Festive Afternoon Tea at Grandpa Greene's

Manchester is certainly not lacking in festive cheer at this time of year, but if the idea of wrestling your way through its famous markets sounds like your idea of a nightmare before Christmas, we may have found a perfect alternative that’s just a 40 minute drive outside of the city centre.

We’ve been eyeing up Grandpa Greene’s sweet treats ever since we saw its heavenly-looking Easter hot chocolates earlier this year - yes, that is a full chocolate egg inside that cup. So when we saw the Oldham-based cafe had launched its festive afternoon tea, we quickly booked ourselves a spot for a wintry Monday afternoon. 

Grandpa Greene's has two locations in close proximity but its afternoon tea is reserved for its Ice Cream Parlour and Café Bar hidden in the hills of Diggle, Saddleworth. While the cafe has become known for its canalside Igloo Village, we chose to eat in the Indoor Garden Room which gives you cosy countryside views in a toasty setting that’s akin to your traditional farm shop or garden centre cafe. However, the dining pods appeared incredibly popular during our visit, and it’s worth bearing in mind that if you do decide to opt for tea in a pod, you will likely be sharing with other guests unless reserving space for a large group.

Afternoon tea is served with a choice of tea or coffee, plus a cup of hot chocolate complete with cream and marshmallows. We went for a cappuccino and a latte, both served in large, signature GG’s green cups and saucers.

Food arrives on a mini picnic bench style tea stand, and it is probably the most festive-looking picnic you’ll ever see. No item has been spared a sprinkling of festive sugar or indulgent chocolate coating. 

To start, there are five sandwiches each, presented in an open style with fillings including turkey and cranberry, egg mayonnaise, cucumber and cream cheese, tuna, and cheese and pickle. We could have happily eaten ten of the turkey and cranberry alone.

Traditional fruit scones come paired with individual pots of jam and cream for each person, which is always a win in our books. The scones were a little difficult to slice into, however, they were a good generous size, particularly given the smorgasbord of sweets that comes next.

Grandpa Greene’s festive afternoon tea is exactly what you’d get if you asked the prop designer on a Hallmark Christmas movie to dream up the cake display for a small town shop window - it has everything, and everything is covered in chocolate and sprinkles. Our eyes were immediately drawn to the mini gingerbread people peeping out of a pair of glass bottles filled with chocolate cream milkshake infused with ginger. Elsewhere you’ll find a stack of blondie bites and brownies topped with chocolate orange slices, and Oreo cookies dipped in more chocolate and rainbow sprinkles. You’ll also find mini mince pies, chocolate coins, wafer biscuits, and strawberries dipped in, you guessed it, more chocolate and sprinkles. 

We like to think of ourselves as strong contenders when it comes to tackling a generously portioned afternoon tea - in fact, we’ve been known to indulge in TWO in one afternoon - but Grandpa Greene’s festive selection was too much for even our well-trained metabolisms to handle. Luckily, this was anticipated, and the staff were more than happy to provide takeaway trays for us to load up our cakes for later. 

If you’re looking for something a little different to the annual hustle and bustle of a busy Christmas afternoon in Manchester, Grandpa Greene’s provides a pleasant setting for an afternoon tea that we think would appeal to all ages, and make for a good festive family afternoon out. It’s not the sophisticated fare more seasoned tea goers might expect (and Manchester has plenty of options this time of year, like Hotel Gotham and The Midland, if that’s more your style), but it is cute, fun, and pure chocolate and candy-coated indulgence - exactly what Christmas requires.

Grandpa Greene's festive afternoon tea is priced at £26pp. For more information and to book visit: https://www.grandpagreenes.co.uk/

Afternoon Tea at Honey, Hotel Gotham

I'm always conscious that I don't look up enough. Life can be busy and we're all often a little guilty of whizzing around, phone in hand, thinking only about getting from A to B, without stopping to take in what's around us. But Manchester, albeit one of the busiest cities in the UK, is a place where you should definitely take a moment to look a little higher.



That's particularly true around Manchester's former banking area of King Street, where the historic architecture provides some impressive details to the city's ever evolving skyline. We recently got a front row seat at Honey, located atop the boutique Hotel Gotham housed in one of the city's listed buildings, when we stopped by for afternoon tea.



Gotham has been on our hit list for quite some time after several failed attempts to reserve a spot (our fault as eternal late bookers) but this time, the Bat-Signal was calling, and undoubtedly worth the wait.

With the sun shining through Gotham's stunning arch windows, tables are dressed in black cloths and accessorised with rolled-up Gotham Bugle newspapers which double as a hotel guide, a subtle nod to the Gotham theme - though, Gotham City fans note, you won't find much evidence of the Dark Knight himself.



Diners can choose the Gotham Afternoon Tea or upgrade to a Champagne option. We went for the former, starting off with a traditional breakfast tea and Americano but if you peruse the menu, there are plenty of infusions and Gotham recommended teas to satisfy avid tea-explorers out there.

The food arrived on an elegant three-tier silver stand, loaded with colour and some of the most perfect-looking scones you could wish for.



To start, a selection of four sandwiches each, including; coronation chicken, smoked salmon and cream cheese, cucumber and crème fraiche, and truffled egg mayo. A dream combination of fillings and breads, all perfectly fresh, and each of our favourites ticked off. Good start.

Next, the scones. I can't remember the last time we came across an afternoon tea with such a generous scone tier; two plain, two fruit, and a nice size too. The taste test certainly matched up, delightfully soft, served warm with a spot of jam and cream - though we could have perhaps done with a little more of each topping (I don't know if that says more about us than the portion sizes?!).



Finally, the patisserie assortment was an eye-catching mix of classics, livened up by their bold and unexpectedly bright colour palette. We each had a miniature rhubarb cheesecake, strawberry tart, earl grey macaroon and Victoria sponge finished with a playful Barbie pink buttercream top. I couldn't honestly pick a favourite, and though traditionalists may miss a token slice of carrot cake or chocolate delice, you couldn't fault this selection of fun favourites.



As locals to the Manchester area, we're often asked what our go-to afternoon tea spots are around the city. The list has stayed pretty much the same for a long time with a number of Manchester venues some of the most dear to our hearts. But we must say, with its delicious food and unique setting, we'll be adding Hotel Gotham to that list in future.

Gotham Afternoon Tea is priced at £25pp. For more information and to book visit: https://www.hotelgotham.co.uk

Afternoon Tea at The Ivy, York

You really are spoilt for choice when it comes to afternoon tea in York, so take this as fair warning, as we're about to make your next tea choice that little bit more difficult. Sorry, not sorry.

Right as you step into the centre of town, you'll spot The Ivy on St Helen's Square, a sophisticated restaurant that's both a relaxed retreat for lunch and ideal spot for evening cocktails. It also happens to offer a rather good afternoon tea, which we recently went along to try.

Cosy up on The Ivy's mustard yellow booth seating where the formalities of white linen tablecloths are offset by chunky patterned cushions and walls filled with botanical illustrations and contemporary colourful art. Not to mention the spectacular bar area which is wrapped in an old black and white image of York from years gone by and rows of slender mirrored panels which reflect the myriad of colours around the room. 

Once seated we were soon sipping on a glass of champagne each and perusing the tea menu. A great choice of traditional and floral flavours and extra points here for having a full description of the afternoon tea food menu too - ideal for bloggers like us who often forget to make notes about the sandwich selection due to being too distracted by pretty food. No? Just us then? For tea we opted for the Ivy 1917 breakfast blend and Ivy afternoon tea blend. 

First up, the savouries. The sandwich selection was good, if a little small, consisting of a delicious truffled chicken brioche roll, classic cucumber and dill finger sandwich, and open salmon and cream cheese on dark rye. While we would have liked to have seen a little more quantity on the savoury side, maybe a small pastry or another classic finger sandwich, you certainly could not argue with the quality of these afternoon tea favourites executed with a heightened sense of style.

For the scones, we won't lie, we found ourselves wondering for a moment if these were shop-bought or home-made, but it turns out The Ivy's perfectly proportioned fruit scones are in fact freshly baked. Presented on a separate cream tea stand and served with sizeable dollops of Dorset clotted cream, strawberry jam, and fresh strawberries, they did not disappoint.

For us, the top tier ticked all the important boxes of an afternoon tea sweet selection. You've got your fruit, something chocolatey, and traditional flavours done with a twist. First, we had been eyeing up those crème brulee doughnuts from the second the stand arrived at our table and they were so good, we wish we could have taken more home! Followed by the raspberry cheesecake which added a little crunch and refreshing dash of fruit, and finally, the chocolate and salted caramel mousse, presented like cappuccinos in mini espresso cups, which were a nice way to finish. 

Overall, our experience at The Ivy was great. The surroundings are beautiful and the staff were wonderfully attentive. Compared to some of our other recent excursions, it is quite a light afternoon tea offering, so we would probably recommend this more to regular tea-goers looking for a refined, yet informal pit stop whilst perusing York's cobbled streets. That said, where other venues might rely on novelties or themed teas to stand out from the crowd, The Ivy has certainly got the classics sorted and the style to go with it.  

Champagne afternoon tea is priced at £26.50pp. For more information and to book visit: https://theivyyork.com/

We were kindly provided with a complimentary tea for review, but as usual, all thoughts and opinions are very much our own!

Afternoon Tea at The Mount Royale Hotel, York

If you're heading into York for the day, you'd be forgiven for hopping off the train, heading straight into town for a wander through the Shambles and stopping along the way at a famous tea room. However, set your afternoon tea sights a little further and we promise, you will be glad you did, as we discovered last week when we were invited along to The Mount Royale, an independent hotel just a 10-minute stroll away from York Station, with an afternoon tea offering that should definitely be on your radar.

Pastel perfection awaits you inside OXO's on the Mount where its Royal Tea menu is served by appointment only in a lounge style setting that opens up right onto the hotel's impressive gardens. Created by the talented Karen Oxtoby, this afternoon tea is a beautiful blend of colour, flavour and design, filled with countless little details that make this a truly unique offering in a city that is already spoilt for choice when it comes to tea and cake.

To start, presented on a separate serving dish are a range of finger sandwiches with a good selection of breads and fillings including ham and tomato, creamy coronation chicken, tuna and cucumber, egg mayo, and cheese an onion. There is even a cute candy-striped bag of salted crisps to accompany. Hands down our favourite was the coronation chicken, but there are enough flavours to satisfy even the fussiest of palettes - though a couple did only have one of each, so you might have to fight it out!

Next up, the epicentre of any good afternoon tea - the scones. Not only did they look exquisite, perfectly proportioned and homemade with a dusting of sugar on top, the taste test definitely lived up to our high expectations. A very generous helping of jam and cream meant we could layer up on the good stuff to our heart's content and the personalisation of The Mount Royale's locally sourced branded strawberry jam really added that extra touch. However, don't go to overboard, as the best is yet to come.

Served on a two-tier floral stand, the sweet selection is so pretty and thoughtful, you almost feel bad for eating it. But the guilt lasts for all of two seconds when you tuck into this medley of afternoon tea classics and contemporary flavours. Are you a fan of peanut butter? Passionfruit? Amaretto? Take your pick, it's all here. 

The traditionalists out there may deem this array of flavour to be a little OTT, and on another occasion, we might be inclined to agree, but here it works and care has been taken to ensure each piece feels special. The selection includes macaroons, sugar cookies, battenburg, eton mess, mini cupcakes, meringue, and even a milkshake, served in a small bottle coated in rainbow coloured hundreds and thousands, to wash it down. Whether it's the gold dusting, marble effect fondant, or coloured tissue paper parcels, you simply cannot fault the attention to detail and for £19.95 per person (£26.95 with champagne), it's an absolute steal. 

To top it off, we each had substantial pots of breakfast tea and coffee paired with delicate mismatched teacups and saucers. For the tea connoisseurs out there, it might be good to have a tea menu for guests to choose from, particularly for those wanting to be a little more adventurous but for us, it was hardly a deal breaker.

Overall, we loved our time at The Mount Royale. The setting was relaxed, the sun was shining, and the afternoon tea was a real treat. More people need to know about this place. If you're planning a visit to York any time soon and looking for something a little special, this is where you need to be.  

For more information and to book visit: http://www.mountroyale.co.uk/

We were kindly provided with a complimentary tea for review, but as usual, all thoughts and opinions are very much our own!

Afternoon Tea at Richmond Tea Rooms, Manchester

With a super busy week planned for the both of us, Afternoon Tea Week celebrations were very nearly non-existent for us at Afternoon Tea Club (must block out the entire week for cake next year) but luckily, Richmond Tea Rooms in Manchester were there to save the day with a post-work, early evening afternoon tea that's as sweet as its surroundings.

We've been to this Alice-themed wonderland a few times before for cake and coffee but we were yet to try its full Queen's Tea offering, so a sitting at 6pm (and 25% off) felt like the perfect excuse to tick it off our list.

If you're a fan of all things Mad Hatter, Richmond Tea Rooms is a must-visit, decked out in plush Queen of Hearts red, mismatched teapots and 'eat me, drink me' references, it's perfect for escaping reality for an hour or two. 

There are five tea options to choose from ranging from The Alice Tea (cream tea) to The Richmond Tea (complete with champagne). We went for The Queen's Tea which comes served on a classic three tier stand accompanied by colourful pots of refillable tea (breakfast tea and Afternoon Darjeeling - perfect). 

To start, the savoury selection featured a range of fingers sandwiches including chicken mayo, cucumber and cream cheese, ham and tomato and egg mayo, plus a slice of tomato and onion bruschetta. A well-balanced selection and we loved that the sandwiches alternated between pairings of white and brown bread - a cute nod to the topsy turvy affair you might expect to find at the Hatter's tea party.

Next up were the sugar dusted fruit scones, and probably our favourite part for several reasons. One, they were huge. Two, the offer of more jam and cream earned instant points (more places should do this, there is nothing worse than fighting over the last drop of strawberry preserve). And three, they were  just delicious! 

Finally, the sweet selection was just as impressive offering an idyllic blend of cute cakes, fruity flavours and subtle gestures to the tea room's home of Manchester. On offer was a strawberry cupcake, chocolate delice layer cake, Manchester tart, and passion fruit trifle. We loved every bit of it, even if we did struggle to finish the lot. The passion fruit trifle was an absolute winner.

Overall, this is a great afternoon tea and worth a visit for the surroundings alone. At £18.95 per person for The Queen's Tea it's good value and there's even a gluten free option too. If you're looking for a true escape, and great tea and cake to go with it, this is the place to find it.

For more information and to book visit: https://www.richmondtearooms.com/

Happy Afternoon Tea Week!

West Ivy, Bury

For our fellow afternoon tea lovers out there, Christmas has come early in the form of Afternoon Tea Week, giving you the best excuse ever to indulge in tea and cake (come on, like we ever needed the excuse).

Taking place on 13-19th August, there are plenty of great new menus and venues to try and all this week we will be bringing you plenty of inspiration to get you in the mood to celebrate. Plus we've got lots of new reviews from our recent travels up on the blog so go check them out too.

Follow us over on Twitter and Instagram for all of the latest, then go grab your friends, choose your tea, and have a fab Afternoon Tea Week.

Love Laura & Caroline x 

P.s. Let us know how you're celebrating in the comments!

Afternoon Tea at The Chancery, Liverpool

Sometimes artisan pastries, fancy chocolate work and dainty macaroons seem like the most sure fire ways to make an afternoon tea that little bit special. But every now and then, it can simply be about home comforts, traditional flavours and good stodgy slices of cake. At The Chancery, Liverpool, the latter is the order of the day.



We visited The Chancery on a quiet rainy afternoon a few months back after spotting a last-minute deal which we figured would be rude to pass up on. Set just across the road from Liverpool's L1 shopping centre, The Chancery is in a central location but tucked back just enough to make it a good hideaway from the bustle of weekend shoppers.

The restaurant was apparently inspired by a trip its owner took to New York around ten years ago which sparked the idea to combine casual style fine food in a bistro setting alongside a coffee and wine shop. You can definitely get a sense of that here. The huge windows feel very much like a Brooklyn loft and the collection of curious furnishings such as the church pew seating, nautical features and giant mural (an ode to Liverpool's naval past?) bring an injection of character that's unlike anywhere else around.



Afternoon tea is presented on a cute two-tier polka dot stand complete with a hodgepodge of teacups and saucers and vintage-feel teapot filled with our go-to breakfast tea. We do love a mismatched tea set - so very Mad Hatter.

You'll notice this isn't your typical delicate finger food assortment but rather a generous selection of classic flavours and styles. Starting with the sandwiches, cut into triangles, they are bursting with fillings including ham and tomato, egg mayonnaise, and cheese and onion. And there are plenty to go around so be sure to skip any pre-tea snacking.

Next up, the scones were a good chunky size, sprinkled with sugar and with a rustic fresh-out-of-the-oven feel. Served with lashings of jam and cream, they were absolutely delicious.

Sharing the same tier, the sweet selection features a range of well-loved favourites cut into sizeable slices including carrot cake, chocolate sponge and macaroons. To the regular afternoon tea goers out there, this might seem like The Chancery is playing it safe, but believe us, it's much more difficult to do the classics right and these versions were incredible.

Overall this was a really nice afternoon tea, it ticks all of the right boxes and if you book in soon, it's a steal at £30 for two people. If you're looking for no gimmicks but plenty of good food, you can't go far wrong with The Chancery.

For more information and to book visit: 

https://thechanceryrestaurant.co.uk/

Have you ever been to The Chancery? Let us know in the comments!

Afternoon Tea at West Ivy, Bury

Despite only being an hour up the road, until this past week I had never been to the Greater Manchester town of Bury. Yet this weekend I somehow ended up there twice, first for Chinese food and retro video games and second for afternoon tea. Even with my impressive Ms. Pac-Man skills, the tea may just have the edge.

We first spotted West Ivy's afternoon tea whilst perusing our Twitter timeline for our next cake adventure and were instantly intrigued by its fun picnic-like presentation and pink strawberry milkshakes.

Opened earlier this year in a bid to deliver city centre dining without the price tag, the restaurant is adjacent to a range of high street eateries which form part of The Rock shopping complex, complete with an outdoor decking area for soaking up the sun. This al fresco feel continues inside where greenery cascades from the ceiling and light pours in through wall-to-wall full-length windows. We wore sunglasses inside, don't judge.

Word has clearly spread about West Ivy's unique offering as the restaurant was chock full with plenty of people enjoying afternoon tea, which added to the busy city dining ambience. When seated at our sun drenched window table, we were offered the option of prosecco, tea or coffee. It seemed odd that this was presented as an either/or choice - not a huge deal for us having only planned on hot drinks but might be one to check for those fancying some tea with a side of candy floss prosecco (yep, it's a thing).

Tiny criticism here with the tea, but one our eagled eyed Twitter followers haven't failed to pick up on. Tea is served with the bag still in the cup and nowhere discreet to place once used. It's certainly not a deal breaker but it would have been better to have drinks served in a pot to allow enough time to brew and avoid any unsightly (read: non-Instagram worthy) tea stains.

Food comes served in a wooden picnic style basket which opens out into three tiers on each side to reveal a huge selection of food, glorious food. With a bowl of fries thrown in for good measure (similar to The Baltic Social's Punk Tea), this is undoubtedly an alternative afternoon tea - scone lovers, be warned, you won't find them here.

What you will find though is a great variety of flavours and miniatures that will leave you feeling full but not in need of a forklift to take you home (if you've ever partaken in double afternoon tea, you'll know the feeling - will we ever learn?). To start, we had mini chicken salads served in individual dishes which were absolutely delicious, shortly followed by crushed avocado, tomato and radish on toast and chunky halloumi fries. Not to be a millennial cliché but the avocado on toast was amazing and the halloumi fries dipped in sweet chilli sauce were incredibly moreish.

On to the final tiers, and the part that earns this tea the moniker of the "sweetest tea" we've ever had, the dessert selection will send you into a sure sugar coma. Mini donuts dipped in Hersheys chocolate sauce (one of our favourite things ever), slices of caramel cheesecake, miniature jam jars filled with toffee popcorn, and a giant, lightly toasted, marshmallow and chocolate brownie skewer. It's all so good. Plus, to top it off, you have a strawberry and cream milkshake on the side decorated with more marshmallows, otherwise known as "the pink unicorn shake". Heaven.

It's been a while since we've sampled an alternative afternoon tea and the West Ivy may have just reignited our love, though for the traditionalists out there, it might not satisfy your classic afternoon tea cravings. At £19.95 per person, it's a good price if you're after something a little different and the environment itself is perfect for a modern take on afternoon tea. If you're a bit of a sweet tooth, the West Ivy is an absolute must.

For more information and to book visit: 

http://www.westivy.co.uk/

Have you been for an alternative afternoon tea? Let us know in the comments. 

Words: Laura

Photography: Caroline