There’s no way around it. When in England… You will have afternoon tea on a regular basis. Add some London bloggers to the mix and you might find yourself having one more often than most Brits. I realize it was only a couple of weeks ago that I wrote about the last #LDNBloggersTea (that admittedly took place in September), but with so many afternoon teas to choose from in this city we need to keep up the pace. So forget about quitting carbs and sugar to fit into that fabulous party dress (never gonna happen) and lets just indulge ourselves with a delicious afternoon tea at the Lancaster London hotel.
Ever since Selena started with the first afternoon tea for London bloggers last year, they’ve gotten better and more spectacular every time. Melanie (Sunny in London) has now taken over from Selena….and how! Red carpet, a photo wall and Laurent-Perrier champagne… I can certainly get used to this!
Plus a special appearance from Chef Ben. Remember him? He charmed us all at The Royal Horseguards Hotel, and now he’s back… at the Lancaster London hotel. His #letsgetsconed tweets are already legendary and now he’s turning this London hotel into a must-visit for afternoon tea.
And Chef Ben proved himself once again. In a perfect setting – including a beautiful Christmas tree – overlooking Hyde Park, he served us a delicious afternoon tea. The tea is usually served in the hotel lounge area with comfy sofas and a cozy fireplace, but we had our own room for the occasion (I wouldn’t let my hotel guests near a group of bloggers either).
The traditional sandwiches were accompanied by a wild mushroom, chicken and tarragon tartlet, and a roast beef filled Yorkshire pudding. I’m easy to please with a good Yorkshire pudding…
But you can really judge an afternoon tea by its scones. And they passed the test! Warm, golden and moist…yum. And to get us in the holiday spirit (as if the Christmas tree and songs weren’t enough), we were the first to try the Christmas pudding scone. I wouldn’t give up the plain and raison scone for it, but it surely tasted like Christmas.
You’d think that after so many afternoon teas I should know by now to save some room for the pastries. Unfortunately I keep making the same mistake, eating everything that’s put in front of me, and then struggling to finish the last round. I was clearly not the only one! Which is such a shame because these pastries were looking absolutely amazing. I’ll try to do better at the next opportunity to #letsgetsconed.
You’d think that after so many afternoon teas I should know by now to save some room for the pastries. Unfortunately I keep making the same mistake, eating everything that’s put in front of me, and then struggling to finish the last round. I was clearly not the only one! Which is such a shame because these pastries were looking absolutely amazing. I’ll try to do better at the next opportunity to #letsgetsconed.
