Time for something sweet - bonboosh marshallows

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends - we hope you're ready for something sweet today!

Last weekend I was at the Odiham food festival where a friend introduced me to the delights of bonboosh marshmallows - a local company who take marshmallow flavours to the next level, producing light as air marshmallows in flavours such as sweet violets, gingerbread and their latest creation sloe gin and blackberry.

Regular readers out there will know my sweet tooth took over as soon as I saw the stall (I didn't even stop to take a photo of the stall!) and of course I had to buy a bag (just the one I hear you cry!). After a lot of deliberation I opted for the new flavour....the combination of sloe gin and blackberry sounded just divine!

Now this is where I feel I need to educate everyone a little on the dangers of being a marshmallow owner on a hot day. Listen carefully and you'll avoid the disaster that follows.....

Before sampling my marshmallows I popped in on Joe's mum on the way home, leaving my bag of goodies in the car. I disappeared inside without a further thought about my latest purchase and enjoyed a couple of hours catching up with Annette. When it came to home time I opened my car door to be greeted by the most intense, mouth watering smell of .... well of sloe gin and blackberries! At this point I just smiled to myself and drove home, looking forward to trying a marshmallow. I remember thinking it was a bit warm in the car, but it was a hot day so nothing surprising there.

However.....and I bet you can all guess where this is going.....yes my little bag of marshmallows had suffered somewhat in the heat.....

#marshmallowsdieinhotcars

Yep.....I was now the proud owner of a bag of melted marshmallow! It did smell amazing in my car, but I learnt a valuable lesson that day....marshmallows die in hot cars! 

Stories like this should have a happy ending though....and luckily this one does! I have made my own marshmallows before, and so I decided to take the gloopy mess and try and reset it, using icing sugar to stop my new marshmallows from sticking to everything. It did work....although my marshmallows don't look very pretty and I managed to lose two in the process of resetting them!

The flavour was amazing though - the perfect balance of sloe gin and juicy blackberries! The texture was also still really good, with the marshmallows being light and fluffy despite the whole ordeal! They melted in the mouth as you ate them - a sign of a brilliant marshmallow!

Just in case you were wondering....this is what the marshmallows should have looked like (I've borrowed this photo from the bonboosh Facebook page!)...

I will definitely be trying the other flavours in the bonboosh range - you can buy via their facebook page.  If you already have a favourite bonboosh flavour that you think we should try, drop us a line and tell us all about it!

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel 

Time for some sweet treats....Milky Mischief from Monty Bojangles!

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends.

Now before you read any further I feel I need to warn you about how addictive today's sweet treats are! They look innocent enough....but eat one and you'll be hooked!!

Milky Mischief Truffles - Monty Bojangles

These are milky and chocolately cocoa dusted truffles.....and my goodness they are good!

They are made by Monty Bojangles the company who have the tag line "curiously moreish" - which in this case is very appropriate! If you take a peek at their website you'll discover such delights as Pistachio Marooned truffles, berry bubbly truffles and cookie moon truffles....so these milky mischief truffles sound quite innocent. But as their name suggests.....these little treats are mischievious!

These are new to Monty Bojangles in 2016....

Each truffle tastes of wonderful milk chocolate, which just melts in the mouth. They are light, but decadent and full of flavour.....but they melt away quickly.....making you want to stuff another in your mouth right away! Amazing!

Not great if you are watching your waist line or have no self control (like me!), but they are truly wonderful and would make a lovely gift for that special someone (or yourself!).

For more information pop by the Monty Bojangles website!

But remember...you have been warned!

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel & Lorna

Recipe Time.....let's make fudge-ish!

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends, I hope you are well today!

I thought I would share with you today a really, really simple recipe that I tried for the first time this weekend....perfect for making a sweet treat to accompany an afternoon tea spread. Yes, we are making fudge....now don't groan...because this is a cheats recipe! No need for fancy sugar thermometers or long recipes....in fact this recipe only has two ingredients! That's why I've called it "fudge-ish"....because I'm not entirely sure it is fudge.....however I have served my fudge-ish to unsuspecting guests this weekend and no one blinked an eye!

Fudge-ish from Tea With Me and Friends

It looks scrummy doesn't it....and no one needs to know that you didn't slave away over the hob to make it....I won't tell if you don't!

So, I found a recipe a while ago on the Internet...on one of those tip/life hack sites, but I have tweaked the original recipe slightly...mainly because I didn't have enough of the ingredients in my kitchen....but it worked out well so I am sticking with these amounts.

To make a batch of fudge-ish you will need:
1 can of condensed milk - 397g (I used that well known variety but I'm sure an own brand would work just as well!)
300g milk chocolate cut into small pieces (the smaller the better)
1 shallow baking tray, well oiled to prevent sticking (this is very important)
1 microwave
space in your fridge to chill your fudge-ish

Now...are you ready....to make the fudge-ish....

• Put the condensed milk in a microwave save bowl, add the chocolate and stir well so all the chocolate is covered
• Put your bowl in the microwave on high for approximately 2 minutes, remove and stir well. Don't worry if all the chocolate isn't melted to start with, as you stir it will all melt down and the mixture will start to thicken
• Once you have a nice, thick mixture resist the urge to stick your finger in the bowl (however tempting) and instead pour it into your prepared baking tray. Smooth over the top with a spatula
• Chill in the fridge for a couple of hours (the longer the better really), once set cut into small pieces to serve. Your fudge-ish is best served cold and it's definitely worth letting it chill properly in the first place otherwise you end up with a gooey mess that is hard to cut (yes, that's experience talking there!)

A nice addition to an afternoon tea spread - a plate of homemade fudge

You can either enjoy this plain - it has a slightly chocolately taste, and is rich and creamy. Or if you fancy something a little different, once the mixture is ready to chill add a little sea salt to the top and press down slightly into the mixture.

If you want a more chocolately taste, simply add a bit more chocolate in the first place.

I hope you enjoy this recipe - if you give it a go let me know how you get on! Send us a photo of your fudge-ish on Twitter or Facebook!

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel 

Time for...something a bit lighter

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends!

Today we are featuring something a little bit sweet, but perfect for those midweek sugar cravings when you don't want to over indulge too much (well they work for us!).

Have you tried...chocolate covered corn cakes? Yes, we know what you are thinking....has all that sugar and caffeine finally gone to our heads....but bear with us on this one!

Milk chocolate corn cakes - Kallo

Now these are from Kallo and come in at just 78 calories per cake making them a sensible treat (yes I know there are two on my plate!). If you haven't heard of Kallo before, they are a company who focus on food products for "sensible happy eating" - hence chocolate covered corn cakes! 

For Kallo a sensible diet should be about what you can eat rather than focusing on what you can't eat (sounds very sensible to me).

Let's take a closer look at the corn cakes....

Chocolate covered corn cakes from Kallo

These corn cakes have a thin coating of milk chocolate on one side, making them sweet enough to conquer a mild chocolate craving, but with less than 80 calories per cake they won't ruin your waistline (unless maybe you eat them all in one go!).

We were sent these corn cakes to try and if I am honest I was a little dubious at first - after all....we are all about cakes, tea and scones here at Tea With Me and Friends! I was concerned that they would be a bit like munching on cardboard. However, I am very pleased to report that there is just enough chocolate on the corn cakes to make them a very enjoyable treat.

Milk chocolate corn cakes - Kallo

For more information about these corn cakes and to see the other products in the Kallo range visit their website. 

We'd like to thank Kallo for sending us these corn cakes to try - but please remember this hasn't affected our taste buds and all opinions expressed here are our own.

Do you have a favourite Kallo product? Have you tried these chocolate covered corn cakes before? What did you think about them?

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel & Lorna

Time for Something Sweet....Miss Millar's Marshmallows

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends....today we have something sweet and scrummy for you....something perfect with a cup of tea!

We were recently sent a wonderful box of Miss Millar's Marshmallows in raspberry eton mess flavour. Now, I have made my own marshmallows previously and really appreciate a good quality mallow. Forget those pink and white generic marshmallows found in shops....great quality marshmallows are completely different....and so we were keen to try these.

When they arrived they were well packaged...eight pieces of marshmallow neatly boxed and wrapped......

Miss Millar's Marshmallows

Fay and Adele are the talented brains behind these marshmallows and this is just one of the scrummy flavours available to buy from their website. Other flavours include Very Vanilla, Burnt Caramel, Chocolate & Orange, Apple & Blackberry Crumble and Lemon Meringue to name a few!

Fay Millar

Adele Wilkinson

The marshmallow recipes are all gluten and wheat free, some of the variety are also diary free! But....what do they taste like? Well, we had our first taste of the raspberry eton mess marshmallows whilst travelling on the Hammersmith & City line in London....

Lorna enjoying some
Miss Millar's Marshmallows

Classy I know...but shows how portable this treat is! 

My second taste was a much more elegant affair....with a cup of Lady Grey in my garden on a sunny afternoon....

Miss Millar's Marshmallows

That's much better!

The marshmallows are light and fluffy and delicately flavoured - the perfect treat. The raspberry flavour lingers in your mouth, dancing on your taste buds, before disappearing and leaving the sweet meringue flavour. They are so scrummy!

They also went really well with my cup of Lady Grey, bringing the sweet flavour out in the tea.

Miss Millar's Marshmallows

Each box of eight marshmallows costs £4.50 - take a peek at the Miss Millar's Marshmallow website to see all the flavours available.

We'd like to thank Fay and Adele for sending us this scrummy box of treats. Please note that although these treats were sent to us to try, this has not effected our taste buds at all and all thoughts here are our own.

Have you tried any of Miss Millar's Marshmallows? Which is your favourite flavour?

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel & Lorna

Time for Some Sweet Treats....Canelé from Yvonne & Guite

Hello there,

We hope you're having a Tea-riffic Teas-day!

Recently Tea With Me and Friends towers were the lucky recipients of this gorgeous little box from Yvonne & Guite....

We had been in contact with Caroline from Yvonne & Guite who had asked us to try their canelés.....neither of us had heard of canelés before but were keen to discover these little known French treats.

We peeped into the little box and discovered the little, glossy sweet treats inside....

So..we hear you cry...what exactly is a canelé??

Well, we're glad you asked....as Caroline told us...they are French treats, which originated over 300 years ago in Bordeaux, characterised by a unique texture - a soft interior with a thin caramelised crust, traditionally flavoured with vanilla and rum.

The caramelised crust gives them a rather irresistible glossy finish.....

We followed the instructions that came in the box.....serving them warm...we added the cherries to try and get some of our five a day!

These truly are a unique treat, like nothing we have tried before. 

I think these treats could be enjoyed at any time of the day, as the rum is very subtle (due to the small amount used and high baking temperatures). In fact they taste rather fruit like, and have a lovely almost custardy middle which is not exactly runny nor a traditional sponge.....

The other lovely thing behind these beautiful little morsels is the company that makes them...or rather should we say the person. Caroline founded Yvonne & Guite in September 2014 based on her love of baking from her family recipe book (which she did from a young age) and her love of canelés which she could not find in London (she moved there from France in 2011). 

The book was full of family recipes....including lots from her Grandmothers...Yvonne and Guite who were passionate about their baking. Caroline started baking canelés about four years ago after her mum gave her some traditional moulds to use. There has been lots of perfecting the canelé recipe that Caroline uses but now she is introducing this traditional French treat to London!

 If you would like to try them for yourself or would like to find out more pop by the Yvonne & Guite website.

Alternatively you can find these treats on the Bonativo website.

We'd like to thank Caroline for introducing us to these lovely French treats. Please note that although we have received a complimentary box of canelés this hasn't affected our taste buds and all opinions expressed her are our own.

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel & Lorna

Time for Tea.....Wimbledon themed tea at The Ampersand

Hello there,

Welcome back to another guest post from Tea With Me and Friends...this week the lovely Becca shares with us her recent Wimbledon themed afternoon tea adventure at The Ampersand in London. Regular readers will know that we love the Ampersand, Pastry Chef Ji Sun is so creative and passionate about developing sweet treats that look and taste amazing! We haven't visited in a while so we were keen to see Jo Sun's latest creation....

Wimbledon tennis themed afternoon tea
Ampersand, London

In the background of this scrummy photo you will see Sam....Becca's sister....and this folks is her first afternoon tea! It was Sam's Birthday and she loves the tennis at Wimbledon so this made a wonderful gift! Let's find out what they thought.

The feast begins with the savoury gougeres....

Savoury afternoon tea treats - Ampersand

Becca said they were delicious and she had forgotten how filling they were. Her favourite was the cheese and fruit chutney, but they were all tasty! The other fillings included Glouster old spot ham; smoked salmon, dill and cream cheese and Coronation chicken (my favourite!). Becca commented on how well filled each gougere was.

Once they had finished the savoury treats Becca and her sister start on the scones...

Afternoon tea scones - Ampersand

Each guest is served two scones - one plain and one white chocolate, served with Devonshire clotted cream & homemade raspberry preserve (this is usually strawberry, but Becca has an allergy). They were served warm and I am pleased to report that Becca dressed her scones in the "right" way....

Scones - dressed the Tea With Me and Friends way!

The scones were a good size....so good that Becca only managed to eat the plain scone....as she wanted to make sure she had room for the sweet treats...

Wimbledon Afternoon Tea - Ampersand, London

This is where the Wimbledon theme really begins....just look at that cute little tennis racket! The treats include a coconut mousse and mango passion fruit jelly tennis ball on a lime sponge tennis court, a ginger bread tennis racket, a strawberry and cream tart, a cute little blueberry white chocolate ganache macaroon and a Pimm's cocktail shot.

Ji Sun has really created a lovely collection here and Becca confirmed that everything tasted wonderful too. She particularly enjoyed the tennis ball....

Sweet treats at Ampersand afternoon tea

In fact, she enjoyed it so much she was still talking about it the following weekend when I saw her next! Most importantly.....Sam also enjoyed her first afternoon tea adventure!

The Wimbledon afternoon tea can be enjoyed at the Ampersand until the 17th July and it costs £32.50 per person or £44.50 per person with a glass of Champagne.

You can enjoy a complimentary glass of Champagne Monday - Friday, when booking the Wimbledon Afternoon Tea Special offer on-line. Take a peek at the Ampersand website for more information.

A huge thank you to Becca and her sister for sharing her latest afternoon tea adventure with us - we love your photos!

Have you tried one of the Ampersand afternoon teas? Which has been your favourite? We'd love to hear from you!

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel & Lorna

Time for a Little Christmas Tradition

Hello there,

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

It's Christmas Eve and we hope that you are all ready for Christmas. Last weekend to get in the festive mood I held a Christmas Movie day at my house and invited all my girlfriends over to join me. I have a rather large Christmas movie collection......and I'm generally rather passionate about the festive season...so any opportunity to get my friends together and watch lots of Christmas films and eat scrummy food is not to be missed!

Christmas Movie Day with Tea With Me and Friends

I made rather a lot of treats, and some of the girls also brought over some snacks to keep us fortified....

Among other things we had stollen, mince pies, millionaire shortbread dusted with gold and homemade mini quiches.

Some of us got really creative.....

A chocolate Christmas pudding made by Melissa

To begin with we tucked into the food, accompanied with lots of tea and coffee and started watching the movies. Then as the afternoon progressed we decided we needed something more sweet and we set up a hot chocolate bar....

As well as the scrummy hot chocolate we had cream, chocolate chips, marshmallows, honeycomb and chocolate flakes! It really was an indulgent treat, which went well with the festive movies!

In the end we managed to watch three full length movies (Arthur Christmas, Home Alone 2 and The Grinch) and one shorter cartoon and everyone left feeling very relaxed and very festive!

This is the first year that we have done this, but I think it will become a tradition repeated each year as we all really enjoyed ourselves!

Do you have any sweet Christmas traditions that you share with family and friends? We'd love to hear about them....

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel

"That" Question....

No, not the question about scones and cream and jam....the other awkward question that sometimes happens at afternoon tea!

You know the one....when you are enjoying afternoon tea with a friend and you are served a wonderful selection of sweet treats...that are all different! Duplication may appear boring on the afternoon tea stand...but at least you don't have to ask "So which one do you want?".

Oh no! Only one of each cake -
what is a girl to do?

In reality....if you are like me or Lorna I am sure the answer is "well all of them of course!"....but you are at afternoon tea after all....you better be polite and say "oh I don't mind....which one do you want"......while all the time secretly thinking "don't eat that one....I really want than one!".

Now all good establishments will probably give you more sweet treats, which will allow you both to sample all the sweet items...but will you have room after you've demolished (sorry enjoyed) the first stand of sweet treats??

If you are good friends I'm sure you can fight this question out in a ladylike fashion....and it is lovely to see an afternoon tea stand full with an amazing selection of sweet treats. But if there was a smaller selection...and duplication...you wouldn't need to ask this question! Of course you can do what Lorna and I did at the Rosewood recently - cutting each sweet item in half...but that does rather spoil the fun!

No arguments at Asia de Cuba!

It was this very experience that led Lorna and I to discuss this hot topic....and we both agreed that we would prefer a smaller selection that we could each sample, rather than eyeing each other enviously as we ate, wondering whether we'd made the right choice! Then I began wondering if we were the only ones...so I headed to my trusty social media and posed the question....which option to people prefer. I am please to report that there are other people like me....but what do you think?

Our latest poll explores this concept...what do you prefer to see as the afternoon tea stand is brought towards you? A small selection of goodies, all duplicated so the whole group can enjoy each item.....or are you happy to share and maybe not sample all the delights on the stand?

Cast your vote now and let us know how you really feel! Plus has that awkward question ever gone wrong for you? Did you let your friend have the choice and you never got to sample that cake you had your eye on? We'd love to hear from you!

I'm really not sure how this poll will go, so I am looking forward to see your votes!

Thanks for popping by today,
Rachel

Time for Tea.....Rosewood London

Hello there,

This weekend Lorna and I were lucky enough to be invited to sample the afternoon tea at the newly opened Rosewood London hotel in Holborn (a two minute stroll from the tube station). I know of the hotel because I have viewed their event space previously and I knew that the hotel itself is very elegant and oozed opulence, so we were very keen to experience their afternoon tea offering.

The Rosewood London opened in October 2013 following a refurbishment of the previous hotel on the site. The hotel celebrates the local area and allows guests to enjoy luxurious surroundings. As Lorna and I arrived at the hotel quite early, we headed into Scarfes Bar for a cocktail first....well it would be rude not too!

The bar is beautiful...full of comfy seating, a roaring fire and a large collection of antique books. They have a good cocktail list, offering an unusual selection of cocktails.

Cocktails at Scarfes Bar, Rosewood London

We managed to spend an hour in the bar very easily, and before we knew it, it was time to head to The Mirror Room to enjoy a spot of tea. The Mirror Room is truly elegant, with lots of seating for both couples and larger groups. At one end there is yet another fire and also the cake table. The room is kept quite dark, with the atmosphere being driven by candles on the tables, soft lighting and slightly controversially piped music.

The elegant Mirror Room
Rosewood London

 Now, usually I take photos of the menu to remind myself post tea of the selection we indulged in....but this time I did not so we will have to rely on my memory!

After being seated we had the choice of a champagne afternoon tea at £49.00 each or the traditional afternoon tea at £39.00 each. Having already indulged in a cocktail we opted for the traditional tea. 

We also needed to select tea from the selection on the menu, there were several black teas, a white tea, green teas, a yellow tea and herbal infusions to pick from. I opted for the delicate white tea and Lorna went with their yellow tea. Teas were served in individual glass teapots, which suited the modern surroundings of the Mirror Room.

Once tea was served we were brought our sandwich selection on a rather cute stand.....

Afternoon tea sandwiches
Rosewood London

Now, I have to say that these were the most dainty looking creations that I have seen in a while. Perfect rectangles and not a crust in sight - they were nearly perfect, except the bread was a tiny bit dry on the top. We enjoyed a cream cheese, radish and black pepper sandwich (sounds a tad bit weird, but tasted wonderful), a cheese, ham and smoked butter sandwich and the most amazing egg mayonnaise sandwich I have ever eaten! I think it may have also had some onion in either the egg mixture or the bread....it was delicious! 

In fact all three fillings were lovely, and the softer fillings were actually pipped into the sandwich - adding to their beauty! Take a look at this egg sandwich.....

Afternoon tea sandwich - Rosewood London

Now, here lies a little disappointment for me....as I would have loved another one (or two) of those sandwiches. However, while I was away from the table the waiter whisked our empty sandwich stand away and returned with the scones without asking Lorna if we would like more sandwiches. I did question this after our tea with another waitress and she assured me that we should have been offered more sandwiches....so if you do indulge in tea at the Rosewood London and fancy more sandwiches, don't be shy to ask for them if they are not offered!

The scones were served warm.....really warm....as if they were fresh out of the oven. They were served with clotted cream, lemon curd and strawberry jam....all served in silver pots or containers.....

Warm scones - Rosewood London

Now, my disappointment at not having a second helping of those tasty sandwiches was eased by the fact that there scones were amazing! We had two, very good sized scones - one plain and one fruity. The scones looked lovely, with a good glaze on the top. They had a lovely crunchy exterior, but were light and fluffy inside. The lemon curd was tart and zingy, a taste explosion! The strawberry jam was equally as good, really fresh and sweet. 

Once we had finished our scones, the sweet treats were brought out on another beautiful cake stand.....

Sweet treats
Rosewood London

Now this is where tea got a little controversial again, if you look closely there is an amazing selection of sweet treats on that stand. There were six different items, plus petite fours.....but they were all different! Now I don't know about you, but I hate that conversation about who is going to eat each sweet treat at tea when there is a selection like this! However, all the sweets were a good size and so Lorna and I decided to split each one, making sure we could both try them all!

Afternoon tea sweets - Rosewood London

The selection of sweets was divided into distinct flavours, with a top fruity tier which included an amazing raspberry macaroon. A zingy citrus tier which featured a passion fruit eclair. And finally a chocolate selection featuring a rather scrummy piece of Opera cake.

Afternoon tea sweets - Rosewood London

The sweet treats all tasted divine, the textures were great and everything was so fresh. Once we'd demolished all the sweets we were offered more cakes, we could either enjoy something from the selection we had already enjoyed, or we could have something different! Yes, it turns out that there were even more sweets to try!

Now being ever so slightly greedy, I decided that I did want to squeeze one more thing in (I have no idea how!) and I took a recommendation from the waitress. 

She brought me a rather large piece of passion fruit cake.....

Afternoon tea - Rosewood London

This was also amazing, very zingy and light....but I couldn't finish the whole piece!

All in all this was a wonderful afternoon tea, everything tasted wonderful and there was a great variety. I was a little bit disappointed that we weren't offered more sandwiches and it took a while for the waiter to notice that our teapots were empty, but all the waiters and waitresses in the Mirror Room were extremely friendly and professional.

At £39.00 for the traditional tea, this is a treat, but I think its worth it. The surroundings are wonderful and the afternoon tea is very tasty, we definitely enjoyed our glamorous afternoon!

I'd like to thank the Rosewood London for their kind hospitality.

Thank you for popping by today,
Rachel

Time for Tea....St Martins Lane

Hello there!

I hope you're having a tea-riffic day!

Yesterday Lorna and I indulged in an afternoon tea with a difference at St Martins Lane hotel, London. We were there to try the Cafecito afternoon tea at Asia de Cuba, a sweet and savoury feast with both Asian and Cuban influences.

In the modern surroundings of Asia de Cuba, with Cuban music playing in the background, our tea was served on wonderfully quirky bespoke china. 

Quirky china at Asia di Cuba's afternoon tea

 As you arrive each diner is presented with a cigar box full of the utensils required for your tea, and you are told that you will need to make just four choices during your whole experience....and all of these are drink related!

Inside the box is your knife and fork, a beautiful tea strainer and your menu.....

Inside the cigar box......

Afternoon tea is served in two parts, with the savoury items being served first and the sweet only served when you are finished with the savoury. Each "course" comes with a different tea.

Our first decision of the afternoon was whether or not we wanted a cocktail to begin our experience. There were three different cocktails on offer, and our waiter gave a recommendation of which one he liked best. 

Of course we decided it would be rude not to try a beautifully crafted cocktail to compliment our afternoon tea! I opted for the fruity "Passionate About Tea" (a rum based cocktail) and Lorna went with the recommendation of the waiter and enjoyed an "Old Cuban Martini". Both were very tasty!

We also had to decide which of three teas to enjoy with our savoury course. There was an Iron Buddha, a Dragon Well and a smokey Lapsang. Lorna went with the Dragon Well and I tried the Lapsang. The teas were served in modern, glass teapots.

A fruity cocktail and a pot of smokey tea!

The first course was then served....a fruity smoothie to begin and then a wonderful selection of savoury items all served on a very quirky stand.......

The first course at Asia de Cuba
- the savoury selection!

As regular readers will know, both Lorna and I have quite sweet teeth and so you might be surprised to know how much we enjoyed this first course. Among the delicious items were a BBQ pulled pork and Swiss cheese pressed sandwich, a chicken and avocado spring roll and savoury scones served with Mojito butter.

A closer look at some of those savoury afternoon tea items!

The flavours were all rather delicious, and there was a great selection of items. It was also rather nice to enjoy the smokey tea with these savoury items.

The scones that we were served may have looked small, but they were light inside and full of flavour. One was flavoured with onion and the other with herbs. Both went very well with the Mojito butter.

Once we had finished the savoury items, the china was cleared and we were asked to pick the next tea to go with our sweet treats. This time the teas were lighter and included a caramel Oolong, a Lychee Red and a Vanilla Black tea.

The sweet selection was then brought out on a cute little platter......

The sweet treats!

The platter included the most amazing Mexican doughnuts which were filled with a butterscotch sauce. They were served warm, and melted in your mouth - completely scrummy! We also enjoyed a mini key lime pie topped with a light meringue, warm banana spring rolls and a delicious chili chocolate cream (the waiter recommended dipping the banana into the chocolate cream and I can confirm that this was a wonderful combination!).

Although there was only a small selection of sweet treats, everything was perfectly proportioned and you weren't left feeling hungry.

I had originally made this reservation for myself, Lorna and a friend as we were celebrating our friend's Birthday. The Birthday girl had to cancel, but rather embarrassingly I forgot to tell the restaurant and we were presented with two more scrummy doughnuts and a Birthday message! 

Wonderful service at Asia de Cuba
afternoon tea

We owned up straight away, and luckily the waiter found it quite funny! Secretly we were quite pleased to be able to indulge in another one of those doughnuts each!

You finally end your afternoon tea experience with one last decision as you are offered either a sweet espresso shot or one of two fruity palate cleaners.

This afternoon tea experience costs £25.00 per person, or if like us you fancy a cocktail too, it will cost you £35.00 each. I think this is great value for the selection of food and drink on offer.

The waiting staff were all very friendly, and knowledgeable - offering advice where appropriate. The surroundings were modern, but comfortable. 

All in all this was a lovely way to spend the afternoon, and we really enjoyed this afternoon tea.

Have you tried an afternoon tea with a difference? If so we'd love to hear about!

Thanks for popping by today,

Rachel