by Jessica Jefferys
Apparently it was the Duchess of Bedford who introduced afternoon tea to England, so our charming host Kenny told us, as he carefully laid out a mouth-watering spread. And what a delicious legacy—particularly if it goes down as well as our afternoon tea at the Lancaster London did. If you’ve left Mother’s Day planning to the last minute, this would be a lovely place to take mum.
It was one of the freezing days at the start of February and my husband and I came in muffled up. We quickly shed our layers as we headed through the smart hotel lobby and up in the lift towards the warm, cosy lounge for our tea. Our fellow diners ranged from hotel guests and tourists to businessmen and women, but the atmosphere was relaxed and comfortable, helped by the thick pile carpets, armchairs and sofas.
We were at the Lancaster London to try their relaunched afternoon tea by Executive Chef Ben Purton. It’s an imaginative take on the meal with a few twists, and alongside the carefully made traditional sandwiches such as egg and wild cress, cucumber, and smoked salmon were some more original savouries.
There were mini Yorkshire puddings filled with roast beef and horseradish cream alongside wild mushroom, chicken and tarragon tartlets. For the vegetarians there were cream cheese and marinated-pepper stuffed Yorkshires and a tartlet with a Waldorf salad-inspired filling (just make sure you mention any dietary requirements at the start).
All were delicious and not over-facing (certainly not for my husband, who ordered seconds). I particularly like the fact that each person has a plate of their own savouries from the cake stand to save any quibbling over the last cucumber sandwich (or maybe that’s just us). Kenny was helpful throughout and was on hand to answer our questions knowledgeably, taking us through each item as well as making recommendations.
All the food was good, but my favourite plate had to be the sweets, made by the Lancaster London pastry chef. Once we’d had enough savoury food we were served mini scones with Cornish clotted cream and homemade seasonal jams. Then we moved on to the top tier which held white chocolate and raspberry lollipops (yum), macaroons, hazelnut slices, tarts and cupcakes. All were a little over a mouthful and all delicious.
The tea was by no means just an accompaniment. There was an extensive menu of Novus loose-leaf teas with delicious-sounding descriptions. We opted for two pots to start with—white pear and ginger and Kenilworth Ceylon decaffeinated—and then pots of jasmine and Persian pomegranate for the sweet course (both of those were particularly nice).
When the teapots arrived they came with infusion cards to show you whether to leave that variety steeping for three, four or five minutes, and a set of colour-coded coordinating egg timers. Once your timer had run out, the tea was at its best to drink (a word of advice, though, the teas still needed a quick stir to release their flavours).
When we felt ready to leave the comfort of our seats, Kenny gave us a quick tour and showed us the fantastic view through the large windows of the breakfast room next door. The hotel looks out over the Italian Gardens in Hyde Park and it really is a magical scene—particularly at twilight. They may eventually move the lounge into this room and that will only give the afternoon tea the backdrop it deserves.
We didn’t even need the glass of Laurent Perrier to enhance the experience—it was delicious and generous as it was and we even got to take some treats home for our little girl. Although not as grand as the Ritz or the Wolseley the food was certainly as good and the surroundings were smart and comfortable, with great service. They’re planning to keep it seasonal, too, so it’s worth having a look at what’s coming up. An afternoon tea with a twist well worth coming in from the cold for.
For more information, including the afternoon tea menu, see the Lancaster London website.
Afternoon tea is served daily from 2 to 5:30pm and costs £30 (£40 with a glass of Laurent Perrier champagne, or £45 with a glass of Laurent Perrier Rosé).
About the author:
Jessica is a new-ish mum living in and loving west London. She’s likely to be seen drinking coffee in Chiswick or on the Askew Road and most places in between. She lives with her husband and, as of March 2012, little girl ‘Scrip’ (not her real name, they’re not that cruel). Find her on newmumblings.com or @newmumblings or instagram: newmumblings
