Time for a Cup of Christmas Tea....

Hello there,

Welcome back to another post from Tea With Me and Friends - I'm sorry that we've been a little slow to post articles this month, time is escaping us at the moment....we're really pleased that the Christmas break is just around the corner!

Today I wanted to share with you a festive cup of tea that was given to me by the lovely Claire from The Secret Tea Society. If you haven't heard about the Society before, we are a bunch of tea loving ladies who meet up to enjoy a spot of afternoon tea and a good natter. Take a peek at one of our recent afternoon tea trips here.

The tea that Claire gave me was a little Christmas gift....

Kent & Sussex Christmas Tea

Now as regularly readers will know, we love trying new teas here at Tea With Me and Friends and we're also a rather festive bunch....so we could wait to try this tea! I took a peek at the Kent & Sussex Tea & Coffee Company to find out a little more about this festive blend. The words "exotic Fruit Tisane" feature, as do "wonderful aroma with a powerful spicy taste". It certainly smelt wonderful when we first opened the bag.....like Christmas had been trapped in that bag!

The tisane reminded me of a pretty pot pourri...

the instructions suggests leaving this blend to brew for 10-12 minutes, but to be honest we poured a little sooner than that....

The result was a beautiful red tea, which smelt like Christmas and tasted quite wonderful. The flavour is spicy, I could tastes cloves mainly, but it wasn't overpowering or artificial. In fact it made a rather lovely cup of Christmas tea.

I did try it cold as well as hot (but accident) and can confirm that it better enjoyed hot!

If you would like to try this tea for yourself pop by the Kent & Sussex Tea & Coffee Company website for more details.

As it's the festive season, Claire and some of the Secret Tea Society ladies have a little festive treat for you.... we hope it puts you in the festive mood!

If you'd like to find out more about the Secret Tea Society pop by their website.

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel & Lorna

Time for Tea.....With lots of Audreys!

Hello there,

Welcome back to another afternoon tea post from Tea With Me and Friends - this time I would like to share with you a recent tea Lorna and I experienced with the lovely Secret Tea Society Ladies at Warren House.

Now if you are not sure who the Secret Tea Society are you should really take a peek at their website....led by our tea leader Claire, we are a group of like minded ladies who enjoy tea and a good gossip! We meet approximately once a month for afternoon tea at various locations - we're a very friendly bunch so if you fancy joining us take a peek!

This tea was a rather special one as it was a Breakfast at Tiffany's themed afternoon tea that was put on for us at Warren House in New Malden, Surrey. As well as a beautifully dressed room and themed games all the ladies were also asked to dress for the occasion....

An orderly queue of Audreys!

As you can see from the photo above, tea was served buffet style, which for this particular tea I rather enjoyed. All the food was on the buffet table, presented on stands and we could help ourselves. Tea was of the loose leaf variety and we were presented with a selection of Twinings leaves to pick from.

A selection of Twinings Teas to pick from

Afternoon Tea Stands - Warren House

We had a traditional selection of afternoon tea treats to indulge in:

Afternoon tea sandwiches

Scones with homemade jam and clotted cream

Various pastries and fresh fruit

The sandwiches were fresh and perfectly sized - not a crust in sight. The fillings were very traditional and included smoked salmon and cucumber, egg mayonnaise and ham.

Afternoon tea sandwiches - Warren House

Next we helped ourselves to scones and pastries.....

Sweet treats at Warren House!

From the lovely selection I decided to try the vanilla and strawberry panna cotta shot, the ginger spiced cupcake, the brownie and the tea bread.

I really enjoyed the panna cotta, which was rich and creamy and went beautifully with the strawberry compote on the top. I also loved the mini cupcake which was perfectly sized and full of flavour.

The scones were also a good size - not too big, not too small and were not claggy in texture. I particularly enjoyed the homemade strawberry jam as well, which had a really good flavour.

Afternoon tea sweets - Warren House

Our tea was served in wonderful, individual glass teapots. 

I loved the contemporary design....

Tea is served!

Finally I thought I should show you what Lorna and I decided to wear to this tea. We were all asked to dress in our best Breakfast at Tiffany's inspired outfits....and we decided to think outside the box a little....

Lorna opted for Audrey in her pink dress....and I went for "Moon River" Audrey, complete with guitar! 

All in all we had a wonderful afternoon, a big thank you to Claire for organising yet another wonderful afternoon tea and thank you also to Warren House for a lovely afternoon tea experience.

To find out more about afternoon tea at Warren House please visit their website.

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel

Time for Tea.....1920s style at Byfleet Manor

Hello there,

Welcome back to another afternoon tea post from Tea With Me and Friends - this time we have a very special afternoon tea adventure to share with you.

If you have visited our blog before you will probably remember hearing about The Secret Tea Society which both Lorna and I are members of. Its a group of like minded ladies who meet at tea events across London and Surrey to indulge in our afternoon tea passion and have a good natter. I have been a member for a while now and have been to several events, I have to say that it's a wonderful group to belong to. Our tea leader Claire is wonderful and arranges the most amazing tea events for us.....and the other ladies are all so friendly and welcoming. To read more about The Secret Tea Society or to join us visit the website!

This particular tea affair was rather special as we were gathering together to celebrate the first Birthday of The Secret Tea Society....and what a wonderful experience it was. Claire arranged a 1920s afternoon tea party at Byfleet Manor in Surrey for us. Now if you are a fan of Downton Abbey you may just recognise the inside of Byfleet Manor, as it currently features in the TV programme as Dowager Violet's House.

The beautiful Byfleet Manor

Byfleet Manor is beautiful both inside and out, with extensive gardens. With the perfect theme and setting, the guests needed to look the part too dressing in 1920s style attire.....

Some of the gorgeous Secret Tea Society ladies
enjoying tea at Byfleet Manor

As it was a Birthday celebration each Tea Society member at the event received a gift - a beautifully decorated biscuit by Clare's Cakes and some wonderful loose leaf tea. Thank you Claire for such a thoughtful gift (I still haven't eaten the biscuit - its far too pretty!)......

Then the feast began....we were served tea in pretty vintage teacups and ate the daintiest sandwiches and pastries on vintage china. Here is the cake stand that was presented to the table.....

Afternoon tea at Byfleet Manor

Let's start with a closer look at those wonderful sandwiches.....

Dainty afternoon tea sandwiches

We enjoyed a wonderful traditional selection of afternoon tea sandwiches including cucumber, chicken, my favourite egg mayonnaise and salmon - served on both brown and white bread. The sandwiches were delightful - very fresh and tasty and no crusts in sight!

The scones were served on a glass cake stand, dusted with icing sugar and accompanied by fresh strawberries.....

Fresh scones - Byfleet Manor

We had one large scone each, which was generously fruited and served with clotted cream and strawberry preserve. I enjoyed my scone very much - it was light and fluffy.

Moving back to the main cake stand we have a layer of pastries and cakes to enjoy....

Fresh fruit pastries - Byfleet Manor

The cakes with the blackberries on top were circles of light vanilla sponge sandwiched together with scrummy lemon curd (a personal favourite!). The treats with the raspberries on top were pastry filled with cream and preserve - also very nice.

At this point we may have been getting full, but we still had the top layer of the cake stand to enjoy.....

Sweet treats - Byfleet Manor

This layer included a wonderful selection of sweet treats, including mini toffee tarts, fruit tarts and mini pieces of chocolate brownie - all perfectly sized to be enjoyed by ladies!

Finally, we each had a mini strawberry trifle - served in a little shot glass....

The trifle was light and refreshing, and I thought it was a lovely addition to afternoon tea.

As I mentioned earlier I thoroughly enjoyed the vanilla sponge with lemon curd, which not only tasted wonderful but was also beautifully presented.....

I really enjoyed all the food which was served at this afternoon tea - it was all fresh and both looked and tasted wonderful. 

We finished the afternoon with an awards ceremony - celebrating our favourite venues and also some special members of the Secret Tea Society. The certificate below belongs to the lovely Monique Lowe from Toasted Glass (amazing hand painted glassware) who has rather impressively only missed one of the tea events since the beginning of the Secret Tea Society!

Award time - Secret Tea Society

The whole experience was so enjoyable and totally unique! Byfleet Manor is a beautiful venue, styled authentically and Julie the owner is a wonderful hostess.

Byfleet Manor is a private residence which periodically offers events to the public - the next being a 1920s Murder Mystery Afternoon Tea. For more information pop by their website.

A big thank you to Clarie for arranging this afternoon tea - I am looking forward to the next one!

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel

Time for Tea.....The Chocolate Teapot

Hello there,

Welcome back to another afternoon tea post from Tea With Me and Friends!

Yesterday I spent a wonderful afternoon with Claire and some of the Secret Tea Society ladies at The Chocolate Teapot, which is a lovely little tearoom in Esher. Now, if you don't know about the Secret Tea Society and you love a spot of afternoon tea you should really read more about this group of tea-crazy ladies! We meet periodically at afternoon tea events which are organised by our super tea leader Claire - the events take place mainly in Surrey, London and the surrounding areas and our membership is growing quickly! At the events we indulge our sweet tooth in afternoon tea treats, drink copious amounts of tea and have a really good natter! Take a peek at the Secret Tea Society website if you're interested in finding out more!

This tea adventure brought us to Esher in Surrey, for a wonderful afternoon of treats. The Chocolate Teapot is situated just across the road from Esher train station, and is filled with vintage china and wonderful cakes!

The Chocolate Teapot, Esher

There were seven Secret Tea Society Ladies in attendance at this afternoon tea, and we sat around one long table in the window. As we waited for everyone to arrive we looked at the tea menu, which was short but sweet. The majority of us opted for English breakfast tea, which was served in beautiful china....

The sandwiches were presented first, brought out to us on pretty glass platters. Now these were a little controversial as you will see.....

Afternoon tea sandwiches - Chocolate Teapot style

Yes....they are cut into triangles rather than dainty finger sandwiches! Now the purists amongst us might be gasping right now (I can imagine Lorna's expression!)....but let me reassure you...there was not a crust in sight and the bread was nice and fresh. The fillings were very varied and tasty and included salmon, ham, cheese and tomato, tuna and prawns - a lovely selection! I therefore think we can forgive the little triangles!

Once we had eaten rather a lot of the scrummy sandwiches our plates were swapped for clean ones and out came the scones with cream and jam, served on pretty cake stands....

The cutest scones I have ever seen!

Now, I don't know if you can see this in the photo...but these little beauties are bite sized! They are possibly the cutest (and smallest) scones I have ever seen! The small size didn't compromise the scones however, which were light and fluffy on the inside and had a lovely crunch to them. They were served with a tangy berry jam and of course clotted cream. I probably could have eaten that whole platter to myself!

Once we had enjoyed our scones the final cake stand was brought out to us....and this was definitely worth waiting for.....

Can I interest anyone in cake?

We were presented with glass cake stands full of bite sized sweet treats! The selection was quite amazing really, with something for everyone! Included on the stand was carrot cake, coffee cake, two types of lemon cake, jam tarts, battenburg and vanilla cupcakes to name just a few of the cakes!

Shall we take a closer look....

A Chocolate teapot served at the Chocolate Teapot!

Everything was fresh and tasted wonderful! It was very hard to pick a favourite! It was a delightful end to our feast.

Overall service at the Chocolate Teapot was wonderful and very attentive - our tea was replenished regularly without the need to ask and we were given lots of clean plates and cutlery as required. The interior of the tearoom was really pretty, with lots of cakes and pretty vintage china on show....

I had a wonderful afternoon here and would recommend it to anyone looking for a good afternoon tea with a vintage feel. Here I am enjoying a cup of tea with the other Secret Tea Society ladies......

Tea With Me and Friends in good company with
the Secret Tea Society!

I know at this point I normally share with you the cost of the tea, but I have a confession to make! I know that we enjoyed a bespoke afternoon tea today, but I am not sure how much the usual menu costs! I have had a look around the Internet and I think the approximate price of an afternoon tea per head is under £10 - which is great value!

For more information about the Chocolate Teapot pop by their Facebook page.

Thanks for popping by today,

Rachel

Like tea? Then read this post.....

Hello there!

So, in my last post I mentioned that I had joined The Secret Tea Society.....so today I thought I would tell you a little bit more about the Society and the lovely ladies who I met last weekend.

The Secret Tea Society is a group for you if you are based in London, Surrey, Bath or the surrounding areas....and you enjoy a good cup of tea and a natter! We are a group of smart, tea drinking ladies who meet periodically at organised events where we enjoy tea, cake and sometimes some bubbles or the odd cocktail. Sounds good doesn't it?

There are several different membership packages that you can choose from...starting at under £18 for the year. And once you've joined you'll be able to join in the fun and attend future tea events! All events are organised by our wonderful tea leader (who can make it snow at the drop of a hat!) and range in price from £0 - £45 per person.

The ladies who I met at the last event were all incredibly friendly and welcoming, it was a truly lovely afternoon filled with laughter and tea! There were several new members at this event as well as me....but I think any onlooker would have thought we'd all known each other for years!

If you are intrigued and would like to find out more, pop by The Secret Tea Society website. You can see photos of where the ladies have enjoyed tea previously and where we'll be going in the future!

 

If you join us, you get to enjoy tea in some unusual places!

 

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel

Time for Tea.....Fanny's Farm

Hello there,

This weekend I experienced a wonderful tea with a lovely group of ladies. About a month ago I found and joined The Secret Tea Society....a wonderful group of tea drinking ladies who enjoy nothing better than a spot of conversation over a good cup of tea (or glass of bubbles given the opportunity!).

The Secret Tea Society meet approximately once month to have a wonderful natter, and each time a different afternoon tea venue is frequented. I think you can understand already why I joined!

My first afternoon tea with the ladies couldn't have been more different to any of the other teas I have experienced so far! This time the ladies went to Fanny's Farm in Reigate and we enjoyed a wonderful afternoon tea in their tree house! Yes, you read that right....I had afternoon tea in a tree house!

Me and the Secret Tea Society Ladies!

Everything about Fanny's Farm is truly delightful, including its decor.....it is decorated to fit the season...we were greeted by this display when we first arrived....

 

Yes, I think they're ready for Halloween!

 

As you wander around the grounds you come across many different sites....

 

 

Until finally, among the quiet garden, you discover the tree house.....

 

Isn't that amazing?

 

The tree house was first built in 2001 and seats 10 people inside. There are several different time slots available during the day, and there are seven different menu choices to tempt your taste buds. Everything must be booked in advance, including your menu selection.....but you can make slight changes when you arrive.

 

The various menus include a cream tea, a morning coffee, a mixed tea and a ploughman's lunch. They range in price from £7.50 - £16.50, but the average menu is £9.50. I opted for the Farmhouse Tea which included a pot of tea, a scone with cream and jam and a piece of cake.

 

As you can see from the photo above as well as sweet scones, there are also savoury cheese scones on offer. All are incredibly tasty and very fresh, and rather large in size. The cheese scones came with cream cheese and a selection of fresh vegetables.

 

Lorna will be pleased to note my scone assembly!

 

The sweet scones came with clotted cream and strawberry jam. Everything was served on wonderful china....and we had huge pots of tea to share.

 

 

There was a variety of different cakes on offer to those of us who opted for cake with our tea....the portions were huge and the cakes were served with fresh fruit. We could pick from carrot cake, lemon cake and an apricot and amaretti cake.

 

I opted for the apricot and amaretti cake....which was incredibly moist and tasty. My tea cost £9.50, which considering the portion size and quality of the food was very good value.

 

All in all this was a wonderful and truly unique experience. The Farm and the tree house are beautifully maintained and decorated, the food is tasty and everyone we encountered was very friendly and helpful....even offering to take our photo when we first arrived.....

 

Inside the Tree House with The Secret Tea Society

If you are looking for a tea with a different then this is a brilliant experience.

 

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel