Glam Rock Afternoon Tea - great modern twist !

K West Hotel & Spa
Richmond Way

London W14 0AX
October 2016 

This tea was a part of a bundle with a spa session - the spa was a lovely experience as although very small , there was a lovely dipping pool and the scrub I had was lush, along with a great manicure chosen as an extra.
The hotel is billed as an "edgy urban retreat" and every order in Studio Kitchen where we ate is "served with a slice of glamour and a side-order of cool" and it was indeed very glam rock themed ans super cool - art on the walls and funky furniture. 
Our placemats were old album covers - I was thrilled mine was the Boomtown Rats album which was probably the first album I ever bought although not sure my friend was as impressed with her BeeGees album ! 

We absolutely loved the metallic cups and were quickly served our Tea Rex which is the bespoke tea created for the restaurant in the gorgeous metallic teapots - was a slightly spicy flavoured black tea - not altogether unpleasant but possibly not my choice for another time - there wasn't a choice offered though. 

Anita concentrating on her cake choices 

The tea stand was brought - one vegetarian and two standard choice and our waitress did a fine job of explaining it all - the savoury selection included unusual choices like open rye bread with salmon, mini burgers, fish in batter rolls, roast beef, and so on - really delicious selection, with the vegetarian option including halloumi.

There was a scone each with cream and choice of lemon curd or jam - (very very good lemon curd especially) and I did ask if we could have an extra scone which did cause the waitress some consternation - she had to go and check and then said yes but would take 15 minutes so we didn't bother. 

We were in fact very keen to get stuck into the sweet layer which really didn't disappoint - old skool swiss roll, a very gooey chocolate and marshmallow brownie, a pistachio macaroon and an edible chocolate cup with a creamy mousse. That finished us off - we were totally full !

I asked for a coffee as had a bit of journey home - was slightly disappointed that they charged me for it as we hadn't had different teas but accept we were on a spa and tea deal. 

Definitely enjoyed this and would recommend it as it really was a twist on a traditional tea and the decor and the vinyl records were a lovely touch . They were playing great music too from the 70s and 80s! 

Grand Hotel Brighton darlings !

97-99 King's Rd, Brighton BN1 2FW
Phone: 01273 224300

This was a tea I’d been desperate to try after being at the hotel drinking a delicious cocktail last year, and being super envious after our awful tea the Hilton next door.

It was also voted by the Independent in 2015 as one of the best 14 teas in the UK to take your mum for mothers day,

So when we had a girlie day trip to Brighton planned , why of course we` had to try it out. It was one of those gorgeous hot days we've been lucky enough to have this September and tea is served in the super elegant Victoria Terrace which is a conservatory type lounge overlooking the sea, so was really perfect.

We arrived a little early in the hope of resampling the cocktail menu but were quickly whisked to our table so that delight will have to wait until next visit …

The table setting is really beautiful : elegant silver cutlery, white crockery with silver trims, tea strainers, silver trays, so very pretty!

We were quickly offered our choice of teas which were extensive - from a Japanese Cherry infusion to traditional blends and we were assured we could try different ones. The teapots were gorgeous - (glad I don't have to polish them) lovely loose teas with a tea strainer - always a plus for me.

My friend asked about having her sandwiches with no mayonnaise or vinegar - they happily obliged and brought out or tea stands, unusual as they were floor stands which saved table space ! Very elegant and nicely presented with garnished sandwiches, cute jam and cream pots and snow white plates.

This was a very traditional afternoon tea and suited the hotel and the room we were in - sandwiches were salmon egg etc -very fresh and generously filled and they happily brought more when we asked for more of the ham ones.

The service was very good - especially as half way through our tea there was a shift change and the new waiting staff ensured they knew where we were up to, offered fresh tea and so on.

There was a choice of fruit or plain scones and plenty of jam and cream . If I had one little nit pick it was that the scones were stone cold - but on the other hand we did have extra sandwiches and took our time over choosing/drinking teas but would have been better had they been wrapped or brought out later. Having said that they were delicious, crispy outside and fluffy inside so all was forgiven on the temperature.

We were as usual quite full by the time we got to the pastry layer but did give it a good go - the Chocolate Delice and Carrot cake didn't disappoint - oh wow. 

And because it was Karen's birthday - they presented her with an extra happy birthday plate. We finished a fabulous afternoon with a cheeky little cocktail and glasses of prosecco and were presented with our leftover cakes (and if I'm not mistaken a few extras)  in a lovely box to take home.

Cheers! 

We would thoroughly recommend this tea - its a bit pricey for an out of London one but the ambience, service, location and setting are second to none - definitely planning a trip back next summer ! 

Riverside tea with the best scones EVER !

Sir Christopher Wren Hotel and Spa

52 Thames Street

Windsor, Berkshire

https://sirchristopherwren.co.uk/

01753 442400

Pimms Afternoon Tea £25.50 per person 

August 2016

This was a last stop on what had proved to be a wonderful day out in Windsor to celebrate the retirement (from work not tea) of two of the afternoon tea ladies (SOOO jealous, they now have time for endless teas! ) 

We had requested seats on the patio when we booked but had been warned that as they were doing refurbishment it wouldn't be possible which was a shame. In fact although we'd had a glorious day of sunshine as we got to the hotel the clouds gathered and it started to rain, so we were quite glad of our window seats overlooking the River.

They don't look old enough to retire do they??

The glasses of Pimms were served quickly and we were give the tea menu to choose from - Darvilles teas and different coffees. We were slightly disappointed it was teabags but a good choice and the cups and teapots were pristine white .

The tea stand was brought which was a rather splendid glass and chrome affair - very traditional finger sandwiches: egg and cress; ham and English mustard; smoked salmon, cream cheese and cucumber; and mild cheddar cheese and tomato. They were very fresh tasting and generously filled - I did forget to ask if we could have more as I was very keen on getting started on those scones.

The scones did not disappoint - we all agreed they were some of the nicest we had tried - crumbly outside, moist and light inside and still warm- I nearly forgot to take a photo!

We felt slightly let down by the small jars of jam - it really should be in bowls, but the clotted cream was delicious and there was plenty for everyone.

Well after all that we barely had room for the patisserie selection but made a supreme effort and I especially enjoyed the chocolate eclair, and the fruit and cream tart . It was great that actually had one of each - its very annoying when you have to start cutting them in half so everyone can try a bit. We were also pleased that we could change our teas and there was also a coffee option if needed. 

So overall ... a good value afternoon tea - £25.50 per person inc the Pimms (NB April 2017 now £26.50) ) food was very tasty and the service impeccable.

The brasserie had a formal air - white table cloths and napkins and so on but managed to feel very relaxing. 

It was the final enjoyable stop on a great day out which included visiting Windsor Castle and a little boat trip along the Thames. 

A lovely afternoon at the Aubrey Park Hotel, Redbourn, Herts.

Aubrey Park Hotel

Hemel Hempstead Road

Redbourn

St Albans

Hertfordshire

AL3 7AF

23rd August 2016

Well this was my mums 81st birthday treat - she had NEVER had a proper afternoon tea , and it turned out , neither had my 94 year old aunt or 98 year old uncle …. Well that really did need addressing. The challenge was finding a nice enough place, local to us in Hertfordshire with excellent wheelchair access and not too pricey as they may not eat much.

I had driven past the hotel and even gone to a works Christmas party there when it was a Ramada but it has fairly recently been under new management and is now independently run so we felt it was time to check it out .

I visited a few weeks before to book and check out the disabled access and the guy on reception couldn’t have been more helpful - 81st birthday, wheelchair, 2 vegetarians etc etc - nothing was an issue and they said they also said they would give us a table in the window overlooking the gardens.

Sure enough when we arrived to the bar area the table was beautifully set with white linen, in the window as promised overlooking the lovely gardens.

I ordered a cheeky G and T to start me off whilst mum had a cappuccino as we waited for my aunt and uncle. Sadly I didn't manage to take fabulous photos as was hosting but think I caught the flavour of the afternoon.

Once they arrived they were quick to serve and offer tea, coffee etc and bring the cake and sandwich stand.  

Very good sandwiches, crusts off, mix of brown and white bread and generously filled with traditional fillings - Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese,  Cucumber, Egg Mayonnaise, Ham & Mustard and Cheese & Pickle. It was so nice to see everyone tucking in!

The scones were a choice of fruit or plain (not, we suspected, home made as a little bit too symmetrical and identical but nonetheless very light and fluffy so were forgiven !) with lashings of cream and jam.

Our cakes were a Strawberry Tart, a cream and jam shortbread sandwichy thing and a Chocolate Eclair - again probably bought in and possibly even frozen but were very delicious little morsels. It’s a small hotel and we were the only people there taking tea so can't expect them to have a full time patisserie chef !

We couldn't fault the service - staff stayed out of the way but very easy to catch the eye of a member of staff if cuppa needed topping up, and when an extra two members of the family came along later  there was no problem them about them having a couple of pints and finishing off our scones.

At £16.95 per person it was very reasonable - we sat for a couple of hours, were all full to bursting and the service was excellent . We never felt rushed or as if they wanted us to vacate the table . The fact that there was a few of us in our party was good  - if it was just two of us might have felt a bit lost with no one else there.

I do hope they will manage to build up their reputation and get more customers, we were there on a August Tuesday afternoon.

One thing that would have been nice would have been if they had made a thing of mum’s birthday - often one gets a little cake with a candle or something - they did know when I booked it, even asked if it was  for an occasion, so a bit of shame it  wasn't acknowledged by the staff.

It was a very traditional afternoon tea so perhaps something a little bit quirky or memorable might help to make it stand out .

I did notice that they are now offering a rather delicious looking festive afternoon tea - with some interesting sandwiches and cakes on offer and cinnamon dusted scones … mmm . I would say it's definitely worth a try if you are looking for gift ideas and live locally - and if you have elderly relatives they couldn’t  have been nicer or kinder to my Mum, Aunt and Uncle.  

http://www.aubreypark.co.uk/offers/eating/item/59-festive-afternoon-tea

There we are ! 

Woburn Abbey - the ORIGINAL Afternoon Tea spot

Woburn Abbey Afternoon Tea

Woburn Abbey and Gardens,
Woburn,
Bedfordshire,
MK17 9WA

July 14th 2016

Any afternoon tea buff will know the origins of the tradition - If you don’t have a look here : http://www.afternoontea.co.uk/information/history-of-afternoon-tea/

In a nutshell the English social custom of taking Afternoon Tea was popularised in the 1840s by Duchess Anna Maria, wife of the 7th Duke of Bedford, who entertained her friends at Woburn Abbey where the Duchess and her friends would have enjoyed afternoon tea in the comfortable surroundings of the Abbey.

We had thought for a while we need to go and check out where it all started - and were very pleasantly surprised to find upon booking that the very reasonable price of £16.25 also included entry to the gardens. So we made sure we booked it for a summers day and we went a little early to enjoy a stroll.

Well it was the perfect July Thursday afternoon and after a long drive through the beautiful grounds deer spotting, we could see the Abbey ahead which is very impressive.

Although we had some trouble parking in the car park because of a local school sports day taking place in the field , normally there is oodles of parking in shady spots under tress Once inside we were stunned by the gardens - all different themed areas like the children’s garden , the Bog Garden , the folly and so many more . It was the most delightful place to wander and chat - we did regret not coming earlier in the day !

Almost reluctantly we set off to find the Bedford Tea Room which although not in the Abbey (your ticket does not include entrance to the Abbey)  are in a building in one of the courtyards. It’s a fairly small tea room but it seems to be exclusively used for having tea - stone floor, big windows, flowers on the table and was set very nicely with white tablecloths and china.

The waitresses were so charming and obviously really loved what they were doing - could not have been more helpful ; we were instantly given our choice of  coffee or teas including Earl Grey, Darjeeling, Apple Loves Mint and Oolong, which came in pristine white teapots and served in a very clever elongated tea filter.

The plates on the tea stand were so pretty-  pink and purple patterns on white - really set the display off well.

My sandwich selection was very traditional, tuna, ham, salmon and egg, crustless, very fresh and generous fillings.  My companions are both vegetarian and were given egg, salad and cheese options and we all enjoyed our choices .

The scones were freshly baked and still warm - a choice of sultana or plain with lashing of jam and cream.

The patisserie layer - we did like that there was 3 of everything - means you can try everything without having to cut things up! There was a choice of Victoria Sponge , jam tart , millionaires shortbread (mmm) strawberry cream puff and a very cute little heart shaped strawberry shortbread.

Despite our best efforts and almost two hours of chat and more tea, we couldn't finish it all, so the lovely waitress popped our unfinished morsels plus a few little extras into plastic tubs to take home for the long suffering husbands.

We had a last little stroll round the shop as by this time it was all closing, but all in all it was a delightful afternoon and extremely good value for money.

The Duchess of Bedford would be very pleased with this tea we all felt !

You can buy a voucher http://www.woburnabbey.co.uk/abbey/the-duchess-tea-room/afternoontea/ for the tea and gardens visit and it really would be a great gift for someone that enjoys a scone but also a garden stroll.