English expat elevates high tea in Halifax

Brianne Foley visits Halifax's Creme to get a preview of their beautiful afternoon tea service.

An entrepreneur who’s given Halifax innovative, modern dining options has been updating an English tradition with her latest venture.

Crème restaurant is the first of its kind in Halifax but the owner Zooey Boosey said it’s something she’s been planning a long time.

“I always wanted a dessert, cocktail bar with this sort of vibe,” Boosey said. “High tea was massive for me.”

Boosey said when she arrived in Halifax no one was serving high tea but it’s common practice in her home country.

“In England we have a lot of sort of cafes that look like this.”

Boosey said Crème has been a personal project for almost eight years, so she jumped when she found the perfect location on the Halifax waterfront.

“I just thought, I think Halifax is ready for something like this,” she said.

Boosey has made a career of bringing unique culinary experiences to Halifax including Sea Smoke, Vandal Donuts and Asia – a restaurant she and her partner opened on Lower Water Street in August.

Crème was inspired by English tradition with a modern update. The menu includes pistachio and pink chai lattes alongside custom cakes served in pastel to match the floral decor.

Boosey said the response to the new café has been “absolutely insane.”

“I can’t believe how much everyone’s welcomed this,” she said. “It’s such a new concept to Halifax.”

Boosey said Crème went viral after customers made TikTok videos two weeks ago during their soft open.

“We were fully booked. For like four days solid we couldn’t take a single walk-in.”

Boosey said Crème took almost 100 email inquiries during the first weekend, but despite their success and busy schedule, she and her partners are already working on their next project: a British pub that promises to elevate another English tradition to new heights.

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