Rex Hospital offers afternoon tea

Jan. 3—Rex Hospital, in Raleigh, N.C.,  is offering a new amenity: afternoon tea.

“It gives them 20 minutes to not think about being in a hospital,” explained Ben Kesterson, the hospital’s coordinator of patient food services.

Kesterson started the afternoon tea service two months ago at the direction of his boss, Jim McGrody, the hospital’s director of culinary and nutrition services. Previously, Kesterson worked at The Biltmore Estate where afternoon tea is a regular affair. Right now, afternoon tea isn’t offered to every patient. Instead, the staff identifies about a half-dozen or so patients who aren’t under restrictive diets and can be offered tea and a sweet treat.