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Five fab venues for… A traditional afternoon tea

Nice cup of tea and a sit down, anyone?

Afternoon tea: preserve of the English, the aristocracy and now, business executives everywhere. An original idea for a meeting on a chilly day, the traditional afternoon tea is making a welcome comeback in hotels all over the UK.

For The Award-winning Afternoon Tea: Red Carnation Hotels’ The Chesterfield Mayfair, London

Head to The Conservatory at Butler’s Restaurant and choose from speciality teas ranging from Darjeeling to decaffeinated, plus a flowering tea menu. Served with crustless finger sandwiches, freshly baked scones with clotted cream and homemade strawberry jam, and cakes and pastries by The Chesterfield’s talented pastry chef.
WHEN: Mon-Fri from 3 to 5.30pm; Sat from 1.30pm to 5.30pm.
HOW MUCH: The Chesterfield Traditional Afternoon Tea, £21.50; Champagne Tea (Brut NV or Rosé NV) £27.50; Chocolate Lover’s Tea, £23.50.

For The Charitable Pink Afternoon Tea: Hastings Hotels’ Culloden Estate & Spa, near Belfast

For afternoon tea with a rose-hued difference, head to the elegant Lounge or Conservatory. Here, you’ll find pink everything, from the rosé champagne to the horseradish accompanying the rosy-pink roast beef finger sandwiches. You’ll also be tickled pink if you spot a celebrity quaffing tea next to you: big names from Bill Murray to Elton John have stayed at the famous Culloden – their messages of thanks adorn a cabinet in the hotel’s hallway.
WHEN: 2.30 to 5pm any day of the week (book 24 hours in advance).
HOW MUCH: The Pink Tea costs £25. £5 from each tea sold will be donated to the Ulster Cancer Foundation’s Think Pink Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign.

For The Elegant Welsh Afternoon Tea: Best Western’s Llyndir Hall Hotel

Ten kms outside Chester, this newly refurbished Best Western residence offers sumptuous afternoon teas in its elegant drawing room overlooking the hotel’s landscaped gardens. Once you’re settled in, sample organic fruit scones with homemade preserve, profiterole pastries, organic Welsh fruit loaf, chocolate-dipped shortbread, finger sandwiches and a choice of freshly brewed Welsh and traditional teas.
WHEN: Served daily from 2pm to 5pm.
HOW MUCH: Afternoon Tea at the Best Western Lyndir Hotel costs £9.95 per person.

For The Sussex Cream Tea by the Sea: De Vere’s The Grand hotel, Brighton

If you fancy a sea view while supping, The Grand’s Conservatory or Victoria Lounge Bar and Terrace will do you proud. The Grand Deluxe Afternoon Tea presents a three-tiered extravaganza of freshly made sandwiches, home-baked scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam, chocolate-dipped strawberries and mouthwatering cakes and pastries.
WHEN: Monday to Friday, from 3pm to 6pm. At weekends, there are two sittings, at 2.30pm and then at 4.30pm.
HOW MUCH: Grand Afternoon Tea - £12.50 per person; Grand Deluxe Afternoon Tea £25.00.

For The Five-star Park Lane Tea: Marriott’s The Grosvenor House Hotel

To celebrate this hotel’s 80th birthday, The Park Room has also launched a rose-themed afternoon tea, including a glass of Taittinger Rosé champagne, a rare Golden Roseheart tea, delicate finger sandwiches, scones served with organic Devonshire clotted cream and rose petal and strawberry jam, a selection of cakes, macaroons and raspberry mille-feuilles. Fine loose-leaf teas are by Jackson’s of Piccadilly.
WHEN: Daily from 3 to 5.30pm
Anna’s Traditional Afternoon Tea in The Park Room costs £28.50 per person; £36.50 with a glass of champagne.

Expotel is the UK’s leading hotel, travel and venue booking agency. To find out more about any of these hotels, please call Expotel on 0844 793 7300.

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