By Elspeth Morrow, Lifestyle Correspondent
INVERNESS — Tucked along Clover Lane sits The Dandelion Teahouse, a place that has become less famous for its teas than for its most prominent employee: Bramble, the shop dog.
Customers don’t so much order tea as receive it — delivered, in some improbable way, by a shaggy retriever with a keen sense of timing. “He knows when the cups are ready,” said shopkeeper Florence Widdershins, adjusting her spectacles behind the counter. “He trots right over, picks up a saucer with his teeth, and brings it to the table. It’s not always tidy, but it is memorable.”
Indeed, Bramble has become a local celebrity. Tourists arrive asking not for Earl Grey or chamomile, but for “the dog who runs the place.” He has graced more postcards than the teahouse itself.
Of course, there are drawbacks. Last year, four separate customers lodged formal complaints after Bramble “nipped” when retrieving a fallen biscuit. This year, however, Florence notes with pride, the tally is down. “Only one incident so far,” she said. “He’s learning to restrain himself.”
As I watched, Bramble approached a table with a delicate porcelain cup and saucer clamped gently in his jaws. Tea sloshed precariously, a small line of drool sliding down the saucer’s edge. The customer — clearly a first-timer — looked aghast. The regulars, however, applauded.
“Some tea shops are about refinement,” Florence said. “We’re about character. And our Bramble has more character than most humans.”