Tuesday 12 November 2013

Twelve Days of Christmas Afternoon Tea at InterContinetal London Park Lane


With the pastimes of this summer now but a blissful memory, the city of London is preparing itself for the abrupt change in weather, which of course means one thing; Christmas is rapidly approaching. In celebration of this truly magical time of the year, The Wellington Lounge at the Intercontinental will once again be hosting its enchanting Christmas Afternoon Tea; which I can faithfully assure you is quite unlike anything you will have experienced before. This afternoon tea has been lovingly and carefully designed, to perfectly capture the spirit of the beloved Christmas Carol ‘The 12 Days of Christmas’ from which this afternoon tea draws extensive inspiration.

On approaching the inviting Wellington Lounge it is easy to forget the hustle and bustle of chaotic Christmas shopping taking place on your doorstep in central London. Allow yourself to soak up the calming atmosphere of the lounge; as you sit back in your deep, comfortable chairs taking in the beautiful modern decor of your immediate surroundings. From the onset of our visit, we were made to feel not only full of Christmas joy, but cared for. When seated, our waitress provided us with a detailed overview of what would be served on this afternoon tea, which began to tantalize our taste buds. Following from here we then selected our teas from a comprehensive range which included White, Black and Oolong teas. We would suggest selecting the Wellington Lounge’s unique black teas created by the executive chief Paul Bates: Number One Park Lane and Wellington Blend.

The afternoon tea was presented on a three tier white and silver stand. We were advised to begin with the Mountbatten estate partridge, morel mushroom and foie gras pie because they are served warm, straight from the oven. Proceeding to the bottom tier we enjoyed the following delicate, crust-less finger sandwiches decorated with fresh watercress: Squab and wood Pigeon, Speyside salmon and the Lords of the hundreds cheese and finally Hens egg mayonnaise with cucumber on an assortment of breads. This tier was very flavoursome, and certainly gave us a unique opportunity to try ingredients that are far from everyday. On completion of this course, we were then given our freshly baked sultana and buttermilk scones, with Devon clotted cream and strawberry persevere. The scones were faultless with a charming aroma. The top tier of the stand was an extremely descendent affair filled with the following stunning desserts: Walnut powder crusted chocolate torte, Strawberry filled choux bun, air dried raspberry, Three milk flan, cranberry and mandarin compote, Golden treacle tart, Chantilly and gold leaf. Although, we cannot agree on a favourite dessert we can agree that the novelty, and imagination behind the desserts for example the swan shaped choux bun and walnut powered chocolate torte with a drum to name but two further confirm why this is such a special afternoon tea to enjoy in the holiday season.

The Twelve Days of Christmas Afternoon Tea is available 29th November 2013 to 6th January 2014 only and costs £38 per person.


Friday 8 November 2013

Wednesday 6 November 2013

Mad Hatter's Afternoon Tea Party! Cedar Court Grand Hotel and Spa, York


MENU

Edible Candles , Chocolate Clocks , Strawberry Jelly, Pink Mushrooms
Scones
Cupcakes 
Eat Me Biscuits 
Drink Me Pineapple and Yoghurt Shots
Macaroons 
Chocolate Lollypops
Rolled Sandwiches

Served with Fairytale Tea

SCHEDULE

3pm Arrival ‘Drink Me’ potion 
3.15pm Mad Hatters Tea Party
4.30pm Disappear down the rabbit hole.


 

 

Mad Hatters Tea Party is available on the following Sundays: 

27th October - Fully booked
24th November - Fully booked
1st December - Fully booked
8th December - Filling up fast
15th December - Fully booked
23rd December - new date added!

26th January 2014
23rd February 2014
30th March 2014
20th April 2014 (Easter Sunday)

£28.50 per Adult
£17.50 per Child

To book please call 01904 380038

Payment is required at the time of booking


www.cedarcourtgrand.co.uk

Afternoon Tea With The Best Views Of London, Aqua Shard


Aqua Shard, located on Level 31 of The Shard, offers a contemporary British Afternoon Tea with breath-taking views of the London skyline.

The contemporary cosmopolitan interior has distinctly British touches; gin and tea, both with strong roots in South London, have inspired the design along with Liberty fabrics which appear in subtle touches throughout the restaurant, complementing the dark oak floor. The aptly named 'Tea Wing' will play host to Afternoon Tea along with tables in the stunning triple height atrium.

The Classic Afternoon Tea begins with a selection of finger sandwiches, freshly baked vanilla, raisin and orange blossom scones which are served with Jersey clotted cream and home-made fragrant homemade jams.

This selection of seasonally changing jams and jellies combines some exciting flavour combinations, all of which lift the traditional favourite British jam flavours with new herb or essence popular in British cuisine. These include strawberry and Tahitian vanilla; apple, lime and earl grey jelly & raspberry and raspberry & lemon thyme.To finish, homemade cakes and sweet treats combine both traditional and innovative British delights.



Afternoon Tea
3pm to 5pm
Monday - Sunday
From £29.50

www.aquashard.co.uk