How to order

What exactly does vintage mean?

All of our china is in good vintage condition - this means no chips or cracks. However, with some items being as much as 75 years old, there may be some signs of wear which should not affect your enjoyment.

Can I choose which set or pieces I would like to hire?

We will try to accommodate any particular requests you might have. However we are unable to guarantee the availability of any items within our collection, so every order is a unique mixture of china.

When do you deliver and collect the tea set?

All hired items will be delivered by us on the day before the event, and collected by us the day after the event, unless otherwise agreed. We are more than happy to help set up your party package if required, at no extra cost - just let us know in advance.

Do I have to pay extra for delivery and collection?

Delivery and collection is free if your delivery address is within a 10 mile radius of Old Town, Eastbourne. If your event falls outside this area, we'll let you know our additional delivery costs.

Do we need to clean the tea sets after we use them?

No - please do NOT wash any of the items - simply remove any food and repack, ready for collection, and we take care of the rest!

How does payment work?

Once your booking has been confirmed, we will send you an invoice by email. A deposit of 50% of the total hire charge is to be paid immediately after the booking is confirmed. The balance (including the damage deposit - see below) is to be paid at least 14 days before your event, unless otherwise agreed.

What happens if I need to cancel my event?

If you cancel your event within 14 days of the event date, then we will retain any hire charges already paid. We will refund any damage deposit that you have already paid, using the same payment method that you used.

If you cancel your event 15 or more days before the event date, we will fully refund any hire charges and damage deposit that you have already paid, using the same payment method that you used.

How do I pay my invoice?

For all payments we prefer bank transfer, but can also accept PayPal 'friends and family' payments.

What happens if any items are broken, damaged or lost while out on hire? How do damage deposits work?

Accidents happen! Unfortunately some tea set items may be broken, damaged or lost during hire, and to cover this we require a damage deposit to be paid in advance. This deposit amount will be made clear on your invoice, and is usually between £50 and £250. The amount will depend on the number of items you are hiring - these per item charges can be seen further down this page.

You, as the customer, are responsible for any breakages or loss of the hired items during the hire period. Please let us know when we come to collect if any items were broken, damaged or are missing. We ask that any broken pieces are kept and returned to us.

The damage deposit will be refunded via the same payment method that you used, once the china has been washed and checked. Deposit refunds are usually made within 72 hours of collection. Any damages or losses will be notified to the customer.

In the unlikely event that the replacement cost for damage or loss exceeds the damage deposit already paid, then the customer agrees to pay the difference.

Please note that we will not be held responsible for any personal injury or damage to property caused by the hired items during the period of hire. All items are hired entirely at your own risk.