Cotswold Afternoon Tea - Broadway, Cotswolds

 Last weekend we rented a cottage and had a lovely weekend away with our friends to a charming village called Broadway in the Cotswold's. 

It was their Christmas late night shopping and market that they have 2 Fridays towards Christmas. It was on the television last year and repeated this year. 

Despite the weather  it was a wonderful weekend however not all the stalls were there as strong winds had been predicted. They still had the reindeer and the local brass band playing carols and Christmas tunes. 

We got into the Christmas spirit wearing Christmas jumpers and hats and sipping on delicious mulled wine. 

On the Saturday we went for a long walk through 7 muddy fields to the Broadway Tower. Here you get an amazing view and there is a lovely cafe serving hot chocolate and food.  It was defiantly worth the walk and much quicker going back downhill 

Once back in the High Street we went for a much earned Afternoon Tea in a quaint tearoom called Tisanes

The Afternoon Tea was £17 per person plus extra £5.50 for a small mini bottle of Prosecco. 

You get to choose your sandwich from the menu and your slice of cake plus a plain or fruit scone each. It also included a pot of tea of choice or coffee. I choose a turkey and cranberry sandwich, fruit scone and coffee and walnut cake. 

The sandwich was packed full of filling and nice and fresh.

The scones were large and still slightly warm. We got plenty of strawberry jam and clotted cream to go with it. 

The cakes looked homemade and we got a big slice. My husband choose carrot cake so we shared and I think he made the best choice as the carrot cake was very nice. 

It was a lovely Afternoon Tea and reasonably priced. Also it was good to be able to choose sandwich and cake from the menu. 

Nearest Station : Not sure as we were staying within walking distance. 

Best bits : Getting to choose from menu and food very fresh.  

Worst bits : Nothing to mention as all very nice      

Value for money :  At £22.50 each with the mini bottle of prosecco yes worth it.

would I go back? : Yes if I went back to Broadway 

 

Fabulous Tea, Cakes and Cocktail afternoon tea in Revery Bar at Hilton Park Lane Hotel London

 Yesterday me and my husband had a fantastic afternoon tea that involved cocktails that all contained tea as well as alcohol !!!

I had an old Buyagift voucher for champagne afternoon tea at the Podium Hilton park Lane but was told that they no longer served traditional afternoon tea.  At first I was disappointed as this was one of my favorite afternoon teas and where my love of them started back in 2010. 

 As I already had the voucher they offered me instead  Tea , Cakes and Cocktail afternoon tea in their new bar. The hotel had recently been renovated and appeared on the TV last year so i was keen to visit again. 

The voucher cost me about £75 as I had a discount code so I got a good deal as this afternoon tea is priced at £65 per person 

The bar had a modern cozy feel to it and we had a nice round table in a quite corner with curved velvet sofa . The table was nicely laid with a gold tree style cake stand with offset glass plates. 

Our waiter  was warm and welcoming and very keen to explain about the cocktail afternoon experience. He also noted that I had mentioned upon booking that I do not like fish or seafood. 

The first part of the experience was to try out all 5 of the tea alcohol cocktails so we could choose the one we liked best.

COCKTAILS 

Cairo Gossip Belvedere, Cocchi Americano, Lime & Egyptian Camomile Tea Syrup, Pommery Brut 

Earl Grey Sour     Bombay Sapphire infused with Earl Grey Tea, Gomme Syrup, Lemon Juice, Aquafaba 

Pistachio Bliss Hennessy VSOP, Frangelico, Amaretto Disaronno, Lemon Juice, Tropical &  Pistachio Tea Syrup

 Mexican Breakfast    Patron Silver infused with English Breakfast Tea, Vida Mescal, Cointreau,  Lemon Juice, Gomme Syrup, Saline Solution 

Hibiscus Kiss Patron Silver, Hibiscus & Pistachio Tea Beer Cordial  

 

The barman brought over a drinks trolley with 7 brown glass bottles. He poured us a small measure of each one to try and explained what was in them.  I think there was only one that I did not like but my favorite was the Earl Grey Sour that had Gin in it. My husband had trouble deciding between Pistachio Bliss that hit you with strong Brandy taste then the nutty taste came through or the Mexican Breakfast that had Tequila but a strong smoky taste that was very unusual. My husband liked it as he likes a smoky whiskey . In the end he choose the Pistachio bliss one. 

Next we tried the two non alcoholic ones 

NON-ALCOHOLIC COCKTAILS 

Blooming Blossom (53 kcal) Clean & Co V, Grapefruit & Sea Blossom Tea Syrup, Lemon Juice, Raspberry Purée, Miraculous Foamer

Moroccan Souk (127 kcal)                   Clean & Co G, Moroccan Mint Tea & Cucumber Syrup, Honey Water, Lemon 

Once again both were nice and refreshing but we both preferred the Moroccan Souk one that you could really taste the cucumber in. 

The cocktails were very unusual and glad we got to try them all. 

Whilst the barman made up our alcoholic cocktail of choice the waiter brought us the canapes. 

Beetroot cheesecake (32 kcal) (vg) 

Black truffle macaroon with chicken liver pâté (93 kcal) 

Yes this is the correct photo

The one that looks just like a cherry is beetroot and the macaroon is sweet with a chicken liver filling. 

Sounds awful and to be honest I do not like chicken liver but my husband said it was very nice and the sweet macaroon complimented the salty chicken liver pate. 

Next we got a plate each with the savories on 

Mini poached lobster roll with Marie Rose sauce (177 kcal)

 Devon handpicked crab, sourdough toast with citrus bisque jelly (30 kcal) 

Deconstructed classic chicken Caesar, beet pearl & blue pea flower (62 kcal) 

Asparagus panna cotta, egg yolk & sourdough soldiers (55 kcal) (v) 

As I do not eat fish they substituted the crab for Celeriac and the Lobster for Tofu. 

It was all nice apart from the egg as I did not like the raw egg yolk sitting on top of the asparagus panna cotta. My husband thought it was OK. 

The deconstructed chicken Caesar was really nice but just could of done with bigger portions of the savories.  

Before the waiter brought out the sweet stuff he took our orders for hot drinks. I ordered the Pink Tropics herbal tea that was nice and fruity

When the cakes came out along with the scones I was amazed at how good they looked. 

First we had the scones a fruit one and plain one each with our own pot of homemade jam and thick clotted cream.  The scones were delicious so light and fluffy my hubby said they were the best ones he has ever had. 

Lastly we had the three cakes each along with our other non alcoholic cocktail 

Carrot cheesecake (363 kcal) (v) 

Triple chocolate sandwich (398 kcal) (v)

 Strawberry and citrus (332 kcal) 

They were all amazing and tasted delicious but my best one by far the carrot cheesecake. Crisp thin biscuit base with hint of  ginger , soft carrot cake sponge inside a soft creamy mouse then covered in a green chocolate that had a lime flavor.  As Craig says on Strictly A MAZE ING and a 10 from me !!!

As you can imagine after eating all this food i was feeling very full .  

Just before we left the waiter said there was one final thing to add to the experience  and then brought over 5 jars of different sweets plus a empty black box each to put some in to take home. 

REVERY PIC ‘N’ MIX

 Apple jelly, Vanilla fudge,  Dark chocolate truffle,  Marshmallow and  Raspberry jelly  

He said that these were homemade by the chef . As you can see I did not waste time in selecting some to take home and share with my son.

This is a really nice afternoon tea with a difference and the service was excellent, we both enjoyed the whole experience . 

Nearest Station : Green Park 10 minute walk. 

Best bits : Everything but must mention the delicious scones and cakes.  

Worst bits : If i had to say something it would only be the egg yolk for me and maybe more savory things on offer.      

Value for money :  At £65 its not cheap but I think worth it if you want something a bit different .

would I go back? : Yes I would. 

Huffkins afternoon tea - John Lewis Oxford Street London

 I had never heard about Huffkins until I saw it on Wowcher.  Huffkins is a chain that started with a small bakery in the Cotswold in 1890 and has expanded with  9 tea rooms in England plus online shop. 

I dedcided to book this with my mum and two friends for part of my birthday celebrations. We went to the cafe inside John Lewis in Oxford Street and got a great deal using Wowcher voucher. I paid just £39.99 for two with a small bottle of prosecco each. 

The cafe is situated on the 4th floor and has windows overlooking the street below. They have made it nice inside by adding a artificial flower arch. When we arrived a nice table had been reserved for us by the window. 

After about 15 minutes the waitress came over to take our order.  We ordered a hot drink each and the waitress informed us that there were 3 different sandwiches on each cake stand Coronation Chicken, Tuna mayo and Cheese and chutney relish with leaves. I asked if we could have two cheese ones instead of the Tuna mayo which she said was no problem.  We also had to choose between plain or fruit scone. 

The waitress brought over our cappuccinos  which were in a large cup and a small bottle of prosecco each. 

When the cake stands arrived they looked very full 

Each stand had 3 whole sandwiches cut into triangles so we got 6 triangles each plus some salad leaves in middle of plate. The sandwiches were nice and tasty however my friend who only wanted the cheese ones did not like the chutney inside as a bit spicy. We asked the waitress if she could just have plain cheese ones and they brought over a plate of 8 triangles and let her keep the ones with chutney. Therefore between us all we had lots of sandwiches and unfortunately could not eat them all. The coronation chicken ones were my favorite 

Next we had the scones which were still slightly warm and large in size. We noticed that they were very light and fluffy inside which is a sign of a good scone. To go with them we got a small jar of strawberry jam and pot of clotted cream each. 

By now we were all feeling rather full but i wanted to try the chocolate eclairs as they looked rather nice. On our stand we got a pink raspberry one and my friends got a chocolate one. They were big in size so we could cut them up into four pieces. 

Before eating these we had another coffee each and was informed that we get a free refill of hot drink with the afternoon tea. I was not expecting this so a pleasant surprise. Both eclairs tasted nice and had fresh cream inside. 

Unfortunately after eating these we could not manage the rest of the cakes so was given a nice box each to take them home in.  The other cakes were a chocolate brownie, Lemon drizzle cake and a Victoria sponge. 

We left the tea room feeling happy and full before having a look in the Christmas shop inside the department store. 

Nearest Station : Oxford Circus 8 minute walk.

Best bits : The amount of sandwiches and lovely scones  

Worst bits : Service was a bit slow as very busy      

Value for money :  Yes defiantly for what I paid and amount of food plus 2 hot drinks included each 

would I go back? : Yes I will be buying another voucher to use on a Christmas shopping day 

Sopwell House Afternoon Tea

 It was my daughters 30th birthday and for her present I took her for a Spa day at Cottonmill Club at Sopwell House in St Albans . It was a lovely day complete with relaxing treatments and afternoon tea. 

This is the second afternoon tea i have had here and it did not disappoint. For us it was included in the spa package but the menu price is £37 for weekdays and £44 weekends. ends. 

We had the afternoon tea in the Brasserie in our white robes. As it did not include champagne we both ordered a Bellini each and my daughter a bottle of coke which came to £34.   

It took a while for the tea stand to arrive and service was slow. I had to ask the waitress what the sandwiches and cakes were as not stated on the menu. 

We got 4 finger sandwiches each that consisted of Chicken one that was our favorite , Egg Mayonnaise and a Cucumber one in different types of bread.  As we do not like Salmon we got extra chicken sandwich each. They were nice and fresh and tasty.  We did not get offered extra but I noticed that a few tables did request more sandwiches and got them. 

Before starting on the scones I ordered a herbal fruity tea. 

The scones were freshly baked and we got a plain one each and a fruit one each. I ended up having both fruit ones as my daughter only likes the plain ones.  

They were tall in size with a lovely shiny top and served with strawberry jam and clotted cream. 

Its been a while since I have had a scone so really enjoyed them. 

Lastly came the cakes that I just had enough room for ......

I think they looked very nice and we got one of each of the four types. 

Strawberry Macaroon

Lemon mouse on biscuit base

Rich chocolate mouse with sponge and crunchy base

Coffee cake and mouse square. 

I struggled to eat them as so full up. My daughter had to take hers away in a box to have later in the day. 

My favorites was the coffee one and chocolate one but I think they all tasted lovely. 

Overall a lovely Afternoon tea however the service was slow and not attentive. 

Nearest Station : Not sure as drove there  

Best bits : The lovely scones and cakes 

Worst bits :Lack of service was not made to feel welcome      

Value for money :  I would say yes if you get extra sandwiches and cakes that I noticed other tables asked for.

would I go back? : Yes I would. 

Afternoon Tea at Aubrey Park Hotel - Hemel Hempstead

 It was my Sister in Laws 60th Birthday on Sunday so she arranged for us to meet up over a nice Afternoon Tea.  

The Hotel is set in 6 acres of meadow with 137 bedrooms. it has a lovely restaurant and hosts annual events and is also a wedding venue. 

My sister in law had pre booked and paid for it in advance priced at £27.50 each. 

Menu

 Spring Afternoon Tea @ Aubrey Park

 £27.50 Per Person

 Selection Of Sandwiches

 Coronation Chicken Open Sandwich

 Roasted Red Pepper & Hummus 

Finger Sandwich

 Egg Mayonnaise & Watercress

 Smoked Salmon & Cucumber

 Honey Roasted Ham & Tomato

 Scones

 Freshly Baked Plain & Fruit Scones with

 Tiptree Strawberry Preserve & Clotted Cream

 Mini Desserts

 Vanilla & Fresh Fruit Tart

 Classic French Macaroon

 Mascarpone & Blueberry Cup Cake

 Dark Chocolate Brownie, Salted Caramel

 Banana & Cranberry Flapjack

 

Me and my Mum arrived first and was warmly greeted and shown the options for where we could sit. We had a choice of outside as it was a sunny day or in the lounge / bar area that had comfortable velvet  armchairs and doors that opened up onto the garden at the back.  I opted to sit inside by the doors as I knew it could of got too hot outside. 

They laid the table nice with fancy folded  crisp cotton napkins sat on china plates with silver cutlery. 

The lovely friendly waitress took our tea and coffee orders and asked if we had any allergies.  My mum just informed them no mayonnaise , mustard or fish for her. She explained that they did not have the smoked salmon sandwiches that were on the menu and offered us complementary glass of prosecco . 

It was only myself and my Niece that took her up on the offer !!!!!  We did not mind there was no salmon as its only my sister in law that likes it.  

My mum got her own special tea stand just for her with no mayonnaise or mustard and we got a further two stands to share between the four of us. 

The sandwiches were nice and fresh in white and bread bread. We got different to what was on the menu. Ham and Mayonnaise , Cucumber and cream cheese, Coronation Chicken and Cheese and pickle. 

Once we had eaten majority of the sandwiches we had the scones that were still slightly warm. They were generous in size and we just got plain ones two each.  To go with these we got a pot of Tiptree strawberry jam each and a dish of very thick clotted cream to share between two. I thought the scones were very nice and had a light texture inside.  I put plenty of cream on mine as my mum gave me her cream as well. 

Before starting on the cakes we ordered another hot drink. 

The cakes consisted of the following and we each got one of each so did not have to share or cut in half. 

These are very different to what was stated on the menu 

Bakewell sponge square

Chocolate Brownie 

Macaroon

Chocolate mouse truffle cake Triangle 

The Bakewell cake was my favorite as really moist sponge and strong almond taste.

The macaroons were all different flavors and I was lucky to get a caramel one that was really nice. 

I found the brownie and bit too dry and hard and the Chocolate mouse cake was a bit too rich and very soft.

Overall a pleasant afternoon tea and the staff made us feel welcome and looked after us well. 

 

Afternoon tea at sea on P &O cruise

 My husband and I were lucky enough to go on a 7 night cruise around Norwegian fjords. The scenery was breathtaking and we had nice weather too. 

Most of the food is included in the cruise price however there are a few restaurants that charge extra like the glass house tapas menu. The afternoon tea served  at the Market Cafe is charged at just £8.95 each which we did not mind paying extra for using our free on board spend money. 

I could not go on this ship without sampling their afternoon tea and adding to this blog!! Unfortunately I only took a few photos. 

The menu below includes a hot drink of our choice 

Once we had placed our order the table was laid with art deco style plates 

The glass of sparkling wine we got from the glass house bar and was included in the drinks package we had. This was our third glass so far that afternoon!!!!

When the food arrived I was pleasantly surprised that it was served on a silver plate stand. 

We got 3 sandwiches each that were made of thin slices of bread rolled up will fillings inside. The cheese and onion one was my favorite and my lucky husband got to have my salmon one as extra. They were very nice and fresh and I liked the different types of bread used. 

Next we had the Eton mess scone which we cut in half. It was already filled with cream and topped with meringue and strawberry. After this we got a plain scone each that was freshly baked and crispy on the outside yet soft in middle. They only gave us enough cream and jam for one so we had to ask for more. As you know I like lots of cream on my scones. Whilst eating our scones we both ordered a cappuccino each. 

We then had the cakes that we cut in half. 

There were 5 different to share. First we had the Victoria sponge that looked like a sandwich. It was filled with cream and jam.  Then I cut the blueberry tart in half. This was nice and filled with a creamy custard and blueberry. The pastry was thin and crispy just like it should be. 

Then we had the banoffee ice cream pie that was delicious with creamy vanilla ice cream and caramel. 

We should of had this first as the ice cream had started to melt. 

Then I cut the red berry heart in half and it was filled with a creamy mouse on thin biscuit base with a berry fruit center. We saved the chocolate one to last and this was very good too. 

Overall a lovely afternoon tea with fresh sandwiches and nice flavored cakes.