Afternoon Tea .....

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Boris+
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Afternoon Tea .....

Unread post by Boris+ »

I saw the two tv programs about tea - and more importantly afternoon tea. It's just one of the plus points of living in this country - and a truly lovely thing to do.

No doubt we all have our favourite places and menus - I have had awesome times at several branches of the famous Betty's (Harrogate etc), and also at The Grosvenor Hotel in Stratford upon Avon.

Admittedly Betty's had a busier and typical commercial tea-room setting, but oh the food at The Grosvenor (including such delights as pineapple scones!!! :thumbup: ) is now on our wish list of things to do later on this year. (Conveniently there some smashing shops in SoA too).

Care to share your afternoon tea times?

Please - pretty please with bells and flowers on? Ah go on, you know you want to!

Em :lol:

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Manoverboard
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Re: Afternoon Tea .....

Unread post by Manoverboard »

The last time that I had a cup of tea was in .... no idea, disgusting stuff :thumbdown:

Real coffee and coffee n walnut cake is a possibility though :clap:
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GillD46
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Re: Afternoon Tea .....

Unread post by GillD46 »

We had Afternoon Tea at the Athenaeum on Piccadilly, voted London's Best Afternoon Tea in 2012, just a couple of weeks ago. It was absolutely delightful, especially accompanied by a glass of delicious Rose Petal Champagne. Cost £36.50pp.

Afternoon Tea is very B I G business in London, and the Athenaeum has three sittings. We chose to take ours at 12.30 so we could enjoy it for lunch, and it enabled us to catch an afternoon train back to Wales.

Highly recommended.
Gill


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Boris+
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Re: Afternoon Tea .....

Unread post by Boris+ »

Hi Gill,

Thanks for that, I need a good excuse for a trip to London (haven't really been for shopping since sorting out a wedding). I think it sounds great - will have a look online - but I'd opt out of the champagne option. I just can't be doing with champagne for afternoon tea, but that's just me! :D MoB - now that's naughty. You could so easily lead people astray with that!

Any more for any more?

Is there cream nosh including ferret fodder in rural Darzet I wonder?

Em :D

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Dancing Queen
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Re: Afternoon Tea .....

Unread post by Dancing Queen »

Have enjoyed afternoon tea many times at Betty's in York, must be good as I have been known to queue for up to an hour to get a table :o

I love going to Reids in Maderia so I'm always happy if we have a late sailing from there and can indulge in AT without having to rush back to the ship, for anyone who hasn't tried it you can DIY, I e-mail and book to ensure I get a table on the terrace ( the P&O trip you are in an inside room )

I'm with MoB tea is disgusting :thumbdown: give me a good cup of coffee anytime :lol:
Jo

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GillD46
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Re: Afternoon Tea .....

Unread post by GillD46 »

Dancing Queen wrote:

I'm with MoB tea is disgusting :thumbdown: give me a good cup of coffee anytime :lol:
And me!
Gill

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frintonite
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Re: Afternoon Tea .....

Unread post by frintonite »

Last Saturday we went for afternoon Tea at the Courthouse hotel London ( ex mags court) opp Carnaby St, and the went to see We will Rock you afterwards. Great day out
AKA Ray & Sue

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Re: Afternoon Tea .....

Unread post by Holiday Planner »

This might post twice, asI thought I'd just done it - must have pressed the wrong button!

I don't tend to opt for full Afternoon tea ... I make sandwiches every day, and never think the 'posh' ones are any better. However, I love stopping for tea and scones or cake.
Last Saturday we had a 'girlie day' where my daughter and I met up with my Mum and my sister in Birmingham. We ate lunch in The Hyatt, but I couldn't help noticing that everyone else there was having afternoon tea (at 1pm!) - delicious it looked, too!

I now realise that if another post has been made in the meantime, you have to press 'submit' twice. I think this is what i failed to do first time round!
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oldbluefox
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Re: Afternoon Tea .....

Unread post by oldbluefox »

We had afternoon tea in Rose Cottage, Cockermouth. It's just a small hotel/guest house but everything is entirely home cooked and absolutely delicious. And at £10 very good value for money. If you know where to look there are some wonderful places to go.
My most exotic location and afternoon tea was at The Mandarin, Hong Kong which was well worth getting dressed up for but a long way to go on a Sunday afternoon.
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Mo2013
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Re: Afternoon Tea .....

Unread post by Mo2013 »

I like both tea, and freshly ground coffee. I don't do afternoon tea at home, but the last time I went to my usual spa, we indulged in proper afternoon tea, with a glass of champagne. There were lovely little sandwiches, ham, beef, salmon, etc. and dainty pastries and tiny cakes. We shared it, and it was enough because having eaten lunch, with a 4-course dinner in the evening coming up, it was over and above our daily intake of food. But it was lovely. It was around £13. I expect if you have lunch at say 1 pm, and dinner at 8 - 8.30 pm, it's a long time inbetween to go without food !


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Re: Afternoon Tea .....

Unread post by Boris+ »

Hi Jo,

I'm secretly aiming to slot in a cruise to the Canaries again in the not too distant future - and this time I'll probably take up your kind idea and head for Reid's. I'll toast you when we're there (not in the toaster - just thinking of you and wishing you well).

I did once experience truly mountainous scones at Clevedon - but that was years ago. There was so much cream (applied by the waiter) that it got completely up everyone's nose! Couldn't be polite and well behaved - all sat there with cream moustaches! :lol: There just was no polite way to cnquer the blasted things!

Em :D

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Re: Afternoon Tea .....

Unread post by GillD46 »

How very odd that a waiter would spread the cream. I hope he didn't touch the scone. It wouldn't do for me as I only like a very thin spread of cream.
Gill

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Re: Afternoon Tea .....

Unread post by Dancing Queen »

You won't be disappointed Em, they do two sittings 3.00pm and 4.30pm and I would recommend booking in advance direct with the hotel cost approx 28 euro pp ( no deposit required or there wasn't a couple of years ago ) and do ask for a table on the terrace as there are a limited number, I like the 4.30pm slot as it is unhurried.
Jo

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Re: Afternoon Tea .....

Unread post by Dancing Queen »

Ahhh I'm the other way Gill I like a thin spread of Jam and the more cream the better ... not good for the waistline though :o
Jo

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GillD46
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Re: Afternoon Tea .....

Unread post by GillD46 »

Dancing Queen wrote:
Ahhh I'm the other way Gill I like a thin spread of Jam and the more cream the better ... not good for the waistline though :o
I like lemon curd on mine, Jo, but if it has to be jam, then it must be raspberry and just a smear. Oh gosh, I could eat one RIGHT NOW!
Gill

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Re: Afternoon Tea .....

Unread post by Dancing Queen »

I never thought about lemon curd, I would love that ... must try asking for it the next time we are on a ship, I don't really like jam at all but you can't really have a cream scone without it can you :roll:
Jo


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Re: Afternoon Tea .....

Unread post by Boris+ »

Re the waiter spreading the cream - it wasn't so much spreading it as sort of 'plopping' it out of a large spoon! Thankfully we had already spread our own butter and jam - so the waiter just came along with this huge bowl of cream .... and in a masterful way sort of 'plopped' Mt Etna on top of the jam! Much merriment ensued.

Jo - I think (being a typical old worrypot) I may well book the tea at Reid's as an excursion from the ship. Otherwise I won't relax - I'll be worried about getting back to the ship; but it depends on what time we're due out of port. We'll see.

Lemon curd sounds lovely. Whenever I can I always try and opt for apricot preserve - but when we were offered pineapple scones we thought it would simply be pineapple preserve, but it wasn't - the scones had been freshly made and had little pineapple pieces in them.

It's going to be very much later in the year - and if I'm a very good girl then just maybe we'll pop in a Canary Islands cruise - and I promise to get to Reid's .

Meanwhile, I have to say that in Betty's in York we had a wonderful rhubarb cake - not the whole thing, just a slice each.

At one afternoon tea we were offered cheese scones in with the normal scones - and it really made sense. Instead of afternoon teas just trotting out a variety of sandwiches (or mini rolls on Cunard) I do wish that there were more savoury items too.

Em :D


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Re: Afternoon Tea .....

Unread post by Andrea S »

Afternoon tea is a no go for me. I don't drink tea, I don't like sandwiches and I don't like cake. Anything with pastry is on my ' delight ' list and scones, almost of the oven


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Re: Afternoon Tea .....

Unread post by Andrea S »

Oops , should be almost from the oven. Homemade strawberry or raspberry jam and Cornish cream. Some places use double cream that doesn't have quite the same taste. One thing I do at home is also put butter on , is that taboo.

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Manoverboard
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Re: Afternoon Tea .....

Unread post by Manoverboard »

Thick salted butter, home made raspberry jam and a generous serving of clotted cream on a scone, cheese or otherwise, cut in half .... perfick, followed by a trip to the Docs to check out the cholestrol levels :clap:
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Dancing Queen
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Re: Afternoon Tea .....

Unread post by Dancing Queen »

Em, I agree, unless you have an evening in port I wouldn't risk DIY either but if you do then it is very easy to get a taxi from the port and the hotel will phone for one for your return.

On Arcadia we were also offered toasted teacakes and crumpets but it was a Xmas market cruise ( and cold ) and our only time on Arcadia so whether or not this is the norm I don't know.
Jo

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Re: Afternoon Tea .....

Unread post by Manoverboard »

Dancing Queen wrote:
Em, I agree, unless you have an evening in port I wouldn't risk DIY either but if you do then it is very easy to get a taxi from the port and the hotel will phone for one for your return ....
Tis not a problem on the way back, it's all down hill :lol:
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Re: Afternoon Tea .....

Unread post by noddy10 »

We always do afternoon tea on the ship in the restaurant and not the buffet and we have always been offered crumpets and toasted teacakes and the tea is proper tea from the pot and not a horrible tea bag thrown in a mug with hot water on it.

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GillD46
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Re: Afternoon Tea .....

Unread post by GillD46 »

Cream AND butter :shock: :shock: :shock:
Gill

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Dancing Queen
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Re: Afternoon Tea .....

Unread post by Dancing Queen »

Manoverboard wrote:
Dancing Queen wrote:
Em, I agree, unless you have an evening in port I wouldn't risk DIY either but if you do then it is very easy to get a taxi from the port and the hotel will phone for one for your return ....
Tis not a problem on the way back, it's all down hill :lol:
Very true Moby but it's a problem if you are sailing at 5.00pm :roll: :lol: :lol:
Jo

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