This new tea shop and bakery in Summit brings Britain across the pond

Move over "Great British Bake-Off." Central Jersey now has its own British baker on this side of the pond.

Across The Pond opened Friday in The Strand at 447 Springfield Ave. in Summit, under owner Julia Connell, a native of the U.K.

The shop offers teas from Fortum and Mason, a British staple since 1707 and a favorite of Queen Elizabeth's, and coffees from Costa Coffee, the largest coffee chain in Britain. It also offers juice, flavored milk and sodas with a British import spin.

Sandwiches, cakes and scones also are available, as well as savories such as sausage rolls and pork pies.

Connell plans to serve traditional English breakfast with British bacon, eggs, fried toast and beans.

Plus, there is a "tuck shop" onsite with British chips, crisps, chocolates and other candies, which is inside a replica of a British telephone box.

Connell has always felt the pull for a proper tearoom.

"I've been to various tea houses, and I love them. It is something that we love to do, but there isn't one that's right here," Connell said. "This is something that I've always wanted to do, but never really thought I would ever do it."

The feedback from people in town has been "amazing," she said. "We have the British expats, but there's also people that just love the whole experience of high tea or got swept up in “Downton Abbey” and “Bridgerton” or they spent time in the U.K. and remember having tea at the Ritz Hotel."

While living in the U.K., Connell ran a home bakery business making birthday cakes and cupcakes. She won local competitions for her Victoria Sponge cake and scones and sold hundreds of cupcakes to raise money for her children's school.

About six years ago, Connell and her family moved to the U.S. for her husband's job. She realized that the baked goods she was used to making weren't as readily found in the North Jersey area.

"There are beautiful bakeries and patisseries around, but there was nowhere really where you could get scones like I knew," she said. "I thought where I lived, there is a market here for this − British cakes and bakes."

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In April 2022, Connell obtained her state cottage food operator permit which allowed her to bake and sell items out of her home.

Connell kept her menu small, offering scones, Victoria Sponge and lemon drizzle cakes. After selling the goodies for a bit, Connell began offering a service of afternoon tea into people's homes, often for events such as baby showers and Mother's Day. She gathered a collection of "lovely teacups and plates" and the concept proved successful.

"I kept getting asked, 'Are you an actual bakery? Can we come in?' " recalled Connell.

Then, a Summit resident told her about a space available with a commercial kitchen.

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"I fell in love with it," she said. It's beautifully bright."

Go: 447 Springfield Ave., Summit; 908-723-8071, acrossthepondbakery.com.

email: cmakin@gannettnj.com

Cheryl Makin is an award-winning features and education reporter for MyCentralJersey.com, part of the USA Today Network. Contact: Cmakin@gannettnj.com or @CherylMakin. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Across The Pond British tea shop, bakery opens in Summit NJ