Last Monday the Afternoon Tea Club were invited to sample high tea at one of the UK's top venues - Crewe Hall. With its beautiful views and exquisite Jacobean interior, this was certainly an experience that we won't be forgetting in a hurry!
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| Crewe Hall |
Environment
Caroline:
The expansive landscapes and quintessentially English exteriors of Crewe Hall, combine to create the perfect Afternoon Tea setting. Located on its own estate, just ten minutes away from Crewe town centre, this Jacobean manor house has an extraordinary historical background, which will engage even the most passive of historians, with previous visitors including her Majesty the Queen and Charles Dickens. However, if the celebrity-factor doesn’t do it for you, the Hall’s interior certainly will, with beautiful period features and stained glass windows running throughout to create a luxurious environment.
The Sheridan lounge, where tea is served, is wonderfully lavish with beautiful ornate turquoise ceilings and rich furnishings, working together to create a lovely vibrant feel. The room itself is light and airy, with large windows allowing for an abundance of natural light, whilst the presence of potted plants, offers a freshness which really enhanses the environment wonderfully.
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| The Sheridan Lounge |
Laura:
Steeped in history dating all the way to back to Doomsday
1086, Crewe Hall is the epitome of Great British grandeur. Arriving from its private
approach road, this stately building set amongst vast greenery, is an absolutely
breath taking fete of architecture.
Before it’s time for tea there is a lot to explore in the former
Jacobean Hall. Take a wander through the hallway to admire the giant library,
stunning stained glass windows and the many ornate fire places, all with their
own unique story to tell.
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| The Full Tea |
When it’s time for an afternoon
treat, The Sheridan Lounge is where the real magic happens. This utterly
luxurious tea room is presented to perfection with deep tones of plum,
chocolate and turquoise. Its modern colour scheme works beautifully amongst the
traditional setting of vintage tea room equipped with leather seating you would
envisage in a decadent lounge from a bygone era of complete class.
I loved the huge windows and
incredibly detailed carvings found on the far wall and above the fireplace
- there literally isn’t an inch of this
place that doesn’t come with a story. Just gorgeous.
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| Scones |
Food
Caroline:
Crewe Hall’s Afternoon Tea is everything that it ought to be: elegant, sophisticated and delicious. Dominating the table with its substantial height and impressive selection of treats, this tea is an absolute delight for the eyes and palate.
The menu itself is executed to perfection and offers a good selection of traditional classics, including: Finger Sandwiches (Coronation Chicken, Cucumber and Crème Fresh, Ham and Mustard, and Salmon) Warm Scones (fruit and plain) with Strawberry Jam and Clotted Cream, and a selection if Cakey Treats (Chocolate Macaroons, Fruity Manchester Tart, Orange Gateaux and Chocolate Éclair)
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| Afternoon Tea |
The standard throughout the selection is consistently high, with all sandwiches being freshly prepared to order - an element which, although small, was greatly appreciated (too often do we come across sandwiches which are pre-made and a little dry!) - my favourite of these had to be the Coronation Chicken which I’ve never experienced before in an afternoon tea, but which I greatly enjoyed and thought made for a nice contrast alongside the other staple classics. My favourite from the cake tier had to be the Chocolate Macaroon, which was lovely and rich without being at all overpowering, whilst the Manchester Tart offered a nice contrast with light and fruity flavours.
With champagne, special loose leaf teas and a food selection to die for, you can’t really go wrong with Afternoon Tea at Crewe Hall.
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| Timed Tea |
Laura:
My eyes lit up when our
afternoon feast arrived at the table. Laid out on a gorgeous three tier stand
with an endless supply of fabulous Twining’s tea, I knew we were in for an
amazing afternoon.
Freshly prepared in Crewe
Hall’s Victorian kitchen, our luxury Champagne Tea began with a refreshing
glass of orange juice and a selection of teas to impress the most enthusiastic
of tea lovers.
I opted for the intriguingly
named Russian Caravan –a smoky blend which I’m told was transported in caravans
when the tea was first brought from India to Europe. The tea was lovely with
and without milk and made a pleasant change to my usual cup of coffee. Plus it
was great to get a real tea experience with sand timers to ensure our drinks
were brewed to 3 minute perfection!
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| The Cakes |
The range of finger
sandwiches was excellent. Traditional fillings but with a distinctive accompaniments
that although subtle, made a huge difference. We were served cucumber with
mint, Coronation chicken, salmon and ham and mustard. My favourite was the
salmon – fresh and the bread was super soft, something that is normally very
easy to get wrong – impressive!
Next up and the staple of
afternoon tea – scones with jam and cream. I loved that we were given 2 of each
variety, plain and fruit filled. It has to be said that these were some of the
best looking scones we have ever had, brown and glossy on top and lashings of
jam and cream to accompany. I particularly loved the jam and cream serving
dishes as they were set aside from the main tier which made them very easy to
dish out between the two of us!
The selection of cakes was tremendously
generous and included chocolate macaroons, Manchester tart, orange praline
gateaux and chocolate éclair. The desserts complemented each other wonderfully
with a good mix of textures and flavours – a real treat for the self-confessed
sweet tooth like myself!
This afternoon tea is one of
complete indulgence and if like me, you find yourself defeated by this lavish
cake selection, don’t worry as the lovely staff will box up any leftover
goodies for you to enjoy at home – or if you’re anything like me and couldn’t
wait – on the train home!
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| Tea Time |
Service
Caroline:
We’ve had first rate service before, but nothing that quite compares to that on offer at Crewe Hall. From the lovely ladies and gents on reception, to the tea experts in the Sheridan Lounge, everyone at this hotel has a role to play and all play it exceedingly well. The commitment and enthusiasm from all staff towards their hotel is commendable, with absolutely no request being too much, as they strive for the excellence synonymous with high class dining.
Special mention must go to the Hotel’s Tea experts whose product knowledge was exceptional - Not only did they have exacting information about all of the blends available, but were also able to offer an interesting anecdote for each - I particularly enjoyed the story behind the ‘Russian Caravan’ Tea.
All in all brilliant service!
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| Champagne |
Laura:
Passionate staff give Crewe Hall the upper hand – these guys
really know their tea! The staff were extremely knowledgeable on the various
tea options available and had extensive knowledge on the history of the hotel.
Their appetite for great service was undeniably genuine and their warm
personalities made this all the better. Special thanks must go to Kyle who was
kind enough to give us a tour of the historic building and was incredibly
attentive to our tea needs.
Overall Thoughts
Caroline:
It’s easy to see why Crewe Hall was recently voted by the AA as one of the top ten afternoon tea venues in the UK. Not only does it offer a perfect experience, but it does so with such ease and sophistication, as to make you feel truly at home. It is perhaps the most authentic afternoon tea experience which we have encountered so far and I would not hesitate to return again in the future.
Laura:
My favourite afternoon tea so far. With a great selection of
cakes and the best tea selection yet, it puts you under a tea spell and makes
you feel as special as the building itself.
The thriving yet sophisticated Sheridan Lounge has a
wonderful atmosphere and brings a whole new lease of life to this longstanding afternoon
tradition.
Beautifully luxurious and frequented by Royals for many
generations – Crewe Hall is a must try and definitely gets our seal of
approval.
Cupcake Rating:
And the Golden Cupcake...
Crewe Hall is
located on Weston Road Crewe. Afternoon Tea Prices start from £20.50 and are served daily from 12pm - 5pm. For more information, menus and
how to book a table please visit their website HERE
DISCLAIMER: As is common in the catering and leisure industry, we were provided with
complimentary services for review purposes. Whilst this has not
influenced our review, we believe in the full disclosure of all
potential conflicts of interest.
