Product Review: Drink Me Chai Latte

For our caffeine conscious readers, The Afternoon Tea Club teamed up with our friends at Drink Me Chai to sample some of their fab 99% caffeine free lattes!

So what exactly is Drink Me Chai? A lusciously sweet, exotic blend of spices, tea and skimmed milk, it’s a different kind of hot drink – based on the original ‘latte’ invented in India more than 5,000 years ago. And because it’s 99% caffeine free, with all the antioxidant benefits of tea, it’s got that extra little virtuous edge too.

So sit back, draw in the enticing scent of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, vanilla... and take a sip. We think you’ll be converted.

Here’s what we thought:
Laura – “I must admit, I am a bit of a coffee fiend and so I couldn’t wait to try DMC’s reduced caffeine lattes.

I tried both the vanilla and spiced latte flavours. The vanilla was definitely my fave - the perfect drink to unwind from a busy day with and great with either hot milk or just water. I added a light chocolate dusting too as an extra treat.

A fitting alternative if you’re watching your caffeine count!”

99% caffeine free.

Caroline - "What I loved most about 'Drink Me Chai' was how guilt free I felt after drinking it. The Vanilla latte in particular was lovely, being very reminiscent of that sold by one of the leading high street coffee chains, only with 99% less caffeine and available for immediate consumption within the comfort of my own home. Win-win!

If you're looking to cut out the caffeine or just feel that little bit healthier, then I'd definitely give this product a try."

Competition time!

How would you like to be in with the chance of winning a suite of Drink Me Chai 250g tubs in all 6 flavours? All you have to do is answer this simple question:
Where was the original 'latte' invented?

a) Italy
b) India
c) Spain

Email your answers to theafternoonteaclub@hotmail.co.uk with 'Drink Me Chai Comp' in the subject line. Don't forget to include your name and address. The closing date will be midnight on Thursday 28th February and we will announce the winner on Friday, March 1.

Good luck!

Laura and Caroline

Terms and Conditions: Open to UK residents only. Only one entry per person. Competition will close at midnight on 28/02/2013. The winner will be chosen at random and announced on 01/03/2013. The Afternoon Tea Club's decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. There will be no cash alternative. Winner will be notified via email. By entering the competition the winner agrees to participate in such promotional activity on our website and Twitter. No responsibility can be taken for any entries which are not recieved for any reason. All prizes will be distributed by 'Drink Me Chai'. The Afternoon Tea Club operates as a separate entity to the Drink Me Chai company.

The Afternoon Tea Club Reviews: Central Perk, Liverpool

Environment

Laura: Could we BEEE anymore excited to be visiting Central Perk?! Smelly Cat mugs, chalk boards with New York themed beverages, neon signs and of course, the famous orange sofa - Central Perk has most definitely landed in Liverpool. Replicas of various props and furnishings housed amongst the brickwork interior, create this miniature snapshot of our favourite fictional coffee shop. It is very small and there aren't many seats which, given how busy it was for a Thursday afternoon, could become a bit of a problem. But it's what most of us have dreamed of for the majority of our teenage years, so it's hard to complain!


Caroline: It's Central Perk Baby - the home of New York Cheesecake, filter coffee and FRIENDS. An almost perfect replica of the iconic television set, Central Perk Liverpool is perhaps one of the most exciting places in the UK at the moment, and is an absolute 'must' if you're in the Liverpool area. Equipped with facsimile furniture and it's very own Gunther, this tea shop has a host of Friends memorabilia, including a signed script and stylised wall prints, encapsulating teenage dreams and bringing them to life. Size-wise, as Laura said, it's very small and perhaps a little cramped, which although a compliment their instant success, make the place feel slightly hectic, but this aside, it really is an excellent environment to spend an afternoon in.


Food

Laura: The menu boasts coffee shop favourites that have appeared in the show and also a huge range of imported American snacks and beverages. I chose a slice of caramel cheesecake, which I was overjoyed to realise came topped with my current favourite chocolates - Caramel Nibbles! I also took advantage of their range of speciality American drinks and chose Pepsi Cherry - Yum! The cake was just gorgeous, really creamy and plenty of hidden chocolates in the middle. I cannot wait to go get another.

I felt the prices at Central Perk were very reasonable. A large slice of cake and a drink cost under £4, which is less than my usual Starbucks order. I was very impressed!


Caroline: When I walked in and saw their selection of treats, I got quite excited. Their menu includes everything from Cupcakes to Cheesecake, also offering a good selection of All-American sweet treats, such as fluff and Hershey's bars, which looked particularly yummy. Similarly their selection of drinks is also of American influence with selections including minute maid. Entering into the full spirit of the Cafe's American-ness, I decided to try a slice of their Victoria Sandwich(!) which although not strictly American (well not American at all) was really very nice. The sponge was moist and the cream was fresh - exactly the way it should be! To drink I had a can of Minute Maid Lemonade and a Latte, both of which were very nice, especially the latte! (they really know how to make coffee at Central Perk, which is very commendable considering its newness)

Price-wise it's very much like any other coffee shop in the area with my total bill coming in at £6.25, which I thought very reasonable, especially when considering the lovely surroundings!

Service

Laura: The service was great with very friendly staff who were more than happy to make suggestions and explain cake options. Particular applause should go to the gentleman serving our table who was extra pleasant and seemed keen to jump in on our photographs! I can't compliment the staff enough for their hard work as the shop was super busy and showed no signs of getting any quieter - Looks like everyone wants a piece of Central Perk!

Caroline: I always commend the service at the cafe's we visit, unless particularly unhappy, because I know how hard people work and what a stressful job it can be, but I really must say that the service at Central Perk was excellent. On the whole we were served promptly, with slight problems we had being rectified quickly. Particular kudos must go to the manager (or the man who I presumed to be the manager) who had excellent manner about him, being particularly hospitable and chatty, and really entering into the spirit of the place, which I found to be quite refreshing!


Overall Thoughts:

Laura: I had prepared myself for disappointment on this occassion. Being a Friends fan throughout most of my life I could have only dreamt of spending an afternoon in Central Perk - but Liverpool's mini version, made those dreams a reality! Lovely food, a great atmosphere and an amazing similarity to the real deal. The only real negative point about our experience was the initial finding of the shop. At the moment, there is a lot of building work going on around it, meaning that the lack of exacting directions on the website made it all that more difficult to spot. But, stick a postcode on the site and the problem would be solved! I highly recommend visiting!

Caroline: I really loved this place and if I lived in Liverpool, I could easily see it becoming one of my regular haunts. However, there is a slight grumble (only a little one) and it's this... Location. Due to its slightly off-centre positioning, Central Perk Liverpool is fairly hidden away, because of which I feel it would benefit greatly from having an address on the website - it took us over an hour to find, after walking down alomst every street in the area.
It's only a small thing and can be easily changed, but I feel that if we hadn't been intent upon visiting then we'd have probably given up long before this time, which I fear may happen with other visitors!
Otherwise - Very, very good - Do Visit!


Cupcake Rating:

The Afternoon Tea Club Reviews: Teacup on Thomas Street, Manchester

Environment

Caroline: Oh Teacup, I'll always love you, I really will - You were the first independent tea room we visited in Manchester and our inspiration to start this blog... but I'm sorry to say, you've changed (and it pains me)

Re-opening after a series of sizable renovations, I expected to find my favourite tea room BIGGER and BETTER than ever, and upon discovering their extension to the upstairs area, it's certainly fair to say that it's bigger. However, 'better' is another question. The Teacup of old had an eclectic mix of New York Cafe Chic and Cath Kidston Kitsch, which worked perfectly to combine the American city with the English country. Their use of cute polka dot tablecloths and quirky graffiti wall art, gave the cafe a character which was uncharacteristic of many in the area, and made it the ideal place to spend an afternoon.

However, the new and 'improved' Teacup has unfortunately abandoned all of these things, settling for an arguably blander and safer alternative. The tables, although nice, are simple and wooden, while the wall art is none existant, with the designer having opted for a dark brown colour scheme throughout. The upstairs extension I feel, has also served to make the cafe appear chaotic, which although not a massive issue, has made the place seem less personal than before.

Having said that, I do like the new counter and blackboards, which make a welcome addition, but unfortunately these fail to make up for the loss of the other, more exciting, character 'features'.

Laura: Yes, Teacup has been our go to retreat for quite some timenow, our little place of tranquillity and indulgence where a slice of flourless chocolate cake could take all of our cares away. But I have to agree, change hasn’t necessarily been a good thing for our faithful friend.

The quirky set up of old has been stripped in favour of a much more minimalistic approach. The basic ambience of Teacup is still there but I feel that this extended version takes away the intimacy that I always found so inviting about the tea shop. I still think the place looks very appealing but I can’t help but miss its old personality, such as that found in little quips on receipts that would say things like ‘Tippers make better lovers.’

Food

Caroline: I've always loved the food at Teacup and have my go-to dishes which I always order when I visit, namely their Ham and Cheese Toasties and Flourless Chocolate Cake. Being a creature of habit, I once again opted for these on my last visit, in the hope of experiencing the same enjoymant as before. By and large the food was pretty similar to before, although I did feel that portion sizes were perhaps a little smaller and I missed the small pots of coleslaw and raddishes which usually accompany the meal.

Laura: As a bit of a soup addict lately I opted for the soup of the day which came served with granary bread to dip. As expected, it was lovely. I decided to move away from my flourless favourite for dessert on this occasion and chose a chocolate brownie (My initial choice of a cupcake was unavailable). Teacup has quite the brownie selection and I chose the Malteaser option. It looked absolutely yummy but I was a little disappointed that some of the brownie appeared undercooked and had more of a cake mix consistency to it. Unless this is a type of brownie I’m unfamiliar with?

Teacup isn’t the cheapest of tea shops we’ve visited with a soup costing just over £4 and a £3 for a brownie. I’d have to agree with Caroline too that the portions do seem considerably smaller than the last time we visited and this hasn’t really been reflected in any price changes.

Service

Caroline: Although the service was highly professional and incredibly friendly, there were occasions when we were overlooked. This is probably down to the new floor plan and with experience I'm sure the staff will adapt to this change of scene - we just happened to catch them at a particularly busy time.

Laura: The staff at Teacup are always extremely polite and friendly.Our server offered her expertise on the available dishes when I was told mydessert choice was unavailable which definitely gains them extra points.However, I too felt we were slightly overlooked as we were left waiting a whilebefore coming to the attention of a member of staff who eventually asked if we would like our bill.

Overall Thoughts

Caroline: From reading my review you'd be forgiven for thinking that I hate the 'new and improved' Teacup. I don't - I'm just disappointed that the new changes have taken away some of the cafe's previous sparkle. When reviewed without previous experience, Teacup is still head and shoulders above a lot of other coffee shops in the city and is nonetheless a pleasure to spend an afternoon in.

Laura: I did in fact enjoy our visit to Teacup and would still recommend giving it a go. After all, as Caroline has already pointed out, it’s the tea shop that made us want to create this blog in the first place! I’m sure we will visit again, it really is a pleasant place to get your cake fix but our last visit didn’t completely match up to some other places that are quickly becoming firm Afternoon Tea Club favourites.

P. S We still love you though... maybe it's us, not you!

Cupcake Rating

Richmond Tea Room, Richmond Street, Manchester

Environment

Caroline: Follow that white rabbit, as you enter into the magical world of the Alice in Wonderland, at the Richmond Tea Rooms Manchester...

When I first heard about this place I was very excited, but then I started to worry that it might not live up to my expectations. Well, I have some news for you - it's perfect!
From its throne-esque chairs to its adorable dolls house, this place oozes magic and fairy dust. I particularly loved the 'Eat Me' 'Drink Me' signs above the bar and the mulit-zoned layout which really completed the 'Alice' look!
- Fabulous

Laura: The Richmond Tea Room really does make you believe you have been invited to the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. Perfectly patterned walls, rich velvety canopies and even an indoor greenhouse all add to the quirky fairy tale environment.

I loved the window seats filled with luxurious pink cushions and the decadent mirrors that wouldn’t be out of place in a Disney movie. Little touches such as Alice artwork, vintage sounds and an old fashioned till register make Richmond Tea Rooms one of the most beautiful tea shops I have ever visited…and that’s a lot!

Food

Caroline: I was SO excited when I saw their pretty cake cabinet and couldn't wait to try a slice of strawberry victoria sandwich - which I must add, was decorated to perfection. However, when it arrived, I was a little disappointed by the cake itself, which I found to be a bit dry (Although I am willing to believe that this was due to us visiting in the late afternoon, rather than earlier on!)

Pricewise, it's a little dearer than other places, with a cake and a coffee totalling £6.00. But when considering the high quality finish of the surroundings, you can't really complain about paying that little bit extra!

Laura: The cake cabinet was a dream for a cake fiend like myself and offered a fabulous range of sweet treats. I too chose a traditional slice of victoria sponge which was wonderfully presented with a juicy strawberry on top. A generous piece but slightly let down by its dry sponge and hardened cream. However, maybe our late visit was to blame here!

Although tempted to go with the Alice theme and try ‘Curious Cola’, I opted for a latte which totalled the bill at £6. A little steep for coffee and a cake but when you’re comfortably sat in somewhere that pretty, what’s a few extra pounds?

Service

Caroline: The staff were all friendly and really went out of their way to make you feel at home - full marks!

Laura: The staff were all very welcoming and I appreciated that we were given a choice of table upon entry, which obviously saw me run for the pink cushions. Pleasant and polite – It’s all we ask for!

Overall Thoughts

Caroline: This place is truely wonderful and if disney had a tea room, this is how they'd do it. I'm already planning my return visit!

Laura: I have already told just about anyone willing to listen about Richmond Tea Rooms. It’s wonderfully over the top, storybook-pretty and their afternoon tea choices looked amazing! I cannot wait to go back.

Cupcake Rating