
Check out their web site too....
http://www.thebritishp.../
I love good british teas with a lil cream and sugar! Mmm!
i've never had a meat pie before...always thought it was a weird combination, but the British Pantry changed my mind! cute little setup attatched to a cute little british store where you can also purchase mini meat and dessert pastries! yum! My sister and I shared the steak and mushroom pie that came with a salad and for dessert we had a yummy buttery scone! I'm not sure if there was anything particularly special about the place but the food was good as was the tea. I would love to go again to try their high tea but until that time I enjoy stopping by for the mini pasty's! (they have the meat and mushroom in a mini verson! )
I'll be going again of course but for those who are thinking "eh?" I think it's worth checking out at least once to form your own opinion!
Super overpriced imported food items, but you'd expect that.
Pretty decent teacakes and various baked items, AWESOME fruitcake. (does anyone else say that? They're everywhere...SOMEONE must be buying them besides me)
The restaurant is kind of nice for breakfast that we had and mostly enjoyed except the sausage which tasted a little livery (like the organ meat) for my taste. Too mushy. Ew.
The service was warm, friendly, delightful.
I mostly like coming here around Christmas time so I have an excuse to buy a log of fruitcake. Then take it home, unwrap it, soak it in booze every few days for a couple weeks, rewrap it, and
TOTALLY FORGET ABOUT IT.
In the bottom of the fridge, until it becomes scented like a refrigerator.
SAD.
Wonderful place for simple, traditional afternoon tea. Scones are delish! No fancy three tier displays or stuffy decor, just comfort food in a warm environment. Best part, the price!
A once in a lifetime expereince, never more than once, but it's worth checking-out.
I wandered in on a Satruday afternoon interested in a cup of tea and a snack. I waited by the 'wait to be seated' sign for what felt like 10 minutes. It was probably only 2 minutes, but in the company of a baby-shower party screaching out phrases like this"And then I like goaes no, and she goes 'yea' and he goes awesome' etc, the time certainly stretched out. Eventually I caught the eye of the staff and asked her if I could anticipate getting a seat within the next 5 mins, she looked shocked to be asked such a direct question and replied yes, that they were busy with the Baby shower (also unseated).
The food was well below par by British standards. The service was spot-on, just as I remember it, and one thing I love about living in America. For example, this is me trying to order:
Wendy: can I have the ploughmans without the pork pie
Server: (stares at Wendy silently)
Wendy: I don't like pork (feels obliged to explain)
Server: You don't want the ploughmans
Wendy: "oh, can't I have the ploughmans without the Pork pie?" (I'm not used to being told that I dont want what I've asked for)
Server: you should have one of the Salads
Eventually after some painful negotiation with the server I ordered a salad with the following sides: bread; cheese; pickle; pickled-onions. What does that add up to? A ploughmans without a pork-pie. Whta I'd initially asked for. The Server made me order all of the individual items rather than 'remove' the pork-pie from the Plougmans on menu. How pedantic is that?! When the waitress left she returned again a few minutes later because she forgot the specifics of my order while on the way to deliver it to the kitchen. Priceless!! It's just like being in Britain - except the food was not as decent.
The tea? House brew was a bag in a pot, no supplementary hot water, no top-up offered, it did come with a decent sized jug of milk without my having to ask. It's not worth coming here for the Tea
Sure this place is nostalgic and a bit stereotypical, but it also warm and inviting. Things are a bit on the pricey side even when you factor in shipping and markup. The pastry case holds many tempting treats. The chicken curry pasty, sausage roll, and bakewell tarts are my favorites. If you have a chance to sit and eat in the restaurant try the apple blackberry tart with warm custard. Sooo good!
Yum, yum, yum. Another great place for battered fish in the Seattle-Tacoma area. They even serve mushy peas as a side order upon request. In London, I never ate the mushy peas but mushy peas says "authentic British fish and chips" to me. It's just a really cool over-the-top thing.
This place is great! I mostly rave about the fresh pastries/baked items, but you can get all manner of foods/food ingredients for a variety of different English treats. The bakery, however, holds some delicious treats! The sausage rolls are fantastic! Take some home and pop them in the microwave for a few seconds and yum-o! The curry "pies" are great and flaky and have a great mild curry flavor. The dessert pastries are also great. There's great tarts and especially the custard filled "mini-pies" whose crusts just fall apart upon taking a bite. This is a great place to check out and is becoming a bit more well-known location in Redmond. It's just a couple blocks from the Redmond Transit Center. A great store for expat's looking for some of their foods from home, those that just love the stuff, and those that want to try!
Oh just walking through this store reminds me of my teenage years growing up in London.
I discovered this place a few years back, I can't believe it's been here since the 70s!
The selection of candy is amazing, except when they run low! Which seems to happen alot. And the best part? They carry crisps! well they do sometimes, last time they came in I bought a million packets. so good.
The staff is really friendly, especially the Sunday night staff! One time I was in visiting and I didn't know my way around the eastside very well and one of the girls actually took the time to write down directions for me!
There prices can be a bit steep at times, but sometimes it's worth the extra dough for some Ribena or HobNobs.
I love this place!
Oh by the way, if they carry a certain item and they're out when you visit, they take your name and number and call you when it comes in.
Really good breakfast in the wee restaurant. Pick up a can of Hunt's "Spotted Dick" while you're at the store adjacent. It makes a delicious dessert, hilarious conversation piece, or gag gift for an ex-lover. Also - vegetarians take note! This is a great resource for vegetarian gravy mixes of all flavours. (Yep - that's the British spelling. You saw right.) Only drawback: it should be larger. Perhaps about the size of the Albert Hall.
Meh... I've had better. Especially when it comes to service. It's an interesting idea the first time, but quickly lost appeal for me. The food was a bit greasy and bland (traditionally English? ha ha) the first few times I went. Then I stopped going. Best thing I've had is the tartar sauce, which is very dilly. I'd drive over to Celtic Bayou instead... better bangers and mash, better service, better beer, and better Fish and Chips.
Nevilles at the British Pantry is probably my favorite place in the world for comfort food. My boyfriend and I love their Shepard's Pie, it's so amazing! Moist seasoned ground beef with sliced carrots on top then on top of that mashed potatoes. At dinner comes with a choice of soup or salad and they have some really enjoyable soups. The bread and butter is good, my boyfriend likes how the packets of butter are soft. My father is a fan of the fish and chips. And now since the pub opened up next door they have access to a full bar and can make all sorts of British favorites. I like to come here at least once every couple weeks.
Very cute little place to try out British food. boyfriend took me here to try out the meat pie. It seemed just a tad over cooked but the crust tasted pretty good as well as the meat inside. I also had a sample of the chicken curry pie and that was delicious!
They serve breakfast, lunch, high tea set everyday & brunch on weekends. If you miss English food or grocery, you can find crumpets, ploughmans, scone, Sherpard's pie,...you name it. They also have a small shop by it that you can buy English china, pastry & loose leaves tea, imported biscuit, lemon curd, jam and candy. I always go there for pastry, high tea set & loose leaves tea.
I've only been there once, but I would go there again. It's a restaurant adjacent to their bakery/pantry. The restaurant is kind of cute, british-style. I ordered a vegetarian sandwich. It was good but the portion was rather small and it wasn't that cheap. I also visited the bakery and bought a few things. Prices in the bakery were reasonable.
Redmond, WA
Category: Coffee & Tea
Redmond, WA
Category: Bakeries
Redmond, WA
Category: British
Bothell, WA
Category: Coffee & Tea
Seattle, WA
Category: Coffee & Tea
Reviews of places that specialise in serving tea.…
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