Huffkins afternoon tea - John Lewis Oxford Street London

 I had never heard about Huffkins until I saw it on Wowcher.  Huffkins is a chain that started with a small bakery in the Cotswold in 1890 and has expanded with  9 tea rooms in England plus online shop. 

I dedcided to book this with my mum and two friends for part of my birthday celebrations. We went to the cafe inside John Lewis in Oxford Street and got a great deal using Wowcher voucher. I paid just £39.99 for two with a small bottle of prosecco each. 

The cafe is situated on the 4th floor and has windows overlooking the street below. They have made it nice inside by adding a artificial flower arch. When we arrived a nice table had been reserved for us by the window. 

After about 15 minutes the waitress came over to take our order.  We ordered a hot drink each and the waitress informed us that there were 3 different sandwiches on each cake stand Coronation Chicken, Tuna mayo and Cheese and chutney relish with leaves. I asked if we could have two cheese ones instead of the Tuna mayo which she said was no problem.  We also had to choose between plain or fruit scone. 

The waitress brought over our cappuccinos  which were in a large cup and a small bottle of prosecco each. 

When the cake stands arrived they looked very full 

Each stand had 3 whole sandwiches cut into triangles so we got 6 triangles each plus some salad leaves in middle of plate. The sandwiches were nice and tasty however my friend who only wanted the cheese ones did not like the chutney inside as a bit spicy. We asked the waitress if she could just have plain cheese ones and they brought over a plate of 8 triangles and let her keep the ones with chutney. Therefore between us all we had lots of sandwiches and unfortunately could not eat them all. The coronation chicken ones were my favorite 

Next we had the scones which were still slightly warm and large in size. We noticed that they were very light and fluffy inside which is a sign of a good scone. To go with them we got a small jar of strawberry jam and pot of clotted cream each. 

By now we were all feeling rather full but i wanted to try the chocolate eclairs as they looked rather nice. On our stand we got a pink raspberry one and my friends got a chocolate one. They were big in size so we could cut them up into four pieces. 

Before eating these we had another coffee each and was informed that we get a free refill of hot drink with the afternoon tea. I was not expecting this so a pleasant surprise. Both eclairs tasted nice and had fresh cream inside. 

Unfortunately after eating these we could not manage the rest of the cakes so was given a nice box each to take them home in.  The other cakes were a chocolate brownie, Lemon drizzle cake and a Victoria sponge. 

We left the tea room feeling happy and full before having a look in the Christmas shop inside the department store. 

Nearest Station : Oxford Circus 8 minute walk.

Best bits : The amount of sandwiches and lovely scones  

Worst bits : Service was a bit slow as very busy      

Value for money :  Yes defiantly for what I paid and amount of food plus 2 hot drinks included each 

would I go back? : Yes I will be buying another voucher to use on a Christmas shopping day 

Sopwell House Afternoon Tea

 It was my daughters 30th birthday and for her present I took her for a Spa day at Cottonmill Club at Sopwell House in St Albans . It was a lovely day complete with relaxing treatments and afternoon tea. 

This is the second afternoon tea i have had here and it did not disappoint. For us it was included in the spa package but the menu price is £37 for weekdays and £44 weekends. ends. 

We had the afternoon tea in the Brasserie in our white robes. As it did not include champagne we both ordered a Bellini each and my daughter a bottle of coke which came to £34.   

It took a while for the tea stand to arrive and service was slow. I had to ask the waitress what the sandwiches and cakes were as not stated on the menu. 

We got 4 finger sandwiches each that consisted of Chicken one that was our favorite , Egg Mayonnaise and a Cucumber one in different types of bread.  As we do not like Salmon we got extra chicken sandwich each. They were nice and fresh and tasty.  We did not get offered extra but I noticed that a few tables did request more sandwiches and got them. 

Before starting on the scones I ordered a herbal fruity tea. 

The scones were freshly baked and we got a plain one each and a fruit one each. I ended up having both fruit ones as my daughter only likes the plain ones.  

They were tall in size with a lovely shiny top and served with strawberry jam and clotted cream. 

Its been a while since I have had a scone so really enjoyed them. 

Lastly came the cakes that I just had enough room for ......

I think they looked very nice and we got one of each of the four types. 

Strawberry Macaroon

Lemon mouse on biscuit base

Rich chocolate mouse with sponge and crunchy base

Coffee cake and mouse square. 

I struggled to eat them as so full up. My daughter had to take hers away in a box to have later in the day. 

My favorites was the coffee one and chocolate one but I think they all tasted lovely. 

Overall a lovely Afternoon tea however the service was slow and not attentive. 

Nearest Station : Not sure as drove there  

Best bits : The lovely scones and cakes 

Worst bits :Lack of service was not made to feel welcome      

Value for money :  I would say yes if you get extra sandwiches and cakes that I noticed other tables asked for.

would I go back? : Yes I would. 

Afternoon Tea at Aubrey Park Hotel - Hemel Hempstead

 It was my Sister in Laws 60th Birthday on Sunday so she arranged for us to meet up over a nice Afternoon Tea.  

The Hotel is set in 6 acres of meadow with 137 bedrooms. it has a lovely restaurant and hosts annual events and is also a wedding venue. 

My sister in law had pre booked and paid for it in advance priced at £27.50 each. 

Menu

 Spring Afternoon Tea @ Aubrey Park

 £27.50 Per Person

 Selection Of Sandwiches

 Coronation Chicken Open Sandwich

 Roasted Red Pepper & Hummus 

Finger Sandwich

 Egg Mayonnaise & Watercress

 Smoked Salmon & Cucumber

 Honey Roasted Ham & Tomato

 Scones

 Freshly Baked Plain & Fruit Scones with

 Tiptree Strawberry Preserve & Clotted Cream

 Mini Desserts

 Vanilla & Fresh Fruit Tart

 Classic French Macaroon

 Mascarpone & Blueberry Cup Cake

 Dark Chocolate Brownie, Salted Caramel

 Banana & Cranberry Flapjack

 

Me and my Mum arrived first and was warmly greeted and shown the options for where we could sit. We had a choice of outside as it was a sunny day or in the lounge / bar area that had comfortable velvet  armchairs and doors that opened up onto the garden at the back.  I opted to sit inside by the doors as I knew it could of got too hot outside. 

They laid the table nice with fancy folded  crisp cotton napkins sat on china plates with silver cutlery. 

The lovely friendly waitress took our tea and coffee orders and asked if we had any allergies.  My mum just informed them no mayonnaise , mustard or fish for her. She explained that they did not have the smoked salmon sandwiches that were on the menu and offered us complementary glass of prosecco . 

It was only myself and my Niece that took her up on the offer !!!!!  We did not mind there was no salmon as its only my sister in law that likes it.  

My mum got her own special tea stand just for her with no mayonnaise or mustard and we got a further two stands to share between the four of us. 

The sandwiches were nice and fresh in white and bread bread. We got different to what was on the menu. Ham and Mayonnaise , Cucumber and cream cheese, Coronation Chicken and Cheese and pickle. 

Once we had eaten majority of the sandwiches we had the scones that were still slightly warm. They were generous in size and we just got plain ones two each.  To go with these we got a pot of Tiptree strawberry jam each and a dish of very thick clotted cream to share between two. I thought the scones were very nice and had a light texture inside.  I put plenty of cream on mine as my mum gave me her cream as well. 

Before starting on the cakes we ordered another hot drink. 

The cakes consisted of the following and we each got one of each so did not have to share or cut in half. 

These are very different to what was stated on the menu 

Bakewell sponge square

Chocolate Brownie 

Macaroon

Chocolate mouse truffle cake Triangle 

The Bakewell cake was my favorite as really moist sponge and strong almond taste.

The macaroons were all different flavors and I was lucky to get a caramel one that was really nice. 

I found the brownie and bit too dry and hard and the Chocolate mouse cake was a bit too rich and very soft.

Overall a pleasant afternoon tea and the staff made us feel welcome and looked after us well. 

 

Afternoon tea at sea on P &O cruise

 My husband and I were lucky enough to go on a 7 night cruise around Norwegian fjords. The scenery was breathtaking and we had nice weather too. 

Most of the food is included in the cruise price however there are a few restaurants that charge extra like the glass house tapas menu. The afternoon tea served  at the Market Cafe is charged at just £8.95 each which we did not mind paying extra for using our free on board spend money. 

I could not go on this ship without sampling their afternoon tea and adding to this blog!! Unfortunately I only took a few photos. 

The menu below includes a hot drink of our choice 

Once we had placed our order the table was laid with art deco style plates 

The glass of sparkling wine we got from the glass house bar and was included in the drinks package we had. This was our third glass so far that afternoon!!!!

When the food arrived I was pleasantly surprised that it was served on a silver plate stand. 

We got 3 sandwiches each that were made of thin slices of bread rolled up will fillings inside. The cheese and onion one was my favorite and my lucky husband got to have my salmon one as extra. They were very nice and fresh and I liked the different types of bread used. 

Next we had the Eton mess scone which we cut in half. It was already filled with cream and topped with meringue and strawberry. After this we got a plain scone each that was freshly baked and crispy on the outside yet soft in middle. They only gave us enough cream and jam for one so we had to ask for more. As you know I like lots of cream on my scones. Whilst eating our scones we both ordered a cappuccino each. 

We then had the cakes that we cut in half. 

There were 5 different to share. First we had the Victoria sponge that looked like a sandwich. It was filled with cream and jam.  Then I cut the blueberry tart in half. This was nice and filled with a creamy custard and blueberry. The pastry was thin and crispy just like it should be. 

Then we had the banoffee ice cream pie that was delicious with creamy vanilla ice cream and caramel. 

We should of had this first as the ice cream had started to melt. 

Then I cut the red berry heart in half and it was filled with a creamy mouse on thin biscuit base with a berry fruit center. We saved the chocolate one to last and this was very good too. 

Overall a lovely afternoon tea with fresh sandwiches and nice flavored cakes. 

Easter afternoon tea at Conrad hotel London

Had a lovely afternoon tea on good Friday with my husband. It was at the Conrad hotel London and my first visit here. I got such a great deal by purchasing a voucher from virgin experience website. Afternoon tea for two with a bottle of Bollinger champagne for £118.80. Note this price was after using a Virgin Experience voucher code. This is a good price as the Bollinger is priced at £110 on the hotel bar menu!!!

The afternoon tea is served in the Orchard room which is off the reception area. 

Upon arrival we were shown o our table that was nicely laid with white tablecloth and floral china. 

The menu sounded nice and I was pleasantly surprised that there were no fish or seafood sandwiches.  The waitress asked for the voucher and then explained the afternoon tea to us. 

We were poured a glass of tap water and my husband ordered the breakfast tea whilst I ordered a cappuccino. 

Moments later the Bollinger arrived and after filling our glasses it was placed in a silver ice bucket on a stand next to our table. 

We waited about 20 minutes for the tea stand to arrive and it looked really nice with lots of food on it. The waitress informed us that the scones would be brought out later and served warm from the oven. 

We got five different sandwiches each as below 

British apple, cucumber, mint and parsley cream cheese

 Egg, truffle and celery mayonnaise

 English Tunworth and fig jam

 Lake District roast beef with sweet onions and horseradish

 Sutton Hoo chicken, sage and yoghurt mustard 

They all tasted lovely and my favorite was the Sutton Hoo Chicken sandwich and the egg Truffle mayonnaise roll. 

Whilst tucking into these our glass was kept topped up with Champagne from the bottle which seemed never ending !!!!  Either that or we were drinking slow for a change. 

Next we had the cakes as the scones had not been brought out yet. We got our own plate of cakes each that consisted of the below 

Devonshire Bramley apple cake

 Devils dark chocolate sponge, beetroot and cherry mousse 

 Dandelion honey and cobnut delice

 Rhubarb custard tart

I liked the apple cake and the Rhubarb custard tart best but they were all very nice and different in taste. 

After these I ordered another coffee and my hubby a fresh pot of tea. Finally the Bollinger bottle was empty. 

When the scones arrived they were nice a warm and we got the four different ones which is nice and unusual.

Jersey butter scones 

Raisins and candied peel scones

 Dark chocolate stracciatella scones

 Blueberry and lemon scones

 Served with Cornish clotted cream Chocolate and hazelnut spread Seasonal fruit jam Lemon curd

So we got to try them all we had half of each one. They were lovely and fresh with a nice light texture inside. I must say they did not seem to taste that much different however it was nice to have the different toppings.  I had the Nutella on the chocolate one, Lemon curd on the Blueberry scone and the lovely jam on the other two halfs. 

I had to ask for more clotted cream which they promptly brought for us. 

We had a lovely afternoon tea and the food was nice and plentiful and service was good too. 

We did not get offered any extra food but I am sure they would off if we had asked. 

 Nearest Station : St James Park Underground Station 3 minute walk across the road 

Best bits : The bottle of Bollinger and the lovely sandwiches and cakes 

Worst bits : I just felt that the room lacked ambience     

Value for money :  Yes defiantly for what I paid.

would I go back? : Yes I would. 

Copped Hall Mothers Day Afternoon Tea - Essex

 On Saturday the historic Copped Hall Manor House in Epping hosted an Afternoon Tea for Mothers day. 

This was our second visit to this venue as went last year in November for its annual Pudding Club event.  If you love your old fashioned puddings and desserts you must try this .  It can be booked via the link below which lists all the events hosted there throughout the year. 

https://www.coppedhalltrust.org.uk/index.php/13-other-events/46-all-events

COPPED HALL is a fine Georgian mansion that is currently under restoration. It is superbly sited on a ridge overlooking its landscaped parkland. The mansion and gardens are situated on a site of ancient human habitation. Many important buildings, from the Medieval, Tudor and Elizabethan eras were demolished prior to the present mansion being built and enlarged by the Victorians.

From 1986-1995 a campaign was successfully fought by a committee comprised of representatives of local conservation societies against repeated large scale aggressive development proposals for the mansion and parkland. Three of these individuals set up the Copped Hall Trust which finally saved the mansion and gardens by purchasing them in 1995. The Corporation of London had already saved the surrounding parkland in 1992. The aim of the Trust is to permanently protect the site, carefully restore Copped Hall and its gardens for educational, cultural and community benefit. Copped Hall and its gardens are STRICTLY PRIVATE, open only for advertised events.

The Afternoon tea cost £25 each and included tea and coffee as much as you like plus a welcome glass of prosecco upon arrival. 

We had a lovely table for two beside the window looking out onto a small part of the gardens. The table was nicely laid with floral china and tea stand plus a menu and leaflet explaining  the history of afternoon tea. 

 

The food was all handmade by the volunteers along with a small gift each containing a homemade chocolate, square of rocky road and little pink chocolate heart. 

The sandwiches were lovely and fresh and the bread was nice with seeds in. Unfortunately the only sandwiches my mum could eat were the Brie and Grape ones which she said were very nice.  As either of us liked the salmon ones or prawn Vol au vents they brought some plain cream cheese ones that they made especially for my mum. 

After the sandwiches we were brought a new coffee pot of hot fresh coffee and there was a already a jug of milk on the table. 

The scones were homemade and sadly not served warm however they were nice and we got a pot of jam and clotted cream each.   The fresh strawberries were a nice touch too. 

For the cakes we got 4 each that consisted off Bakewell slice, Blueberry and Lemon slice , Ginger cupcake and a Chocolate mini tart. These were all very delicious but our favorite was defiantly the Blueberry and Lemon one as lovely and moist. 

The whole afternoon tea was lovely and we got offered as much tea or coffee as we wanted. Also for those who did not eat all the food they handed out boxes so you could take the leftovers home.

We will defiantly book this again and have already got my tickets for this years Pudding Club event in November. 

Well done and thanks to all the volunteers who served us and made the cakes 

Nearest Station : There are no stations nearby and we drove there as plenty of parking available on site 

Best bits : The nice fresh sandwiches and homemade cakes     

Worst bits : None to mention    

Value for money :  Yes I think so as unlimited tea or coffee and also got a welcome glass of prosecco

would I go back? : Yes will defiantly go back 

Bottomless cake at Jack and Beyond - Battersea high street , London

 

On Saturday I took my mum to a Bottomless cake event at a lovely independent café called Jack and Beyond in Battersea London. I saw it advertised on social Media last year and being a cake lover I knew I had to go there. I also knew that my mum would love it too. 

It is priced at £22 each for 90 minutes of Bottomless cake and you can add  bottomless hot drinks

or prosecco to this. We opted for the hot drinks at additional £6 each which seemed good value.

The cafe was very small inside with just 3 tables however there were plenty more tables outside weather permitting. Due to this you have to stick to the 90 minute time slot you booked it for. 

The two young men working there made us feel welcome and explained the cake and drinks menu to us. 

 
There are 7 different cakes to choose from so to start with we got a slice of each one on a slate plate to share.  I ordered a Mocha and my mum just an Americana coffee with milk on the side. There was a big choice of hot drinks to choose from.  

Just so you know we cut all the cake slices in half so we could both try each of them 

We started with the seasonal cake which was a Black Forest cake  that had a lovely creamy frosting filled with a cherry compote. The chocolate sponge was so light inside lots of cherry compote between the layers. 

Next the Red Velvet which is one of my favorites as I love a cream cheese frosting. This one was nice however the sponge did not have much of a chocolate flavor but it was nice and moist.

To follow this we went for the classic Victoria Sponge which is always a firm winner in my eyes. 

Lovely light vanilla sponge filled with raspberry jam and a lovely creamy frosting that was not too sweet. 

Then it was the turn of the Lemon and elderflower cake that I was really looking forward to tasting. 

The cake was lovely and moist however I could not taste the lemon.   Once again the frosting was creamy with just a hint of Elderflower in it.  

The forth on to try was the Chocolate and Peanut butter that was a vegan cake. This was delicious and had the texture of banana bread with a hint of cinnamon was was lovely. I loved the peanut butter frosting that went so well with the sponge. It certainly did not taste like a vegan cake. 

Before starting the next cake we ordered more drinks each. This time I had a flat white coffee

Next to try was the carrot cake which is another favorite of mine. The sponge was nice and light but I think it could of done with some walnuts added to it. Most carrot cakes I have had in the past contain walnuts or some other kind of nuts. The frosting on this was nice with just a hint of cinnamon. 

Finally we had got to the last of the cake slice which was a crumble topped cheesecake.  We thought this would be our least favorite but how wrong was we !!!!  The biscuit base was so buttery and just the right thickness. On top of this was a thick creamy vanilla cheesecake topped with a crumble and blueberries. We both really enjoyed this one and managed to eat it all. 

After eating three and a half slices of cake each we were surprising feeling very full.  I realy wanted to have more slices of cake especially the Victoria sandwich one but I was pretty full up and so was my mum. In the end we decided not too as did not want to make ourselves feel sick and bloated on cake. 

We bought thought that we would be able to eats lots more cake but as they say ' Eyes bigger than your belly'!!

It is hard to say what our favourite cake was but I liked the Victoria sponge, Chocolate banana peanut butter one and the cheesecake was nice. 

They have a black chalk board on the wall with the peoples names of who has the record for eating the most slices of cake.  In the lead currently is someone called James who ate an astounding 21 whole slices which is nearly two  large cakes.  

For us the bottomless cake price was not worth it and we would of been better off just buying 7 slices of cake however we were light weights that day and I am sure most people manage a lot more slices than us. 

It is a lovely café with friendly staff and a large range of delicious cakes and biscuits and worth visit. 

 

  Nearest Station : Not sure as we went to Victoria Underground Station and then got a bus there 

Best bits : The large choice of delicious cakes all made fresh on site also big choice of hot drinks    

Worst bits : None to mention    

Value for money :  Yes if you can eat five or more slices each.

would I go back? : Maybe if I was in the area.