Time for Tea - Ducky's Beach Cafe, Beer, Devon

Hello there,

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

I've realised that there was a disappointing amount of scones consumed and shared with you in June - only three blog posts! We must work harder this month to bring you more afternoon tea adventures!

Without further ado....I bring you scones on the beach! Last weekend Joe and I visited Honiton in  Devon for a wedding, as it was an overnight stay we decided to head to the closest beach the next morning and I was determined to enjoy a scone!

We stumbled upon the little fishing village of Beer by accident, but I'm glad we did. Despite it being a Sunday everything was open and there was even a local craft fair! Beer is such a pretty place to visit, with plenty of scenic walks to enjoy.....

We do like to be beside the seaside - Beer, Devon

Even better....on the beach we found Ducky's Beach Cafe! What could be better...enjoying a scone by the sea! Now, as you can tell from the photo above....the weather wasn't fabulous....but that didn't stop me (or long suffering Joe)....I was determined to enjoy my scone!

It's a very simple affair at Ducky's - lots of plastic tables and chairs and the front where you order your refreshments. There is no inside seating at all and the toilets are back up the hill...but the prices were incredibly reasonably, the choice of food was great and the views just wonderful (if you love the seaside like I do!).

Duckys Beach Cafe, Beer - Devon

As this was more brunch time than anything else Joe wanted a full English breakfast and I knew I probably needed something a little more than a cream tea (no afternoon teas on offer), so I opted to have a sausage sandwich with my scone! We both wanted tea...although Joe wished he'd ordered a mug of tea rather than a pot....as he was given a dainty teacup to drink his tea from.

The food arrived quickly, and the portions were great....

Sausage sandwich with your scones!

Everything was fresh and tasty, my sausage sandwich was hot and the tea was plentiful (we were given a pot of tea and a pot of hot water). As you can see my scones (yes there were two....I only ate one though) were served with lashings of clotted cream and strawberry jam....

Cream tea - Duckys Beach Cafe, Beer - Devon

The scone was well baked, not at all claggy and despite the rain I really enjoyed my scone by the sea!

I didn't take a photo of Joe's breakfast, but I'll admit I had a little food envy - the portions were generous and everything looked (and tasted Joe assured me) amazing. What struck me the most about this scone adventure was the value - I can't remember the exact prices of everything but the final bill came in at around £15 and we were both well fed and watered!

If you happen to find yourself in Beer and fancy a scone, I'd definitely recommend you pop down to the beach to Ducky's Beach Cafe!

Rachel enjoying a scone - cream first!

Have you enjoyed a scone in an unusual place? We'd love to hear all about it - leave us a comment or better still.....send us a photo on Twitter!

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel

Meet the Pastry Chef....Zoe Wager

Hello there,

Welcome back to another blog post where we meet one of the amazing pastry chefs who create the scrummy afternoon teas that we enjoy! This time we meet Zoe Wager who is the Executive Pastry Chef at the Intercontinental Westminster in London.

Zoe was behind the recent Intercontinental Westminster hit, The Edible Garden, and we recently shared with you a sneak peek of the wonderful new seaside inspired afternoon tea created by Zoe. Here Zoe tells us a little more about the tea....

Our new afternoon tea is titled 'British Summer Holiday'.  It aims to take our guests through a typical day on holiday, starting with a picnic of prawn cocktail and pork pie with piccalilli, even on its own gingham rug!  There are also some delicious classic finger sandwiches such as egg and cress and coronation chicken.  We have used summer as inspiration for our scone flavours and have marmalade and strawberry & yogurt, served with our signature lemon curd, and, of course, clotted cream and strawberry jam.  The finale is a fantastic beach scene , complete with chocolate beach huts, sandcastles, bucket and spades and little windmill toffee chocolate tarts.  You can even eat the sand!

British Summer Holiday Afternoon Tea
Intercontinental Westminster

So what does it take to come up with these amazing afternoon teas......

Q How long does it usually take you to create new afternoon teas?

I’ve always got ideas in my mind and I‘m always making notes or taking photos of interesting things I see which inspire me - these could be food or non-food related.  Once I decide on the theme I would like to do for the next tea it's a few weeks of deciding flavours and developing recipes, as well as looking at presentation ideas before I am happy.  I also have to consider what is practical for my team to reproduce in its hundreds as there's no point doing something beautiful if it cannot be replicated exactly and consistently for each one of our guests.  It's really important to me that the flavours reflect the theme and vice versa. All the little details really count when it comes to afternoon tea.  

Q. Where does your inspiration for new teas come from?

Anywhere and everywhere!  I consider the time of year and any calendar influences - for example, next year I am really looking forward to developing something fun with the General Election in mind.  With so many great afternoon teas in London it is difficult to do something to stand out from the crowd, so I try to do something people would not expect.  I also consider our typical clientele and whether they would respond well to the ideas.  I scour the internet for photos rather than concepts or recipes as afternoon tea is very visual and I want to be able to recreate an experience through my teas.  I think the British Summer Holiday tea that we are doing right now really captures the essence of our childhood and gives people a sense of nostalgia, whilst also showcasing the best of British Summer (with or without the weather!)  

Q. What is your favourite part of your latest afternoon tea?

I think the sandcastles are so cute.  We spray them with chocolate and the texture is so realistic.  Once they have the little chocolate flags they really look the part. I think people on first sight people expect them to be quite dense, so the light peach mousse is refreshing.   

Those super cute sandcastles and buckets!

Q. Do you enjoy a spot of afternoon tea yourself and have you tried tea anywhere else?

I don't often get the chance to go out and try afternoon tea anywhere else, so it is a very special treat.  It always feels strange to be a chef outside the kitchen and I am particularly nosey so always want a little peak inside the kitchen and see what other chefs are up to!  Recently I was lucky enough to visit The Langham. The afternoon tea there is amazing and the pastry chef there, Cherish, is a master of her craft.  

Q. What is your favourite filling in an afternoon tea sandwich?

I love coronation chicken.  I know it's a bit old fashioned but that's the point these flavours which have stood the test of time - it's because they can't be beaten! A nice simple twist on classic cucumber is mint, which I also enjoy

Executive Pastry Chef Zoe Wager
Intercontinental Westminster

Q. The all important question - do you put cream or jam on your scone first?

I always used to put jam on first. Then, recently, I was talking to a friend who said the cream should be considered to be like butter, and therefore it should be spread first.  That made so much sense! I don't know why I never thought of it that way, so now I lashings of cream on first!

Q. If you could invite any guest to enjoy afternoon tea with you, who would it be and why?

Definitely my mum.  She died when I was much younger and never even knew I became a chef.  I would love to have the chance to take her out and spoil her. She would love the afternoon tea experience.  I don't think she ever did it.  

What do you know....Zoe is a "cream first" convert! I'd like to thank Zoe for taking the time to meet us when we last visited the Intercontinental Westminster, we loved seeing the new afternoon tea, and I'd also like to thank Zoe for answering our questions.

This seaside inspired afternoon tea can be enjoyed throughout July and August and is £37.50 per person. If you'd like to find out more about the British Summer Holiday afternoon tea, visit the Intercontinental Westminster website. 

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel & Lorna

Afternoon Tea News.....We do like to be beside the seaside!

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends! Today we are sharing with you a brand new afternoon tea that has been dreamed up by Executive Pastry Chef Zoe Wager at the Intercontinental Westminster.

We were at the Intercontinental Westminster celebrating a friend's Birthday this weekend and Zoe kindly came out from her busy kitchen to meet us and show us the next brilliant afternoon tea that will be on offer to guests this summer. It was a pleasure to meet Zoe, and just look at what she showed us.....

Seaside Afternoon Tea - Intercontinental Westminster

The presentation of these pastries is just wonderful and will instantly remind guests of the traditional British seaside, complete with little colourful beach huts and sand castles on the beach! It really is quite wonderful and perfect for the summer months!

Zoe has been at the hotel since the beginning of the year and has already wowed us with the Edible Garden afternoon tea, and this one is just as creative.....but more importantly it also tastes wonderful....

British Seaside Afternoon Tea
Intercontinental Westminster, London

Those little beach huts are chocolates and both the buckets and the sand castles hold wonderful surprises within for guests enjoying this summery delight! I am particularly fond of the sand castles and could probably eat quite a few of them! 

Every item on the slate looks beautiful and is perfectly sized. I would definitely love to sample the whole afternoon tea!

Time to build some sand castles at the Intercontinental Westminster?

To find out more about the afternoon tea experience at the Intercontinental Westminster pop by their website. 

I'd like to say a huge thank you to the hotel and Zoe for giving us this sneak peek!

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel