The Afternoon Tea Club Reviews: Tale as old as time at Town House, The Kensington

“Be our guest, be our guest, put our service to the test!” – that we did, when we visited London last month for the Town House at The Kensington Hotel, “Tale as Old as Time” Beauty and the Beast themed afternoon tea. Have you ever come across a more magical collection of words in your entire life?

Served in the Town House lounge style dining area, you will be joined at your table by both Lumiere and Cogsworth who bring the Disney charm to a sophisticated and neutral luxury setting kitted out with real silver and egg shell blue tableware.

A selection of savouries are served first including mini Venison Pie, Cheese Souffle, and Beef Ragu & Saffron Arancini. A great starter, full of flavour and choice so you’re bound to love at least one - for us that was the tasty venison pie.

Appetites sufficiently whet, the savoury bites were followed by the part we had been excited to see after months of waiting (we booked this back in February so our anticipation levels were at an all time high) - the main event, a beautiful three-tier stand topped with the most adorable selection of themed sweets you could imagine.

Starting with a selection of fresh finger sandwiches, fillings included cucumber and cream cheese, chicken and cranberry, egg mayo and salmon. The sandwiches were good but there was a paste consistency throughout - perhaps a slice of smoked salmon may have been a better choice to add a little more variety in texture.

Then, the sconnoisseurs of you out there will be surprised to hear that the traditional scone with jam and cream has been replaced by mini brioche baguettes with apricot jam and chocolate spread. We loved that this played on the French theme and can confirm they were absolutely delicious.

Finally on to the sweet selection where not a single detail or opportunity was missed to touch on the Disney style including a Cogsworth chocolate tart, coconut and chocolate macaroon, jelly with rose petal accent (a la the bell jar) complete with cream poured from your very own Mrs Potts, and finally a sweet Chip cup filled with a creamy white chocolate mousse. The jelly was definitely our favourite, subtle in flavour and theme, exactly what we like from a novelty tea, and a great way to finish the meal without leaving too full.

Drinks-wise, we opted for champagne (Anything Disney is enough of a special occasion to require champagne) and two pots of earl grey which came in beautiful, silver teapots. 

Just as a side note, if you’re unfamiliar with London and planning on Google-mapping your way to the hotel – PLAN AHEAD. We discovered that the venue is very un-Googleable when we found ourselves a 30 minute walk away, £12 down in Uber costs and very sweaty and dishevelled on the hottest day of the year so far, a shocking 45 minutes late. Definitely looked more Beast than Beauty on this occasion! If you are planning on using Maps ensure you use the first line of the address including door number rather than venue name, otherwise you might end up at a completely different hotel. You live, you learn and we must say this menu more than made up for the travel mishap.

We really enjoyed this tea, the theme was well executed, not too OTT as we’ve come across in other venues or so subtle to the point where the theme is barely recognisable - just the right amount of Instagram cute! Plus the magic continues with a marzipan cookie in the shape of Belle’s gold dress to take home, which we thought this was a really nice touch.

If you’re a Disney fan, this afternoon tea is a must-do, and good news, due to popular demand the hotel has just extended its run until June 2018, including a festive edition! But hurry, bookings fill up fast.

The ‘Tale as Old as Time’ afternoon tea is priced at £35pp (£45pp with a glass of champagne.) 

For more info http://townhousekensington.com/tale-as-old-as-time/

Afternoon Tea at Christmas: The Conrad St James, London

As you can imagine, we’ve indulged in our fair share of Afternoon Teas over the years, some more memorable than others, totting up a shameful amount of scones and macaroons on a near on monthly basis. But on one of our most recent visits, we hit what we believed might be a pivotal point in our tea-sipping ventures - the unshakable feeling of, have we been here before?

Entering the elegant Conrad London St. James earlier this month, we were immediately drawn in by its beautiful lounge seating, twinkling Christmas lights and tall, freestanding, silver tea stands, the latter of which really tipped off our increasing feeling of familiarity. A quick Google and it turns out our suspicions were correct, we had indeed been here before as the hotel had originally served under the Intercontinental Westminster brand, which just happens to be one of our favourite places for tea in London. Winner!

We were there to try Emmeline’s Lounge’s new Winter Solstice menu and the team hasn’t missed a single trick to embrace the theme with warm winter flavours and colour. 

With a glass of G.H. Mumm Champagne in hand, we started with the savoury selection which included a dish of sandwiches featuring beetroot and goat cheese, honey roast ham on cranberry bread, which was delicious and sweet, a classic cucumber and chive creme fraiche, and roast beef and watercress brioche. All of this was joined by fig and blue cheese crostini, smoked salmon and avocado salad served in a small individual glass and finally, our ultimate favourite, turkey, sage and parma ham sausage rolls. There’s so much going on here but all of the textures and flavours fit together well, taking inspiration from classic winter dishes.

Then onto the scones, and we love the way they’re presented still warm and tucked under a napkin blanket. These have also undergone a seasonal twist with toasted pecan and cranberry and orange flavours. The pecan is subtle whereas the cranberry and orange has a real burst of fresh flavour. We couldn’t agree on a favourite between us so we will have to simply say, they’re equally as good and moreish! Plus either could be enjoyed with either St Clements Curd or jam and clotted cream.

As much as you will be tempted to, we recommend not going crazy on the sandwich refills as you will want to save as much room as possible for the beautiful Valrhona chocolate wreath and intertwined sweets that follow. Executive Pastry Chef, Zoe Wager has created a spectacular collection of desserts that carry the dark and rustic tones of Winter through layers of seasonal fruit and chocolate. If, like us, you enjoy a slice (or several) of black forest gateaux at Christmas, you will love the white forest gateaux, plus the double chocolate orange tart was another welcome, and Christmassy-feeling addition for fellow chocolate lovers. The sweet selection also includes a plum, raspberry and almond tart, and a green apple and blackberry mousse.

We’re always completely blown away by the presentation at this hotel and this seasonal tea continues that trend with a sophisticated menu and idyllic afternoon tea serving atmosphere made all the more perfect with soft live music and fairy lights dotted around. There are also so many different types of tea on offer, something which can often overlooked in favour of fancy pastries, and our helpful servers were on hand with recommendations to go with our particular menu which included a wonderful golden loose leaf tea with caramel flavour accents. Prices start at £49pp (without champagne) which puts it on the slightly pricier end of London teas, but trust us, the experience is worth it. If you’re looking for something to warm you up during these cold winter afternoons or a pick me up treat as we move into the January slump, this is where you want to be.

For more information and to book visit: http://conradhotels3.hilton.com/

* Prices correct at time of writing

Whilst we were provided with a complementary afternoon tea for review, all thoughts and opinions are our own!

The Tea Makers of London Review

The popularity of green tea has grown a lot over the last few years and it seems as though no desk snack draw is complete without a loose leaf pick me up. Famed for its supposed healing properties and skincare benefits, the choice of brands and flavours is vast and forever growing. We recently got the chance to try some interesting blends from British tea company, The Tea Makers of London - here's what we thought ... 

The Tea Makers of London was founded by a Sri Lanken tea expert with the goal of sourcing and creating a unique tea experience, or to quite simply “create the perfect cup of tea”. The company kindly sent us three different flavours to taste, each with its own tantalising exotic name: Jasmine Dragon Pearls, Dragon Well and Sencha Supreme.

To start, the packaging is simple but elegant and stamped with ‘The Great Taste Awards 2016’ seal of approval. The large pyramid tea bags are also minimalistic, showing off the high-quality loose leaf tea inside. 

Jasmine Dragon Pearl

Who wouldn’t want to try a tea with such an interesting name? Christened Dragon Pearl because of the pearl shape of the tea, this artisan tea is made from silver needle green tea leaves and Jasmine flowers which give it a yellow hue. A gorgeous fresh, floral scent that hits you straight out of the box and a pleasant smooth taste.

Supreme Dragon Well

This emerald green tea is made up of a selection of pan-fried teas and is apparently chock-full of vitamins. This is your all-rounder tea classic green tea, it’s mild, easy to drink, which makes it the ideal kind of brew to just chill out with. A great choice for any time of day as it's not too strong.  

Japanese Sencha Supreme

This Japanese blend benefits from 800 years of tea-farming which has led to this unique flavour. This one is a little more of an acquired taste, it’s slightly more bitter than the others and its aroma is quite pungent. However for avid green tea drinkers, we think the heightened sensual experience make it an interesting choice for those after authentic flavour, soaked in a rich history. 

So, have the Tea Makers done their job? Have they created the perfect cup of tea? In the land of green tea, they're certainly in the running and we can understand why they've racked up so many 'Great Taste' stars. 

A traditional choice, but a classic for a reason, our favourite was the Dragon Well flavour, a lovely smell and just the right amount of flavour for a satisfying green tea. If you're looking to try a selection of teas that offer an expansive range of tastes and styles, we would definitely recommend checking out The Tea Makers of London.

To find out more, visit www.theteamakers.co.uk

This post was kindly sponsored by the folks at The Tea Makers of London. As usual all thoughts and opinions are our own!

Coffee Break: Crosstown Doughnut & Coffee Bar

On our visit to London last week for our Hello Kitty Afternoon Tea, we made sure we stopped off at a few spots for some extra sweet treats and one we just couldn't walk past was Crosstown Doughnut & Coffee Bar in Soho.

Even your classic glazed or chocolate rings have been taken up a notch here to make these doughnuts extra special. We picked up some raspberry jam doughnuts that were oozing with Crosstown's homemade seeded raspberry jam - amazing, we wish we'd picked up some more for the train home!

Crosstown's doughnuts are freshly made every day at the London bakery and they've got some really unusual flavours like Chilli Chocolate and Watermelon and Lime. You can even order for delivery within Central London - so if you want to score some points at the office today, look no further. 

Have you ever tried Crosstown Doughnuts?

Visit the website for details and locations:

 www.crosstowndoughnuts.com

Hello Kitty at Cutter & Squidge

Mimmy's Pink Lemonade

If there are four words that are going to have us jump on the next train to London, they are ‘Hello Kitty Afternoon Tea’. Throw in a Secret Garden and you’ve got two very excited bloggers.

Cutter & Squidge, a Soho-based cafe has been offering its Kitty-themed Afternoon Tea since June but it has proved so popular that even ATC couldn’t bag a booking before last weekend!

For this special tea, guests are guided by a trail of pink Hello Kitty bows to the downstairs Secret Garden which is suitably kitted out with artificial leafy green vines, flowers and a plush Hello Kitty tree. The tearoom itself is rather small so it’s not the quiet tea experience that some traditionalists may be familiar with, but the lively atmosphere complements the playful theme here well.

Kitty's Chocolate Mud Pie

To start guests are given an old school glass bottle of Mimmy’s Pink Lemonade and a choice of Loose Leaf tea including a special Hello Kitty blend. We went for our usual English Breakfast and Earl Grey.

The main event comes presented in a unique bamboo steamer style stand with a total of five layers to get through. The novel presentation did prove a little tricky on such a small table but nothing a little plate shuffling couldn’t fix. 

First we tucked into the sandwich selection which included cucumber and cream cheese, salmon and chives, cheese and red onion and the deliciously different, hummus and pepper. We just had to ask for more.

For the all-important scones, Cutter & Squidge have gone for a savoury twist offering cheese scones with red pepper relish and cream cheese. An interesting but fitting choice for such a sweets-heavy menu and there were also some delicious mini coronation crackers to go with it.

Savoury cheese scones

On to the sweets and there are whole three layers to work through but that’s never been a bad thing in our books. Particular highlights included the cake truffle, Kitty’s Chocolate Mud Pie and Mimmy’s Pink Lemonade Marshmallow which amazingly does have a real lemonade fizz to it. Many of the desserts come with a Kitty theme whether shaped like her, dyed pink or decorated with her signature bow. As pretty as some of the creations were we felt that the tea lacked the wow-factor that we had hoped for in a Kitty-themed palette and would have liked to have seen a bit more colour and fun thrown in to really make the most of the theme. That said some of the sweets tasted absolutely amazing and we would recommend even just popping into the shop for a slice of cake.

Tea with Kitty

The overall experience was pleasant and it was nice to try a tea with a fun twist. As you would expect from a Hello Kitty event, it’s very family friendly which, in such an intimate space might be a little off-putting to those used to the classic relaxed afternoon tea experience. On the other hand, it’s a good place to pass an afternoon during the school summer holidays that’s a treat for both parents and kids alike. 

Kitty cakes

At £40pp, the tea is on parr with neighbouring venues in the City and value-wise, everything is unlimited within your one hour and 20 minute time slot. Children (8 and under) can choose the Tiny Tea for £20pp. The Hello Kitty Afternoon Tea is available at Cutter & Squidge until 14th September. For more information and to book visit: http://cutterandsquidge.com/

Christmas Unwrapped at InterContinental London Park Lane

Seasonal fizz.

If there are two things that make us feel magical in this world, it’s afternoon tea and ‘The most wonderful time of the year’ … Christmas! Put them both together and you’ve got us set up for a pretty perfect December afternoon. We headed to London as an early festive gift (to us, love us) for the InterContinental London Park Lane’s Christmas Unwrapped afternoon tea. Here's what we thought ...

Taking place in the Wellington Lounge, the setting is both luxurious but relaxed enough to make you feel at home. To get us a feeling merry we began with a seasonal cocktail before proceeding to inhale around 10 cups of accompanying teas – more of that later.

Christmas Unwrapped menu.

Delicately modelled on the traditional Christmas fayre, the savoury tier has got all of your festive favourites lined up in miniature form. Starting with a stilton, chestnut and walnut vol-au-vent and honey roasted root vegetable, complete with gravy, this already felt like the real thing. Followed by a selection of open style sandwiches including turkey, sage and onion stuffing and smoked salmon, crayfish and prawns in Marie Rose sauce accompanied by everyone’s favourite Christmas trimming  - pigs in blankets. Each one was thoughtful and beautifully presented. We couldn’t help but ask for seconds!

A Christmas twist.

Each tier came out separately to keep everything nice and fresh which was particularly good news for the seasonal-scones, which arrived next. The warm Christmas spice and orange peel scones were festive but subtle and went well with the Devonshire Clotted Cream and orange-liquor curd.

Festive favourites.

Mini roasted root vegetable pie.

Of course we would be lying if we said the real selling point of this tea wasn’t the beautiful Christmas gift presentation of desserts that had our appetite’s whet from the first time we laid eyes on it back in October. The InterContinental Hotels are always at the top of their game for presentation – check out this Chelsea Flower Show themed tea we tried at the Intercontinental Westminster hotel – so we were pretty excited by this one. Arriving in a clear presentation box complete with red bow detail we each eagerly pulled at the ribbon to unwrap an enviable selection of themed desserts. Starting with a classic chocolate Yule log sprinkled with glitter we indulged in spiced apple pie (just delicious, by the way), miniature Christmas tree mousse with just adorable attention to detail and of course finally, no Christmas experience would be complete without it – mini Christmas cake.

Seasonal scones.

Now we’ve often pointed out in our various tea outings that despite it being in the name, the actual ‘tea’ is sometimes overlooked. However for this special menu, tea was truly at the heart with a carefully thought out selection of tea flavours that complimented each layer – special thank you to Luigi Vergura for his tea blending expertise!

Tea with thought.

To start we has the Smoky Ceylon made with Ceylon, Lapsang Souchong and Juniper berries which just had the most amazing cosy fireplace feel to it. Shortly followed by the signature Spicy No. 1 Park Lane fused with warming liquorice and cinnamon notes. A more subtle Ayurvedic Harmony blend with rose petal, fennel seeds, cinnamon and ginger, offered a more relaxing feel, perfect for winding down with dessert and then finally Xmas Red Berries with a twist of fresh orange peel. These teas flowed perfectly throughout the meal and made for a delectable experience that really brought all the senses to life and played with Christmas nostalgia.

Underneath the Christmas tree.

The perfect Christmas Gift? Yep.

Overall this was wonderful experience filled with great food, tea and atmosphere. The service at this hotel is fantastic and we were made to feel right at home with teacups topped up and offerings of seconds. If you’re looking to treat someone special this Christmas or New Year – even just yourself – this should be at the top of your Christmas list.

Where to start?

Christmas Unwrapped at InterContinental London Park Lane is available until 3^rd January 2016 and priced at £42pp. For more information and to book visit: www.wellington-lounge.co.uk

Afternoon tea was provided to us for review purposes, but as usual, all thoughts and opinions are our own. Prices correct as of December 2015.