Time for Tea....London at Ten Trinity Square

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends - we hope you're well today.

Last weekend Sheree and I visited London at Ten Trinity Square, a Four Seasons hotel, for a spot of afternoon tea. Situated near the Tower of London, this hotel is impressive from the outside and has a glamorous interior. Afternoon tea is served in the Rotunda Lounge, which has a 1920s feel to it with a beautiful art deco domed ceiling - a nod towards the buildings history (it was the 1922 headquarters of the Port of London Authority).

The afternoon tea is also a glamorous affair with a 1920s theme - the menu is called The Bright Young Things and is served on elegant china and a rather unusual stand...

If I am honest I'm not sure I like this presentation, although it's not tall and imposing it does create a wall between you and your fellow tea friends....just look at Sheree over the other side of the food! However, as you can see all the food was easily accessible and we had enough room on the table.

The savouries were served on individual slates and included five different items....

On first inspection I liked the variety on offer, it's always nice to see more than just a finger sandwich on the menu. The fillings were all very different too:

Chicken coronation Curry mayonnaise & allysum flowers

Heritage beetroot Hazelnut, chives & goat cheese mousse

Salmon rillettes Lime mayonnaise, egg roe & lemon balm leaves

Roasted beef Pink peppercorn sauce, rocket & parmesan

Egg & truffle Watercress & soft cooked quail egg

There were two items that I was really looking forward to trying on the menu....the coronation chicken (my guilty pleasure) and the egg sandwich. Unfortunately, although the flavours were good and there were no crusts, the bread itself had started to go a bit crusty.

The rest of the savouries tasted fresh, but these two sandwiches had the air of a crustless sandwich which had been waiting for us to arrive rather than one that was freshly made. It was a real shame as I really enjoyed the coronation chicken filling, probably one of the best I have enjoyed.

Moving on, we turned our attention to the scones....

Do not adjust your screen.......there are two very pink scones there! 

The scones included two plain and two cranberry scones, served with clotted cream, apricot preserve and strawberry preserve.

As you can see there was fruit in the cranberry scones, but I couldn't really taste the flavour. The scones themselves had a great texture though and were served warm.

Finally we moved onto the 1920s themed sweet treats, which included hats, lips and an ashtray complete with cigar!

As well as being some of the most unusual looking afternoon tea treats that I've seen in a while, the sweets were also diverse in flavour and we couldn't wait to tuck in!

Rubi grapefruit cheese cake Cream cheese mousse, pink grapefruit confit

Mango, coconut & ginger Citrus mousse, mango jelly, coconut & ginger dacquoise

Pistachio, blackcurrant & violet Pistachio chantilly, blackcurrant & violet jelly

Chocolate & salted caramel Salted butterscotch, Guanaja chocolate mousse

Lime & raspberry pannacotta Lime pannacotta, raspberry jelly

We both thoroughly enjoyed the sweets that accompanied this tea. It's not often that a menu contains so many flavours that all appeal to me....I'll usually really like one or two and the rest are just ok. These however, were nearly all wonderful ....I wasn't a fan of the pistachio and violet, but that was purely a flavour preference (Sheree really enjoyed it).

All the rest were delicious!

I think my favourite was the ashtray....

Don't let the blue colour put you off....the chocolate and salted caramel were very well balanced and the biscuit base was amazing! 

We also both loved the raspberry and lime pannacotta - again, really well balanced, fresh flavours and a beautiful consistency. I'm not usually a pannacotta fan and so this really surprised me.

Although our tea was topped up throughout our afternoon we weren't offered anymore food. I probably couldn't have eaten anymore, but as this is a more expensive afternoon tea it would be preferably to have the option if we wanted seconds of anything. 

This afternoon tea costs £45 each or if you fancy a glass of champagne with your tea it costs £55. For more information pop by the London at Ten Trinity Square website.

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel

It's Cocktail Time - featuring Rutland Tea Co

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends - we hope you're feeling tea-riffic today!

Regular visitors to the blog will know that we love a good cup of tea with our afternoon tea or maybe a glass or two of bubbles....but we also love a great cocktail! We think there is nothing better than a well made cocktail to tickle the taste buds!

Recently I've been experimenting with some tea in my homemade cocktails and I wanted to share this one as I am so pleased with how it turned out! 

This is a sweet and fruity cocktail, probably slightly better suited to the summer months....but I can't see the problem with being prepared for the warmer weather! I can just see myself in the garden with a glass of this on a summer's evening. The flavours are tropical - think oranges and pineapple and you're on the right lines!

For this cocktail I have used the wonderful Earl Grey Blue Rose tea from Nottingham based Rutland Tea Co. This is a scrummy tea whether you enjoy it hot or cold. Its a traditional Earl Grey with citrus flavours which has been super charged with pineapple-peach flavours. The flavours are tropical, but remain light and refreshing. 

I discovered this tea as part of a Tea Tourist monthly subscription box, but you can also buy this tea directly from the Rutland Tea Co.

For this cocktail you'll need to brew the tea in advance and then leave it to go cold.

I have used Orange Marmalade vodka from Chase Distillery, as this is my preferred citrus vodka. You can substitute this for another brand if you have a favourite. I also used a sugar syrup - I was lazy and used a shop bought version. If you're feeling in the mood or don't have any pre-made you can easily whip up a batch of sugar syrup at home...

Homemade sugar syrup

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, bring cold water and sugar to a boil.

Turn the heat low and constantly stir the mixture until all the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear, this will take approximately 3 to 5 minutes.

Leave to cool

Finally I have topped my cocktail off with a little Prosecco - I can't remember which brand I used....you can use whatever you happen to have at home or your favourite brand. 

Now the important bit....

To make the cocktail

This is really simple....no shakers or mixologist skills required!

In a glass (I used a wine glass) with ice combine:

100ml of the cold tea

25-50ml of sugar syrup - I recommend putting a little in and tasting it for sweetness

50ml of citrus vodka

then top it off with a little Prosecco

Et Voila....you've got a glass of sunshine to enjoy! 

I topped mine off with a slice of orange (it was a clementine to be precise) but I was just trying to be fancy! If you have no fruit to hand, don't worry!

Have you used tea in your cocktails at home? Do you have a favourite recipe? I'd love to hear about it and maybe give it a try myself - get in touch and let m know!

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel 

Time for....cake at home - My Sweet Tooth Factory

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends - today we're sharing with you a sweet treat that we recently discovered on a trip to the Southbank Centre Food Market in London. If you've never wandered around this food market before you should definitely visit - its just outside the Southbank and it's filled with so many different stalls. The stalls include a range of street food, beers, wines and cocktails, delicious coffee, tea and of course......sweet treats!

On this trip I found myself drooling over the cakes on offer at Sweet Tooth Factory and I couldn't help myself, I needed to try one of the cakes! They had a big range on offer, but I decided to try the cookie dough cupcake....

Yep, that's a ball of cookie dough on top of my cake!

The cake cost £3.50, but it came in a protective container and I managed to get it all the way home without damaging it! As you can see it's a substantial cupcake - don't attempt eating one if you've just enjoyed a big meal!!

Much to my surprise inside the cupcake is another ball of cookie dough! 

I really enjoyed this cake - the sponge was light and chocolately and that icing was just amazingly light and creamy. Combine those two elements with some delicious cookie dough and you have a great sweet treat! 

My Sweet Tooth Factory are a wholesale business, baking cakes for businesses in London, but they can also be found at the market. I'll definitely be heading back to try another one!

Have you enjoyed a cake from My Sweet Tooth Factory? I'd love to hear what you thought.

Thanks for popping by today,

Rachel

Time for.....Hot Chocolate!

Hello there!

We hope you're well today. Here at Tea With Me and Friends Towers we love a great cup of tea with our afternoon tea and are partial to a cup of coffee in the morning....but we also love a really good hot chocolate! There is something so comforting about hot chocolate, like a lovely warm hug in a mug!

So when Natasha at Pretty Patisserie told me that they were launching a new hot chocolate menu I just had to check it out! Then when I saw the menu.....yes they have a hot chocolate menu....I knew I had to pop back to Pretty Patisserie really soon to try  of the hot chocolates!

Each hot chocolate is made to order, using real chocolate. There is also a dairy free option.

In total there are nine different hot chocolates to sample....I think I'm going to be visiting rather a lot in the near future! From a classic hot chocolate to a chocolate orange, a chocolate mint and a wonderful creation called The Unicorn (which is white chocolate and raspberry, complete with lots of marshmallows and a unicorn horn!).

I popped by Pretty Patisserie to try my first hot chocolate last week, opting for the chocolate orange variety (I love Terrys Chocolate Oranges!) and of course I had to sample another cake while I was there. This time I picked a rather wonderful looking lemon cupcake (the lemon drizzle that I love so much had already sold out). I took my seat in Squires and waited for my treats to be brought over.....

I decided to have a lemon cupcake because surely that's two of my five a day right there! 

To start with just feast your eyes on that hot chocolate...it truly is magnificent! Classic hot chocolate, spiked with orange oil and topped with whipped cream! Now cast your eyes on the cake...just look at that perfect icing!

The hot chocolate was scrummy - served at the perfect temperature and the balance of the chocolate and orange flavours is great. Not too sweet, not too bitter. I really enjoyed it and probably consumed it far too quickly!

The cake was also delicious - the sponge was light and flavoursome and there was a great lemon filling in the middle. The icing on the top also has a great flavour and the texture is lovely too. All in all a lovely cake!

If you live near Farnham in Surrey or happen to be visiting the area and fancy a lovely hot chocolate and a great piece of cake you can't beat Pretty Patisserie! While you're there you can also take a look at the wonderful cakes and biscuits on display in Squires.

On this occasion I'd like to thank Pretty Patisserie for their hospitality as they treated me to my hot chocolate. Don't worry though - the sweet treat didn't go to my head and all opinions expressed in this blog post are my own.

I'll definitely be popping back to work my way through the rest of the hot chocolate menu! If you visit Pretty Patisserie we'd love to know what you enjoyed! Leave us a comment and let us know!

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel

Valentines Day Afternoon Tea 2018 - Round Up 2

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends. Today we're back with another round up of the Valentine's afternoon teas on offer this year!

Let's start with Binswood Hall, Leamington Spa where guests can enjoy a Valentine's cocktail on arrival...

Binswood Hall Valentines Afternoon Tea

The afternoon Tea cakes on this menu include:

Red velvet gateaux

Macaroon with dark chocolate centre

Strawberry tartlet

Mixed berry Eton Mess

Chef Ben Purton at the Royal Lancaster, London has created a pretty afternoon tea especially for Valentines this year....

Royal Lancaster, Valentines Afternoon Tea

The sweet treats to enjoy at this afternoon tea include:

Strawberries & cream lollipop

Red velvet cheesecake

Raspberry love heart-shaped macaron

Hazelnut mousse on Sable Breton

Rosewater marshmallow tart

I can personally vouch for how good the lollipops are at the Royal Lancaster - always a highlight!

Lorna and I will be visiting our next hotel in April, but in the meantime here is the Valentine's afternoon tea from The Connaught

The Connaught - Valentines Afternoon Tea

I love the colours in this afternoon tea, all so bold and pretty!

The pastries on offer include:

Grapefruit & Lychee - Lychee Mousse, Grapefruit Crystalized Rose
Lemon Bergamot - Bergamot Mousse, Lime Cream Lemon Confit
Passion Fruit Tart - Passion Fruit Jam, Orange Blossom Cream
Coffee Éclair - Coffee Curd, Caramelized Pecan Nut
Rocher - Hazelnut Praline, Milk Chocolate

Finally we have this wonderful selection of Valentines themed afternoon tea treats from Fortnum and Masons....

Fortnum and Masons Valentines Afternoon Tea

Are you drooling just a little now?? Don't they all look wonderful?

If you enjoy a Valentine's themed afternoon tea we'd love to hear all about it! Drop us a line on Twitter or on our Facebook page!

Thanks for popping by today,

Rachel & Lorna

Time for Tea.....Pretty Patisserie, Farnham

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends! We hope you're ready to read about some scrummy tea and cakes.

This week I am really pleased to share with you a new local discovery - Pretty Patisserie which is based in Farnham, Surrey. Pretty Patisserie can be found in Squire's Kitchen, the wonderful sugarcraft and cake decorating shop opposite Farnham train station. The opportunity to go shopping for cake decorating supplies and enjoy some tea and cake at the same time sounds wonderful to me!

I decided to take my mum along to sample the cakes and support a patisserie business so close to home. You need to pre-book your afternoon tea - you can do this by popping in or giving the shop a call.

On arrival at Squires Kitchen you need to make your way through to the Patisserie counter at the back of the shop to place your order before sitting at one of the tables dotted around the shop. We had one of the lovely window seats, which meant we could people watch the shoppers while enjoying our afternoon tea!

The tea choices are limited, but there is something for everyone -including a black tea, a decaf, a green, an earl grey and a peppermint tea. Once you've selected your tea this is brought over to you with an impressive looking afternoon tea stand...

All of this scrummy food was for two of us! 

The stand included a selection of freshly prepared savouries, two scones each, a selection of cakes (both cupcakes and smaller cake bites) and a selection of macaroons. We were also given a pot of clotted cream each and a pot of clotted cream - so no fighting over the cream!

Our savouries included triple decker sandwiches which were generously filled with cucumber and cream cheese and the tomato bread pinwheels filled with ham and rocket. I loved the pinwheels - the flavour combination was wonderful and the bread was especially tasty! We had two triple deckers each and two pinwheels each.

I really liked the individual servings of cream and jam, I thought this was a nice touch. We were served two scones each, which were a good size - not too big and not too small. We also had plenty of cutlery to cut and dress our scones - a small, but sometimes forgotten element of afternoon tea!

The cake selection was great....

There were three different full size cupcakes - lemon, chocolate and red velvet. All were scrummy, with light sponges and delicious icing. There was small pieces of lemon drizzle cake and dense chocolate brownie. Both mum and I thoroughly enjoyed the lemon cake, which was light and flavoursome.....probably some of the best lemon drizzle that I've had the pleasure of sampling! 

On the top tier of the cake stand there was a wonderful selection of macaroons...

These bite sized beauties were light and delicate with a soft, chewy middle - delicious!

If I am honest I couldn't believe how much food was included, especially since this afternoon tea is priced at just under £17 per person. This is great value, especially since the quality of the food is brilliant and we really enjoyed all the different elements. 

Don't worry if you can't fit it all in though - you can take home any cakes in little cake boxes to prolong the enjoyment at home!

I really enjoyed my afternoon tea adventure at Pretty Patisserie and I think Mum is already planning her next trip back! As well as afternoon tea, you can also enjoy a light lunch and I heard a rumour that a rather wonderful hot chocolate menu is launching soon! 

While we were there we also had the pleasure of meeting Natasha, who provided some information about the Patisserie and also the cake decorating sessions that they hold regularly. There are child sessions and adult sessions which focus on different cake decorating techniques. Ranging from £5 - £10 you can learn to make all kinds of sugarcraft models!

To find out more pop by the Pretty Patisserie website

Do you have a local tea room or patisserie that you think we should know about? Drop us a line and let us know about your local favourites!

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel 

Valentines Day Afternoon Tea - Round Up 1

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends....are you feeling in the mood for love? Yes, it's that time of year again....time for hearts, red roses and Valentines themed afternoon teas!

With so many options available to treat your loved one to or even better to enjoy with your friends, we thought we'd share some of the Valentine themed afternoon teas being created in 2018!

The Langham have a rather beautiful looking afternoon tea available as a extra special treat on Valentine's day only....



The sweet treats on the menu include:
Where's Cupid? - Coffee and Orelys chocolate filled choux
Marry me- Pink almond praline tart
Love is all around- Hibiscus and red berry mousse
You melt me - Warm chocolate, vanilla ice cream to share
Say it with roses- Manjari mousse with passion fruit

If you fancy some bubbles with your afternoon tea adventure Scoff and Banter in London are running a special offer with the afternoon tea booking website afternoontea.co.uk which includes a complimentary bottle of Processco with their Valentines afternoon tea...



Pop by the website for more information.

Conrad London St James have introduced a special Valentine's themed pastry to their afternoon tea which is served in their lounge Emmeline...

The Rosewater & pomegranate dome is available between 10th - 14th February as an extra special Valentines treat!

Or maybe the Enchanted Rose Afternoon Tea at Kona at Taj 51 Buckingham Gate will melt your heart....



This rather pretty afternoon tea includes:

SWEET CRIMSON DELIGHT - Passion fruit meringue tart
VALENTINE BLUSH - Strawberry delice chocolate and hazelnut mille feuille
PINK PASSION - Pink Champagne jelly with minted foam
SCARLET DESIRE - Lavender macaroons
ROSE BLOSSOM - Red velvet pastry hearts

We hope you've enjoyed this first round up of romantic afternoon teas! Pop back soon when we'll have some more Valentine's themed inspiration for afternoon tea!

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel & Lorna