2 days Ago By Lenny Ann Low
Cafe $ $$$ Like the annual and popular Country Women’s Association Tea Rooms at the Sydney Royal Easter Show, visiting the CWA’s scone-fuelled equivalent at its Eastwood-Epping branch brings simple joys. Housed in the Eastwood Women’s Rest Centre, the CWA’s only tea rooms in Sydney is a place of charity, resourcefulness and hardworking volunteers. It is also a place where a person can have a Devonshire tea – two scones with a pot of tea or coffee and dishes of jam and cream – for $6.
Although, on Thursday, that might be $6.50, because date scones are also available and their price is 50¢ more. You can have a glass of milk for $1, or a glass of cordial for 50¢.
You can have two scones with jam and cream for $3.50. Two takeaway scones are $2 (date $2.
50). In this hurly-burly world, there may be nothing more civil, reassuring or uplifting than eating a CWA scone in a CWA tea room. At the Eastwood-Epping branch’s rooms, tables decorated with flowers and triangular paper napkins in holders.
There are shelves and cabinets stocked with member-made jams, pickles, handmade clothing, knitwear, accessories and craft. There are shelves of donated secondhand books and garlands of crocheted flags. Most are for sale.
Along with the food and drinks, they raise money to support women and their families in country areas, along with local charities and hospitals. Scones are made in the rest centre’s kitchen by CWA members each morning. They are unfalteringly light and soft, easily opened without a knife before spreading with member-made jams.
Today’s pick – plum, apricot or strawberry – are all perfectly set, generously fruity and entirely at home on a scone. Add a teaspoonful of whipped cream on top and revel in its goodness. Each order, whether scones only, a Devonshire tea or simply a pot of tea or coffee with cup and saucer and a jug of milk, is served on a tray.
Plates are embossed with the CWA logo. The menu, which lists various organisations the CWA’s fundraising and events support and work with, also offers raisin toast and biscuits. All these things are prepared and served by volunteers.
Cheery, efficient and aproned, they not only give their time for a cause, they are people with whom you can have a long chat about anything. Margery East, the president of the CWA Eastwood-Epping branch, says the branch was set up in 1926 when the surrounding area was mainly dairies, orchards and small farms. “I’ve worked here for 10 to 15 years,” she says.
“It’s somewhere where you can provide a support place for people in the community. A lot of people living on their own love to come in and have a tea or coffee, have a bit of a chat. There’s a lot of people who also come to Eastwood and drop in before or after medical appointments or their shopping.
” There are also baby changing facilities and, in the air-conditioning, respite from warm climes. Many people also come to buy the jams, chutney and pickles. Today, there is only one jar of grapefruit jam after a weekend stall for the Granny Smith Festival cleared stock.
“Some of us will have to set to and start making more jam again,” East says. “We all have our particular jam varieties. “We’ve also got a number of what I call crafty ladies who really keep us well supplied with handmade hats and aprons and lovely bags.
There’s knitted teapot covers, children’s knitwear and there’s somebody who makes little dolls’ dresses too.” The CWA tea rooms are also a lesson in living productively and within our means. East says any scones not sold (a rare occurrence) are wrapped for the freezer.
A sign on the preserves shelf asks for the return of the jars and decorative fabric tops for reuse. Time stands still here. Conversations are had without a sense of rush.
The scones are very, very good. The low-down Address: Women’s Rest Centre on Hillview Road, Eastwood (behind Eastwood Library) Open: Tue-Fri 10am-3pm Vibe: Traditional tea rooms run by Country Women’s Association volunteers in light-filled building stocked with jams, pickles and handmade clothing, knitwear, accessories and craft Cost: $7, plus drinks (for two).
