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

WIN Bettys 100th Anniversary Gift Set

COMPETITION TIME!

As well as being Easter Sunday, today (21st April) also marks the celebration of #NationalTeaDay 2019 - a day to honour the Great British Brew in all its forms. To celebrate, we're offering one lucky person the chance to win a Bettys 100th Anniversary tea and biscuits gift set worth £9.95. 

To enter, all you have to do is follow us over on Instagram at @TeacupReview and comment on our competition post, sharing what your favourite type of tea is - ours is Earl Grey.

The giveaway will close on 26th April, so get your entries in quick.

Good luck (and happy Easter!)

Laura & Caroline x

Open to UK residents only. Only one entry per person. Competition will close at midnight (BST) on 26/04/2019. The winner will be chosen and announced on 30/04/2019. The Afternoon Tea Club's decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. The Afternoon Tea Club is not responsible for inaccurate prize details supplied by third party connected to this competition. There will be no cash alternative. Winner will be notified via Instagram. 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 received for any reason. This is an independent competition and is in no way affiliated with Facebook or Instagram.

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!

January Tea-Tox Guide

We’re just a few weeks into the new year and if you’re anything like us, you’ve just about finished off the mountain of chocolate you collected from various relatives and friends over the Christmas period and never want to see another Pringle again. So, that means it's the perfect time to start that detox you’ve been talking about but putting off since January 1st (you're not alone!). We’ve been trying out some healthy tea products that could give your detox the kickstart it needs and get you feeling re-energised. Time for a tea-tox!

JING Tea

Matcha, the traditional ceremonial Japanese green tea, has been hailed as somewhat of a super tea and with plenty of celebs and fitness influencers spotted sipping the stuff all over Instagram, it’s also become pretty fashionable. Health benefits and Insta-cred? Count us in. We’ve tried a fair few matcha teas in the past but found that often, we just didn’t have time for the full matcha experience. However, JING Tea has launched a new single-origin Matcha Japanese Green Tea sourced directly from a garden in Kagoshima, Japan, and matching Matcha Shaker, which allows you to enjoy matcha on-to-go. Simply pop in the matcha powder, add water, give it a shake and it’s ready. We fully recommend trying this matcha cold - full of antioxidants, super easy and refreshing.

JING Matcha Green Tea (30g) (£24) and JING Matcha Shaker (£30) available from https://jingtea.com

Matcha NOW

Speaking of tea on the go, Matcha NOW, offers a slightly different matcha experience. Packed with 137 times the antioxidants of regular green tea, Matcha NOW claims to deliver the potency and benefits which can be lost in premixed matcha. It comes served in a handy water bottle with special twisty cap, which releases fresh matcha into chilled purified water, right when you need a boost - ideal for carrying with you to the office or post-workout. We tried a few different flavours including ginger and turmeric, peppermint and 100% pure matcha. The ginger is incredibly powerful so certainly wakes you up, however our favourite had to be the classic flavour - great taste and just a really simple way to try matcha. Plus, for a bonus feel-good factor, Matcha NOW has just launched its #IQuitCoffee campaign and is donating 5% of all profits to the mental healthy charity, Mind.

From £2.99 each at https://www.matchanow.co.uk

Indigo Herbs

If loose leaf tea is more your style, Glastonbury-based Indigo Herbs offers a purifying Super Cleanse Tea made from pure botanical ingredients including fennel, liquorice and ginger. If you’ve been hammering the caffeine and feel a little sluggish, this tea is said to help you recover from the effects of those nasty toxins. Just pop a couple of teaspoons into a pot, leave it to brew for around 10 mins and let the natural ingredients do their job. It smells incredible and has a great sweet taste with an aniseed kick. Ideal for relaxing at home and boosting your detox diet. 

Available for £3.99 (50g) from https://www.indigo-herbs.co.uk

OMGTea

If you’re looking for another easy way to try healthy matcha tea, OMGTea has created new single serve sachets of its Great Taste award-winning organic Japanese matcha. These are perfect for enjoying matcha at the office or even on your travels. Serve hot by mixing the powder and 80℃ water into a paste before topping with more water and whisking until frothy to deliver a rich, sweet flavour. Or try it cold by popping one sachet into a bottle with chilled water and shaking thoroughly - easy! For tea-tox points, OMGTea says the tea can help to burn calories and increase your energy levels.

Available in packs of 14 for £14.95 from https://omgteas.co.uk

Are you doing a January tea-tox? Let us know which teas you’re trying in the comments or on social @TeacupReview!

Evening Tea at The Midland, Manchester

Afternoons full of tea and cake are the best (obviously!) but do you know what can be more fun? Evenings full of tea and cake … and cocktails too, otherwise known as our new favourite past time, Evening Tea.

We discovered this little treat a few months back after struggling to find a free weekend for our afternoon adventures and landing upon The Midland in Manchester, which on top of its traditional and Royal Afternoon Tea, offers the option of Evening Tea complete with gin and tonic. 

Served in its beautiful Tea Room, said to be Manchester's only setting specifically designed for afternoon tea, this is the perfect evening oasis to unwind in after a busy day (particularly good for those early January back to work blues).

First comes gin number one, a local Manchester Three Rivers and tonic served with apricots and rosemary. A refreshing start to the first tier, which came loaded with a range of sandwiches and pastries including ox cheek & blue cheese croquette, crab cakes, tomato & goats cheese tart, and salmon and crème fraîche, along with coronation chicken and roast beef with horseradish finger sandwiches, each served on various types of fresh bread. We loved the mix of savoury options, fitting for an evening menu, and were huge fans of the croquette and creamy chicken filling. 

Next up, we were given a choice of plain or fruit scones so decided to opt for one each paired with clotted cream and a selection of jams. The scones were absolutely perfect from the look to the taste and it was great to get a choice of jam (even if we did go for classic raspberry) to make them all the more special.

The second pairing of gin came in the form of a fruity Brockmans with strawberries, blackberries, raspberries. This one was definitely our favourite, a really smooth gin bursting with fruity flavour. Even if you're not usually a fan of gin, we reckon this is one that could change your mind. 

On to the final tier, a slightly smaller cake selection than your typical afternoon tea but a balanced one featuring carrot opera cake and a berry and chocolate macaroon, offering a welcome dash of colour to the primarily savoury stand. Both were delicious and though we both consider ourselves to have a bit of a sweet tooth, this was plenty to satisfy our cravings.

Overall we had a fab first Evening Tea experience. Available between 5.30-7pm Thursday to Sunday, it's an idyllic post-work getaway. Even if you just fancy treating yourself and a friend at the weekend (because January can be fun too) it's actually pretty good value at £35pp including gin. With more late tea menus popping up around the UK, perhaps evening is the new afternoon. 

For more information and to book, visit: https://tearoomatthemidland.co.uk/

The Bridge, Prestbury

Is there any better way to spend an autumnal day than by going for a peaceful country walk, wrapped up in your favourite coat and woolly hat, and topping off the afternoon with some good food? We think not, and though most people around us were enjoying a good Sunday roast (which looked amazing, FYI) our trip to The Bridge, Prestbury was of course for our preferred Sunday afternoon treat, afternoon tea.  

Recently refurbished, this Cheshire-based find, a short 10-minute drive from Macclesfield, is an idyllic place for tea. Outside, it has the charm of your go-to countryside pub with a modern splash of white and sage green, but inside, the styling in earthy tones, pinks and greys with floral decoration cascading from the walls and upholstery, gives it a feel of a contemporary restaurant akin to the The Botanist (another of our faves). Similar to its sister venue, The Vicarage in Holmes Chapel, part of the Flat Cap Hotels group which we paid a visit to earlier this year, it's light, open and brimming with both rural charisma and modern style. Can we just move in, please?

But on to the main event, the food. The Bridge offers both a standard afternoon tea priced at £17.95 or prosecco tea for £21.95 - good news for gin fans, you can also opt for G&T. With the offer of prosecco, we of course obliged. The floral theme continues on the menu as our tea arrived on a three-tier stand, packed with colour and some of the most intricately decorated cakes we have seen on our recent travels. Bright pink cake with gold flecks? Count us in.   

We started with an assortment of finger sandwiches with a range of breads and fillings including egg mayonnaise, ham, tomato and mustard, and salmon. The sandwiches were all wonderfully fresh and the salmon in particular, which is always a winner, was just delicious. The only fault here was on our part in that we didn't ask for more!

Then on to the scones, a good size and top marks for the absolute holy grail of afternoon tea standards for us - a pot of jam and pot of cream, each! Not needing to worry about being sparing with the preserve, we lobbed the lot on to our fruit scones, lightly dusted with icing sugar, and they were fab.

On to the final tier and to those beautiful bold creations we mentioned earlier. The selection of homemade cakes (two of each, always a plus) were decorated to perfection and featured a range of contrasting flavours. This included a miniature lemon cake in the style of a rose, a berry mousse on a biscuit base, and a cream pastry topped with rhubarb flavours, and of course, those beautiful gold flakes. Though we adored the detail of the latter, our favourite had to be the lemon cake; bitesized, pretty, packed with flavour and it really complemented the restaurant’s interior style. 

Overall, we were really impressed by The Bridge. The restaurant itself is beautiful and the food can’t be faulted. If you’re looking for somewhere to unwind this weekend or treat yourself to a winter warmer without breaking the bank, we would certainly recommend adding it to your list. With seasonal menus featuring locally sourced ingredients - we already can't wait to come back for Spring.

For more information and to book, visit: https://thebridgecheshire.com

Cake Break: Bean & Cole, Chester

When you've found somewhere that does that perfect latte and brownie combo, it can be very easy to get stuck in a routine of going to the same coffee spot week in, week out. Whilst we're all for cake-loyalty, that regularity can often mean you miss out on what that new coffee shop in town, the one you swear you've been meaning to try, has to offer. We found a perfect example this weekend when we popped into Bean & Cole, a new coffee house on Frodsham Street in Chester.

There is a lot to love about this place; cool stripped brick walls, colourful hippie-style seat cushions, selection of independent magazines, puppy-friendly atmosphere, but the stand-out feature of Bean & Cole has to be the coffee itself. We went for a latte and cappuccino, complete with smooth coffee art and colour block cups and saucers - perfect.

Of course, all good coffee deserves good cake, and Bean & Cole offers a range of pastries, tray bakes and generous slices to accompany its menu. We opted for a coffee cake and have to say, it was one of the best we've ever had. So good, we felt incredibly guilty leaving any trace on the plate but this time the chunky portions (which by no means should be changed based on this critique!) managed to defeat us - we will back.

Special mention must also go to the lovely team at Bean & Cole who were super friendly and made us so at home, we didn't want to leave.

The coffee scene in Chester is certainly growing and that makes us very happy. If you're heading to the city any time soon, why not skip your usual high street haunts and grab your coffee break here? We promise you won't be disappointed.

Laura

5 things we're looking forward to on this year's Great British Bake Off

In case you were feeling a little glum from the sugar comedown after Afternoon Tea Week, the Great British Bake Off has returned just in time to fill the cake void in our lives. Here are five things we're looking forward to this series.

1) Having an excuse to talk about cake again

For the estimated three people in the UK who didn't get sucked into watching Love Island this year, the last few months have been a bit of a struggle, avoiding conversations and feeling like a bit of a social outcast whilst everyone else at the office sipped on personalised Love Island branded water bottles. With GBBO back on our TV screens, it's back to cakes, bakes and all the drama that goes with it. Finally!

2) Noel's fabulous shirts

Now, Mary Berry may have turned herself into an unexpected style icon during her reign (did anyone manage to get one of those Marks and Spencer bomber jackets?) but last year we found ourselves looking forward to seeing Noel's choice of quirky shirt each week just as much as the star bakes. Ice cream prints, giant tomatoes, polka dot smiley faces - we'll be scouring Asos for copies in no time. 

3) Going back to basics

Like any great afternoon tea, we love a good showstopper bake as much as an offer of bottomless prosecco, but sometimes it's the classics that steal the show. We're happy to hear some of this year's challenges have gone "back to basics" in a bid to encourage wannabe cake-goddesses like ourselves to get baking. No need to worry about any more 'Italian Week' fails this year then?

4) Vegan Week

According to a recent survey there are around 3.5 million people in the UK choosing to enjoy a plant-based diet so it seems only fitting that this series should include a week dedicated to vegan recipes. With more and more menus offering great vegan options these days, there's no reason to think that no meat, eggs or dairy means you have to sacrifice on taste. We're excited to see what the team have come up with!

5) The end of innuendo?

Okay so not so much as "looking forward to" the end of soggy bottoms but rather, intrigued as to how we might cope without them if the rumours are true. Noel and Sandi have said innuendo isn't really their thing and Paul has commented that it's "not the be all and end all of the show" (erm, we respectfully disagree). However, Prue has weighed in to say that though the jokes may not be planned, we'll definitely get some. As Noel stated last year; "If there's an opportunity for exposed bottoms we should embrace it". Rightly so.

The Great British Bake Off returns to Channel 4 on 28th August.


Image: Mark Bourdillon / Love Productions/Channel 4

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/