Earlier this week we were invited to Boringdon Hall Hotel to sample their unique Festive Afternoon Tea. Not only were we keen to get into the Christmas spirit, but we also couldn’t wait to see what unique twist Scott Paton and his team would put on this seasonal treat. Previous experience has given us high expectations of their afternoon teas and Christmastime is no exception.
If you haven’t read our review of the Boringdon Hall Tasting Menu yet, then you can find it here. Ordinarily, Boringdon is a beautiful destination for dining and treating yourself to afternoon tea or a spa day with friends. However, at Christmas the manor house is transformed to a whole new level of seasonal comfort.
Stepping into the Grand Hall, we were welcomed by one of the tallest Christmas trees I’ve ever seen, as well as a roaring fire and plenty of twinkling decorations. It’s the perfect setting for relaxing and getting into the Christmas mood. Festive Afternoon Tea is served 12-4pm everyday until 31st December and is £30 per person, including a glass of Mulled Wine (which I sadly didn’t realise until after I’d left!).
What’s on the Festive Afternoon Tea Menu?
There are plenty of playful elements to this spectacular Afternoon Tea. For starters, at the very top of the three tiers there were two adorable Snowman Macaroons. These delicious little macaroons were filled with a salted caramel sauce and were perfectly made. The top tier also contained Yule Log Santa Bellies, which seemed to have been laced with a delicate liqueur.
Next we enjoyed two pieces of iced Christmas Cake and two absolutely delightful ‘Figgy Pudding’ tarts. These mini treacle tarts were topped with a fig mousse and they were just divine. I want to know the recipe for those because I could happily have eaten three tiers of them!
The next tier contained fruit and traditional scones with homemade jam and fresh cream. While there was no festive twist to these, they were very nicely done.
As well as all of these sweet elements, we also got to tuck into some savoury treats. These included ham & cucumber finger sandwiches, a salmon blini (topped with caviar), coronation chicken vol-au-vents and mini Mediterranean tarts.
The Festive Afternoon Tea experience was a lovely way to spend an afternoon. Not only was there plenty of delicious treats to enjoy, but Boringdon also delivers on the theatrics. The snowmen macaroons were a real taking point and the figgy tarts were incredible. I liked having the ability to choose from a tea menu at the outset and I can only imagine that a steaming glass of mulled wine would have been the cherry on top.
So, if you think this sounds like your cup of tea (pun intended) then I would certainly encourage you to book a visit while you still have time.
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