What else can I say except I am so sorry that life has been so busy & disrupted that I haven’t had time to find a wonderful Christmas tea venue so far.

I appreciate it is a little late in the year but I wondered if, perhaps, a few of you were still brave enough ~ and had time in your diaries to meet up this side of Christmas in London?  I will share below a great value venue which I think offers the best Christmas afternoon tea I have come across and also a link to the poll.

It is also very close to some great unusual gift shops if you still have need to do more christmas shopping!

Please kindly complete the poll by Friday 26th November 2010, 6pm UK-time … if we can’t rustle up enough to make it worthwhile, then I’ll aim for February 2011!

The Kensington Hotel, 109-113 Queen’s Gate, South Kensington, London SW7 5LR

2 FOR 1 CHRISTMAS AFTERNOON TEA – EXCLUSIVE TO AFTERNOONTEA.CO.UK
6th December to 23rd December 2010

Recently reopened after a £20m renovation programme, The Kensington Hotel is a luxury townhouse situated at Queens’s Gate in leafy South Kensington.

To celebrate re-opening, the hotel are offering two Afternoon Tea’s for the price of one, until 31st December – that’s just £23 per couple!

Christmas Afternoon Tea Menu

Sandwiches

Roast turkey with chestnut stuffing and cranberry sauce
Cucumber and chive cream cheese
Honey roast ham with wholegrain mustard mayonnaise
Smoked salmon and lemon crème fraiche
Open egg mayonnaise with mixed cress

Sweet Things

Mini mince pies
Winter fruit crumble
Fruit tart
Carrot cake
Victoria sponge

Home Made Scones

Warm home made plain and raisin scones
served with:
Cornish clotted cream
Lemon and passion fruit curd
Home made strawberry and rose petal jam

Hot Drinks

Mulled wine
Spiced hot chocolate
Christmas tea

£23.00
Also available for groups

Inclusive of a selection of coffee or tea, mini mince pies and Valued Added Tax
12.5% service charge will apply for groups above 6 guests

Most people seemed to favour a December tweecup and so we have three dates to choose from:

Wednesday 1st December

Wednesday 8th December

Wednesday 15th December

So, lovely decadent Tweethearts of mine … that’s the first thing to consider.

The second thing to consider is WHERE we are going for afternoon tea.  As December is a pretty special time of the year in London even if you don’t actually celebrate Christmas, we need to think about booking ahead WELL in advance, wherever we plan to go.

I have had a quick look on the internet and two classic afternoon tea places are already advertising their Christmas afternoon teas:

The Dorchester ~ Festive Afternoon Tea ~ £46.50 per person plus service charge

The Lanesborough ~ Festive Afternoon Tea ~ £48 per person plus service charge

I am sure other establishments will start advertising their Christmas afternoon tea menus soon … I can vouch for the high quality and perfect service at both The Dorchester and The Lanesborough for afternoon tea, ‘tho will always hold a special place in my heart for The Lanesborough )

So, what I need to know from you guys is

(a) your preferred date for our afternoon tea tweecup in December, and

(b) how much you are prepared to go up to for a really special Christmas afternoon tea ~ and let me know whether The Dorchester or The Lanesborough appeals, e.g.

(I have to say that this is, in effect, my “works” Christmas party as I work from home, solo, so I am more than happy to splash out a bit to celebrate with my tweethearts)

Please do let me know via Twitter @moonpoppy at your earliest convenience!

With love and sparkles of joy and happiness,

Callie

Mad Hatters Afternoon Tea ~ Sanderson Hotel

(c) Afternoon Tea

The chefs at the luxury 5-star Sanderson Hotel have creating a Mad Hatter’s Afternoon Tea filled with numerous gastronomic adventures and served in a beautiful Courtyard Garden.

Learn all about tea and decorative ceramics in the splendid setting of the V&A’s Ceramics galleries. Be guided through the history of tea before creating a personalised cup and saucer. Led by artist Esther Coombs.
£60, £48 concessions (includes materials)
To book call +44 (0)20 7942 2211

(c) V&A Museum
Original notification at: www.vam.ac.uk/activ_events/courses/courses/practical_courses/index.html

Nicholas & Steele have a classic style shop-front and what caught my eye was a fantastic Colclough’s ‘Cottage & Stream’ china tea-cup and saucer; I’m a huge fan of this particular Colclough vintage china range as I have many happy memories of having afternoon tea with my beloved Granna as a little girl, feeling very grown-up at being allowed to handle such a precious item (I was so clumsy!).  It had taken me years to track down a blemish-free set on eBay!

(Doesn’t the shop look so scrumdiddlyumptious?!!!)

So yesterday lunchtime, I found time to go a-wandering and see what other delicious vintage treasures they had in store for me to covet and perhaps (soon soon soon) add to my own little collection at home.

I was warmly greeted by Holly and Steven, the owners of Nicholas & Steele and offered a cup of tea – what a lovely way to shop and do business! Of course, the tea was made in a gorgeous 1930′s Crinoline Lady teapot (periwinkle blue?) and served up in vintage bone china tea-cups and saucers.  Love it, love it, love it – this is customer service at it’s best, methinks!

Holly and Steven are rightly proud of their business which, as I found out, had only opened on Saturday – the day when I had spied their vintage treasures. The amount of love and attention they have poured into every single detail of their business is evident for all to see; they are undeniably very talented and offer a scrumptious range of products.

(Steven & Holly on the opening day – with cupcakes YUM)

So a browse around the shop (amongst other very interested browsers) found me cooing over pretty much everything … the charming dressers are all hand-painted by them and I’ve already picked the one I wish to see in my home!  At the back of the shop I spied an incredible chest of drawers painted in a striking union-jack flag effect, simply stunning.  The union jack flag was similarly echoed on the front of the shop’s counter, in pastel shades to complement the vintage treasures for sale.

Nicholas & Steele not only sell vintage tea-sets and other assorted vintage afternoon tea treasures (cupcake stands etc.),  but they also have an amazing array of vintage kitchenware (including cutesy jelly moulds) and stunning antique embroidered and/or lace tablecloths and table mats; Holly is very creative and also hand-makes bunting from vintage table linen that are no longer usable and other antique materials she has picked up along the way.

There is also an assortment of trinkets and jewellery – so a perfect place to shop for unusual gifts too.  I do like the idea of a one-stop shop …!

(vintage treasures at Nicholas & Steele)

Holly is also an artist and has plans for offering creative workshops over the coming months, so do pop by and say hello to them in Durham Road, SW20.  I am sure you will be just as tickled pink by the shop and it’s delightful owners as I am.

Holly & Steven made me – and all of their other customers/browsers – feel so welcome that they already feel like old friends; their warmth and happiness is contagious and I am very sure that with their energy and sparkle, Nicholas & Steele will not only thrive as a business but will also become a vital cog in the local community wheel.

Many congratulations, Holly & Steven, for showing us exactly how magnificent your dreams can turn out – I wish you every success for the future and look forward to seeing you again soon!

Website soon to be up and running at www.nicholasandsteele.co.uk

All photographs kindly supplied by Holly & Steven

So we’ve signed up to this great fundraising initiative and look forward to being a small part of the events leading up to, and surrounding, Friday 8th October 2010.

Sign up for our blog updates so that we can share news of our afternoon tea event with you all …

Callie

Enjoy the most traditional of British pastimes, from just £10.50 per person between Monday 16th and Sunday 22nd August …

Visit www.afternoontea.co.uk to book your special offer!!

@beezan came up with a fabulous idea this week … after our first Afternoon Tea Tweecup melted down into disaster and only three of us met up in the end (for a Chinese stuff-yer-face lunch in ChinaTown!), we thought that a Christmas Afternoon Tea Tweecup might be a fabulous fun option.

So, I have drawn up a very quick survey … please do take a moment to complete the survey so we can see what your feelings are.

Click here to take the survey

Just one thing to point out – I may not be around for ANY of the dates from late October through to December (diary looking very wishywashy in terms of being able to commit to anything – just one of these things!) so an apres-Chrimbo celebration well the mad season has passed us by would be my preference!!

Thank you all so much!

Click here to take the survey

Lots of love

@moonpoppy

The Lanesborough is a beautiful, five star luxury hotel on Hyde Park Corner – to step into its discreet doors is like entering another world.  The Library Room (a chic lounge bar area) is low-key yet exudes old-fashioned charm, and if you continue walking further into the hotel you will arrive at a beautiful table decorated with stunning large flower displays just before the discreet lifts – turn right and there is the dining area, where afternoon tea beckons at 4pm.

You cannot fail but to be charmed by the relaxed yet opulent feel to the dining room when you enter … impeccable decor, pristine white table-linen and sparkling old sterling silver (but not too heavy) cutlery, which blend beautifully with the quite modern cut glassware on the table.

We opted for the Belgravia (Champagne) Tea on both occasions, which includes delectable strawberries which you can taste even before you can see them (you know – THOSE kinds of strawberries, really succulent and fragrant!) and a glass of Taittinger champagne whose golden tones picked up the swirls in the flutes so delicately, inviting you to watch hypnotically as our waiter delicately and slowly poured the champagne into them.

The tea menu is awesome.  All teas are served in silver samovars and it took us some time to peruse all the options available to us.  In the end, my partner plumped for The Lanesborough Afternoon Blend (black tea) while I chose Rose Congou. The Lanesborough Afternoon Blend is their signature blend and was made of Darjeeling, finest China Keemum and whole rose buds; delicately perfumed, this tea was perfect taken on it’s own or with a dash of milk.  I preferred it as it came out of the pot!  The Rose Congou, my choice, is a “famous black tea with rose petals, producing a delicate flavour and wonderful bouquet” and it lived up to all expectations – truly divine.

Well, what can we say about the feast that appeared before our very eyes?  We could not fault any aspect of the food or the service – perfection itself.  Strawberries with double pouring cream was served first, alongside the champagne … swiftly followed by a gorgeous three-tiered stand which played host to a selection of finger-sized sandwiches (including traditional cucumber sandwiches, smoked ham with celeriac, chicken with red pesto and the most gorgeous egg mayonnaise brioche rolls).  Well done to The Lanesborough for providing non-cheese sandwiches and cakes on separate plates for my partner, who is allergic to cheese, without any fuss or stuffiness.

Moving on to the cake section, we were gifted with the most amazing cocoa miniature loaf cake I have ever tasted; the walnut cake and citrus cakes were also simply gorgeous and were polished off in a short space of time. The top tier was reserved for the tiny delicacies: very rich slices of mousse cake and other interesting concoctions, all of which were beautifully presented and equally agreeable to our palate.

Attentive top-ups of water and freshly-poured cups of tea meant that you were under discreet observance at all times, yet the service was never once obtrusive – there’s an awful lot of luxury hotels in London and, indeed, the UK, who could really learn a lot from the staff at The Lanesborough in just this one particular aspect!

By this time, our waistbands were starting to fit a little more snuggly than before and we sat back to enjoy listening to the resident pianist.  We were delighted to hear him play ‘happy birthday’ and we looked around, eager to see who might also be sharing a birthday with me … when lo and behold! The waiter had taken it upon himself to arrange a small birthday surprise with the pianist and the chef … and I found myself the centre of attention, with the entire restaurant singing happy birthday to me!!

The pianist also came over during a rest phase (which we took to be the end of our afternoon tea fest – oh foolish us!) and asked if I would like him to play a song for me to celebrate the happy occasion: we choose New York, New York and it was played perfectly.  (On our visit the following Saturday – in attendance with my gaggle of close friends – the pianist remembered us and allowed us to choose another song, too, what a sweetheart!)

Our afternoon tea was finished off by a platter of light, moist scones and cute rounded teacakes, accompanied by lashings of real strawberry jam, clotted cream and the most delicious lemon curd we have ever tasted.  Even my friends agreed the following week that it was indeed the best lemon curd they had ever tasted – so we will dedicate the fourth Saturday in July to be National Lemon Curd Day, henceforth!

It is no surprise that the ratings for The Lanesborough’s afternoon tea are always top.  In fact, the only thing I could possibly be mildly critical of is that a couple of the sandwiches were a little dry on both occasions – perhaps a linen napkin could have been placed over the sandwiches to keep them moist a little bit longer, who knows?

I am absolutely thrilled to have spent two very special afternoons celebrating my 40th birthday in beautiful, relaxed yet luxurious surroundings and we will most definitely return again … but not next weekend.  We think they need a break from us!

No wonder they have claimed so many awards …

Our ratings

Service: *****

Quality: *****

Quantity: *****

Ambience: *****

We feel that The Lanesborough offers the very best of The Dorectheser and The Ritz afternoon teas in one package.  Exceptional quality and quantity from The Ritz but with the relaxed, informal and discreet service from The Dorchester. For that reason, we will DEFINITELY be returning again soon!!

The Lanesborough

Award of Excellence, The Tea Guild 2009

Past awards:

Top London Afternoon Tea- The Tea Guild 2008 Award of Excellence, The UK Tea Council 2007 Award of Excellence, The UK Tea Council 2006 Top London Afternoon Tea, The UK Tea Council 2005

As we had spent a long, tiring morning/early afternoon watching my son take part in Trooping the Colour (June 2010), we thought a stroll through Green Park and up to Harrods was a fine idea. Hungry tums and thirsty palates called for sustenance and so we all trooped off (my mum, myself and my partner) toward Cafe Harrods, located up on the 2nd floor of Harrods, next to Ishbilia, a very fine Lebanese restaurant we can highly recommend!

We were then joined by my son, who had dismounted, disrobed and (thankfully) had a refreshing shower, so for us, the afternoon had taken on a carnival-feel to it, as we don’t often see him!

The menu had changed again – no longer did they show a “cream tea” option which used to include two wonderful scones (1 plain, 1 fruited), lashings of fresh clotted cream and strawberry jam pot, plus a pot of tea. Instead, we found the scones and tea were priced separately … what was wonderful value in the not-so-distant past (like 6 months ago!) was now growing ever more pricey.

However, it WAS a special occasion and so we placed our order for 3 x scones with clotted cream and 3 x teas, plus 1 coke – as long as the scones were as delicious as usual, we’d not have room for complaint even if we did feel needled by the fact the prices had been hoiked up to double the price over the past 2 years.

What a disappointment … instead of being asked whether we preferred plain or fruit scones (or one of each), we were presented with two fruit scones which had definitely shrunk in size considerably since our last visit a few weeks before. The clotted cream portions were paltry, the teapots did not include a hot water pot (as they always used to) and … well, we stifled our surprise and got stuck in.

Baby Boy’s coke didn’t look too fizzy although he assured us it was fine …

Back to the scones: a massive disappointment. Dry, crumbly, tasteless – I could make better at home, and that’s saying something. None of us were huge fans of fruit scones either and the “cream tea” left us with a nasty taste in our mouths, not just because of the dry blandness of the scones!

The service was nowhere near as attentive, despite there being hardly any other customers in the Cafe, which itself was very unusual as you usually have to wait an age on Saturday afternoons for a table. And the bill was almost £40, as we received 1 tea for free because of being a Harrods Reward card holder. A shocking price for a shocking cream tea, to be honest.

Therein lies an end to our family tradition of meeting for afternoon tea in Cafe Harrods. Would we return again? No, not to the Cafe – although we do like Ca’puccino on the basement floor of Harrods if we are in need of sweet and liquid sustenance.

We have also recommended to other friends who love to visit Cafe Harrods for cream tea that they give it a miss (or return and find themselves bitterly disappointed, as we were) … we find it hard to believe that Harrods could change so swiftly since Mr Al Fayed’s departure, but it seems that not all change is good …

Personally, I think I’ll switch to Caffe Concerto across the road for tea and cake now!

:: Cafe Harrods (please note that the menu we were given is not the same as this one shown online; it appears to have been updated since this menu was placed online)

*

Star rating

Food: *****

Beverages:   *****

Service: *****

Value for money: ***** ~ very poor all-round, we are sorry to say