The Story Behind The Vintage Kitchen
Beyond the Table
We believe the most memorable celebrations aren’t about extravagance. They’re built around a beautifully set table, good conversation and the people you love enough to gather around it.
20+ Years Setting Tables Across Sydney · Event Management Background · Trusted By Hosts & Known Brands Alike
It Started in a Garden in North London
My Nan collected vintage tea sets the way some people collect books – enthusiastically, and with absolutely nowhere left to put them. When her cupboards ran out of room, the teapots and teacups moved outside, tucked into garden beds between the flowers. To me, it looked like something out of a storybook. An invitation to my own Mad Hatter’s tea party, right there in front of her terrace house
I didn’t grow up thinking I’d run a high tea business. But somewhere between admiring Nan’s garden as a little girl and setting my first table as an adult, I realised the feeling never left me, that a beautifully set table, surrounded by the right people, can turn an ordinary afternoon into something worth remembering.
That’s what The Vintage Kitchen has always been about. Not the china itself, though we do love it. It’s the moment a host looks at the table they’ve dreamed up and realises it’s actually happening.
That feeling is what makes the early morning scone baking worth it, every single time.
Hi, I’m Hayley, The High Tea Lover Behind The Vintage Kitchen.
For more than 20 years, I’ve been setting tables across Sydney: at home dining tables, in gardens, at weddings, workplaces and everywhere in between. I’ve learned that the best celebrations rarely come down to how much you spend. They come down to whether the host actually gets to enjoy the day.
That’s the part I care about most. Not just supplying pretty crockery or good food, although we take both very seriously, but making sure you’re not the one stuck refilling teapots and worrying about serving platters while your guests have all the fun.
When you work with The Vintage Kitchen, you can expect someone who’s genuinely thought about the details before you’ve had to ask, because I’ve made most of the mistakes myself, years ago, so you don’t have to.
Our Philosophy
Every celebration deserves to feel special
Milestone or midweek, it doesn’t matter. If you’re gathering people you love, it’s worth doing beautifully.
Beauty is in the details
The sugar cubes. China all in the same pretty pastel tones. The little things nobody notices until they’re missing.
Hospitality should feel effortless
For the host, not just the guests. That’s the whole point.
Vintage tells a story
No two pieces match perfectly, and that’s exactly why they feel collected rather than ordered off a shelf.
Memories matter more than perfection
A relaxed, happy table beats a flawless one nobody actually enjoyed.
Trusted By
Over the years, we’ve had the pleasure of catering high tea for some genuinely great organisations, and working alongside some wonderful industry partners too.
Brands We’ve Worked With
A Place to Call Home · Airbnb · Atlassian · The Australian Defence Force · Bayside Council · BNP Paribas · Bras N Things · Camilla · Campari · Canva · Chartered Accountants · City of Ryde Council · Foxtel · Google · The Intercontinental · L’Oréal · Land Rover · Liverpool Council · Love Child · M&C Saatchi · Macquarie University · Meshki · Meta · MLC School · Netflix · Novotel · Nueva · Playmaker · Radisson Blu · Rydges · Shore School · Snapchat · Sofitel · Sony Music · St Vincent’s Curran Foundation · Tiffany & Co · Uber · Uniting · Universal · Velani · Waverley Council · Westfield, and many more…
Our Industry Partners
After the Rock Weddings · Bespoke Social · Beta Bar · The Caterer Sydney · Cloud 9 Events · Cook & Waiter · Decorative Events · Divine Events · Donna Hay · Form Over Function · Forte Catering · Honey Lane · Katering · The Lane · Passiontree Velvet · Philip Carr & Associates · Piquant Catering · Seven Productions · Shared Affair · Simmone Logue · Studio Neon · Team Event · Trippas White Group · Visually Creative · The White Project
What Makes Us Different?
There’s no shortage of businesses that can supply sandwiches or hire out crockery. What I believe makes The Vintage Kitchen different isn’t a longer feature list, it’s twenty years of learning what actually matters on the day, and building every part of the service around removing your mental load, not adding to it.
Curious exactly what’s included? You’ll find the full detail on our Catering and Crockery Hire pages.
Real Moments, Real Celebrations
The real proof behind our service is in the tables we’ve actually set, for real hosts and real celebrations across Sydney.
“The Vintage Kitchen supplied the most charming vintage crockery, cutlery and glassware for our high tea at home. The high tea catering was delicious and Hayley was a pleasure to deal with.”
Curious what else The Vintage Kitchen has been part of? Take a look through our Gallery, browse ideas by Celebration, or see where we’ve popped up In the Media.
Let’s Create Something Beautiful
Whether you’re celebrating a baby shower, bridal shower, milestone birthday or something in between, we’d love to help bring it to life. Tell us a few details about your celebration and I’ll put together a personalised quote just for you.