Time for some of our favourite scones

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends.

Today we would like to share with you some of our favourite scones we have enjoyed since we started our afternoon tea adventures. To us a scone should be light and fluffy, but have a lovely crunchy exterior and should most definitely be served warm. And if they say they are fruit scones.....then they should contain more than one raisin!! Finally they should be eaten with clotted cream and a preserve or curd...we're not fussy about which as you'll see from our choices below.

Lorna's favourite scone was one she has enjoyed fairly recently when we visited the Lancaster London hotel....the scones were traditional and perfectly sized, they were light and fluffy in the middle with a wonderful crust and went particularly well with their house-made marmalade and clotted cream...

Lorna enjoying a scone at the Lancaster London

A better look at those scrummy scones

While I rather enjoyed the less traditional scones that Pastry Chef Ji Sun Shin has on offer at the Ampersand Hotel which contain white chocolate....

White chocolate scones at Ampersand Hotel

White chocolate is my least favourite type of chocolate, however it adds a creamy dimension to these light scones and goes really well with the strawberry preserve on offer.

The Rosewood Hotel served up some rather scrummy warm scones....

Warm, light and fluffy scones at the Rosewood

We enjoyed these cute little scones with zingy lemon curd.

We also had a citrus experience at The Athenaeum hotel when we took Kirsty there for her Birthday, as they served both fruit scones and orange flavoured scones....

Orange scones at The Athenaeum hotel

Finally do you remember those amazing mini scones served at the Chocolate Teapot in Esher....

Sadly the Chocolate Teapot has now closed, but I am so pleased I had the opportunity to enjoy these little mouthfuls!

So, where have you enjoyed your favourite scone and what makes the perfect scone for you.....get in touch and let us know!

Thanks for popping by today,

Rachel

Time for Tea......Intercontinental Westminster

Hello there,

Our lovely friend Becca has been indulging in a spot of afternoon tea....without us (yes, we were very sad)....but luckily she took some photos for us to drool over and told us all about her lovely afternoon.

Becca went to the Intercontinental Westminster, which Lorna and I first discovered last summer, to enjoy their unlimited champagne afternoon tea. Take a look at the scrummy treats that Becca and her friend enjoyed.....

Afternoon tea at
Intercontinental Westminster

The tea selection at the Intercontinental Westminster is rather good, and includes black, white and green teas. As well as scented, flowering, Oolong and herbal teas. In fact there are 14 different teas to choose from on the standard menu, plus three premium teas that you can try for an additional charge.

Becca has a bit of a savoury tooth, and she nearly always prefers the sandwiches and savoury treats to the sweet cakes and pastries. She was pleased to report back that the sandwiches were all very tasty and as you can see from her photo above they were appropriately cut without any crusts!

Intercontinental Westminster Afternoon Tea Sandwiches
Photo from hotel website

Becca also commented that the scones were very tasty! They were served warm with jam and rather scrummy lemon curd.

There was one sweet treat in particular that Becca really enjoyed from the cake stand.....

Sweet treats at the Intercontinental Westminster!

This cake was described by Becca as "peanut butter deliciousness"! High praise indeed from our savoury toothed friend!

Becca and her friend cleared their plates, and were asked whether they wanted anymore food. The champagne also flowed freely during their time at the hotel. The waiters were very friendly and helpful, confirming whether there were any dietary requirements before ordering the tea. 

Always a good sign at the end of a tea - empty plates!

Becca commented that it was so relaxed and enjoyable that they wanted to stay there all day!

During afternoon tea a harp is played to entertain the guests, he plays a mix of modern and classic songs. Becca and her friend enjoyed playing "guess the song" as they enjoyed their tea.

This afternoon tea experience is £30.00 per person, which is brilliant value as the food is replenished and the champagne flutes are never left empty. However, this is a special offer in January 2014...take a peek at their website to see what tea the hotel is currently offering.

Thank you Becca for sharing your lovely experience with us. If you've enjoyed a spot of afternoon tea recently and would like to share your photos with us please get in touch! 

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel and Lorna