Who says an afternoon tea should include finger sandwiches?! Not a slice of white bread in sight for CUTcakes & Tea, an untraditional afternoon tea with an unmistakably American twist! (Don't fear, while unique, the menu includes scones and clotted cream - I mean, they're not crazy) . . .
One for your diary tea lovers! 21st April 2018 is National Tea Day and to celebrate why not attend the Fes-Tea-Val at Chiswick House & Gardens on the 21st and 22nd of April . . .
In busy, buzzy Soho is the Bun House & Tea Room. Upstairs is a steamy street-food-style cafe serving Chinese steamed buns and large pots of oolong. Downstairs is a Hong Kong-style speakeasy, lit with neon green Cantonese lettered lights, it's a fun throwback to 1960's Hong Kong tea rooms and serves cocktails and a much longer tea list . . .
Now this is an afternoon tea that is out of this world! From Jupiter Cakes to Galaxy Macaroons, the space-inspired Gravi-Tea at Skylon is a truly stellar experience. With a galactic menu that takes you on a journey through the solar system, discover this edible astronomical adventure . . .
Hillman's Tearoom, Walthamstow: Ever been to a vintage wonderland? Neither had I. But that is just what Hillman's Tearoom is - with a whole load of good tea poured on top . . .
East London rejoice! While it is still overrun with coffee shops, new tearooms are popping up in the East, and ready for you to get your brew on. The latest of these is Tea Leaf London. It's turned an old cafe (once a book shop) into tea-topia with shelves of tins of tea for you to buy and try at home, or sit for a while and enjoy a cuppa in their nook at the back, or window seat at the front while people watching . . .
After a walk on Hampstead Heath, what better way to refuel than with cake and a cuppa. Louis Patisserie is a Hungarian cafe, founded by immigrant Louis Permayer in 1963. And it hasn't really changed since. The patterned carpet, the panel walls, and the leather chairs take you back in time and to Eastern Europe, but with classically English teacups. With a range of tea, and an even bigger range of cakes and pastries, it's cosy and unique and the perfect spot to warm up after a wintery walk . . .
I'm a fan of the fan museum!
I fully admit that I only went there to check out their afternoon tea - but hey, why not work up a hunger by learning a little? It's the only museum in the UK devoted to the history of fans and the art of fan making and is home to a pretty collection of fans from around the world, some seriously old ones too. Worth taking a walk around checking them out. Now, on to the afternoon tea . . .
Tuesday Tea Tasting You wait all winter to do an iced tea review – and then three come along at once! No cold brewing is involved, Harry has done all the hard work for you…the London brand, Harry Brompton’s, is a small company with big ambitions: To bring fantastic British Ice Tea to the world. And happily for me, a box of their iced tea made it to my door. Harry Brompton's started out as an alcoholic iced tea (will be reviewing soon as part of my Boozy Brew series) but recently released...
Tuesday Tea Tasting My first cold brew! Well it is summer isn't it? Kind of - the English weather needs to sort itself out - but while the sun has briefly decided to pop out then it's about time I gave cold brewing a go. Flavoured teas are supposed to be a good shout for cold brewing so I used London Tea Club's Apricot Peach (Ceylon black with dried peach, apricot and papaya pieces). After following their instructions (like below) I had to wait overnight to taste my brew but, after loading it...