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Food

Afternoon Tea

(24 Posts)
Teetime Sun 01-Apr-18 10:30:15

I am the only one who doesn't care for these huge afternoon teas that are on offer everywhere now. We had one once and simply couldn't get through it. It was in a very nice hotel and the food was marvellous but far too much. A local farm shop café even has a savoury one with multiple pork pies and sausage rolls as well as sandwiches- I hate pork products anyway but who could eat all that. My eldest daughter wants to 'treat' me to one as a belated (forgotten) Mothers Day gift- rather have a couple of cocktails - shall I tell her?

kittylester Sun 01-Apr-18 10:39:35

I think you should Teetime. I really fancy one but if it's not your thing then gently suggest something else.

DS2 hunted high and low for a GF one for me. He found a hotel not too far from you that did one - bought me a gift voucher and the hotel went bust. sad

Grannyknot Sun 01-Apr-18 10:40:43

Teetime I agree with you it's too much. When my daughter and I go, we order one "Afternoon Tea" and the other person orders a pot of tea! There's no law that says you have to order two/four etc Afternoon Teas. Works for us.

BlueBelle Sun 01-Apr-18 10:46:54

Never been on one, but I think one between two sounds ideal if you have nt a big appetite
Don’t be afraid to say though ( although I confess I m not always good at being open if someone’s giving me a treat )

Teetime Sun 01-Apr-18 10:47:57

Sharing - brilliant never thought of that. Duh! blush

GrandmaMoira Sun 01-Apr-18 11:17:15

I've never been on one and would like to. I'm planning to go with my DS and 2 DGDs so I'm sure they would manage to eat my share - they eat more than me at home.

Daddima Sun 01-Apr-18 11:19:56

Three friends and I are touring the afternoon teas of Glasgow, with Groupon, itison etc. We’ve always been offered a box to take home what we’ve not eaten!

lemongrove Sun 01-Apr-18 11:22:29

Don’t go to a Huffkins afternoon tea ( Cotswolds) cannot recommend at all! Very poor choice and not very much to eat, certainly nothing to take home.

hildajenniJ Sun 01-Apr-18 11:25:28

DH and I went with friends for afternoon tea at a rather nice hotel near us. They did English and French afternoon tea. We ordered one of each, therefore two teas between the four of us. There was sufficient for us two ladies but the men said they could have eaten more. If we go again we will order extra sandwiches which were offered at an extra charge. It was beautiful.

ginny Sun 01-Apr-18 11:29:10

If we go we certainly don’t eat lunch so we can enjoy the tea.

Jane10 Sun 01-Apr-18 11:31:41

I asked for a voucher for afternoon tea for my birthday. It was absolutely wonderful. We were thoroughly spoilt and went home with a beautiful box of goodies. Because I knew what to expect I hadn't had lunch that day. My friend and I loved the whole thing including the people watching. I suspect it was eye-wateringly expensive but a real treat and there aren't many of those left!

travelsafar Sun 01-Apr-18 13:36:10

I took my sister and some others to our local garden centre for afternoon tea.It only cost 35.00 for 5 people which i thought was resonable, plus we took home the scones, pots of jam and tubs of clotted cream as we couldnt manage those at the time. We also had free refills for the teapots. It was a lovely afternoon finished off by a browse around the Garden centre.

varian Sun 01-Apr-18 13:48:31

A few times in the 1950s my Mother treated me to afternoon tea in one of the smart department stores in Sauchiehall Street - Pettigrew and Stevens, Dalys or Copland and Lye.

Once in the 1980s I took one of my daughters and her French exchange friend to afternoon tea at Fortnum and Mason's in London. I can't remember what it cost but I certainly won't be doing that again. These days it costs an eyewatering £49!!!!!!

www.fortnumandmason.com/restaurants/afternoon-tea

Iam64 Sun 01-Apr-18 13:56:04

I love afternoon tea, the bigger the better.
I was treated to a very upmarket one for Mother’s Day four years ago. It set the bar too high fir ordinary afternoon teas but I’m not complaining

glammanana Sun 01-Apr-18 14:01:38

You now have to book weeks in advance locally for afternoon tea as it has certainly taken off in a big way here and in Liverpool Hotels,charges between £18-£39 which is reasonable for a special occasion I think even better if you can grab a groupon voucher.

annsixty Sun 01-Apr-18 14:23:01

I love afternoon tea, it is a special treat.
We usually book it for about 2:30pm and it does for lunch and tea and often an evening meal as well.
We usually have a glass of prossecco first.
For anyone in or near Manchester ,all the nice hotels do it and last year we went to Cloud23 in the Hilton. It was quite expensive but we got champagne and a special cocktail as well as a delicious tea.
It was just before Christmas and sitting in front of huge windows on the 23rd floor watching all the lights go on was magical.

tanith Sun 01-Apr-18 14:25:40

My eldest daughter and I received a voucher for one at Claridges last Christmas and I have to say it was amazing we spent nearly 3 hrs waited on hand and foot with the most amazing food the tea room was spectacular too. A once in a lifetime treat and it cost the GC an arm and a leg.

KatyK Sun 01-Apr-18 14:28:14

I've been to a few of these, including one at Chatsworth House. They are not my cup of tea, if you'll pardon the pun. Too much rich food and sometimes rather pretentious surroundings. Nice for a treat I suppose.

Tippy22 Sun 01-Apr-18 14:31:48

I had a lovely afternoon tea in a nice hotel in Brighton recently with my daughter as a birthday treat and as I couldn't eat it all they boxed up, in a beauifully decorated box, all the cakes my daughter and I couldn't eat and I enjoyed them over the following couple of days.

BBbevan Sun 01-Apr-18 14:48:49

As I eat low carb there is nothing much I can eat at these 'teas' . Perhaps the sandwich filing? Many of my friends opt to go out to tea for their birthdays. It can be difficult for me.
Loved them though before I was diabetic.

Welshwife Sun 01-Apr-18 15:01:36

In the late eighties my parents celebrated their Golden Wedding - we did the party etc and going out for a meal but my father wanted to go for a drive and walk around the Tower Bridge area of London. He had lived not too far from there and worked nearby - as a child he had taken me down to the river and you could actually paddle in clean water!
I booked a table at the Tower Hotel for afternoon tea after his tour and the restaurant they held it in had a wonderful view of Tower Bridge. We had a beautiful tea which they thoroughly enjoyed. Even back then I paid £20 a head but it was worth every penny to see their faces,

Grannyknot Sun 01-Apr-18 17:59:11

Teetime grin

Grannyknot Sun 01-Apr-18 18:03:46

The mention of cocktails in the OP reminded me: I spent a brilliant morning with a group of women at a Cocktail Class at Harvey Nicholsm. It was a birthday celebration. The mixologist was fab, hugely entertaining. His students were all slightly plastered in a very happy mood by 11 a.m. ...

Grannyknot Sun 01-Apr-18 18:04:29

Harvey Nicks of course. Darn phone!