Oh how it poured. The rain came down in buckets, but it did not dampen the spirits of Gryphon Development’s team, who were hosting their grand opening event with an upscale afternoon tea event. 

A custom designed sign bearing the brand’s logo sat on a beautiful vintage easel, with greenery bordering adjacent sides. The entryway smelled of euculyptus, and upon entering the showroom we were in awe of the lavish English afternoon tea spread adorning the kitchen. Sat atop the black caesarstone countertop were delicate mini sandwiches and croissants, fruit couchettes, and amuse bouche from Faubourg Bakery & Cafe. The Pain Surprise were expectedly arranged with alternating flavours of mini sandwiches stacked on top of each other inside the circular container. 

Opposite the main kitchen island area was a tea room where tiered macaron towers and mini pastries were served alongside aromatic Wedgwood tea from Nikaido Gifts located in Steveston, Richmond. 

What caught our eye was the consistent floral decor throughout the room. White and mint coloured tea tins were used to house dark berry florals sourced from Holland. The elegant creations were designed by Eriko Simitsu, Floral Designer at Celsia Florist. The floral arrangements extended up and out at a perfect angle, the perfect finishing touch to the table arrangement. 

The serving plates, tiered cake stands, cups, saucers and even demitasse spoons were all vintage, showing the event planner’s attention to detail. We picked our favourite vintage cup from amongst the 30 plus choices arranged on the table, and tried the English Afternoon tea. It went well with the tasty macaron, which we sampled in pistachio, mocha, and lavender flavour. 

The presentation was so captivating we almost forgot the underlying reason for the event, which was to launch the upcoming residential Townhomes from Gryphon Development. The reason they had chosen to serve an upscale high tea was because the brand name for their new project, Westbury, was inspired by the famous Westbury Gardens in London. An elegant afternoon high tea seemed the perfect match for the brand to create the right associations. 

We were surprised to learn that the Gryphon team has also invested heavily into a space called Gryphon Musée, an art gallery that is part of their showroom. The gallery showcases two local artists, Dana Johnson and Sally Clarke, and is a non-profit endeavour between Gryphon Development and the North Vancouver Community Arts Council. It is free for anyone to visit during their showroom’s opening hours, which are 12-5PM daily except for fridays. If you would love to show your support for these artists and also see unique art pieces Gryphon’s Director has thoughtfully sourced from Taiwan, pay them a visit at 5659 Dunbar Street, we promise you won’t be disappointed.