Tea and Me

It’s a lovely summer's afternoon with blue skies, the odd fluffy white cloud and a gentle breeze rustling through the trees and I am drinking Strawberries and Cream Tea by T2 , the company with the funky orange boxes, (okay, so really it’s 30 odd degrees out there and absolutely bloody baking so I’m hiding indoors, but I can see the blue sky and clouds out of the window). Ingredients: Apple, hibiscus, rosehip, strawberry granules (glucose syrup, strawberries, fructose, modified starch: E1414, thickener: E401), sweet blackberry leaves, yoghurt crispies (skimmed milk* yoghurt, sugar, maltodextrin, modified starch E1412, acidifier: E330), flavouring *contains milk. They describe it thus: “Strawberry fields are forever with this beautiful red brew and sweet aroma.” You may remember a while back when I went to afternoon tea at the Horseguards Hotel that I tried someone else’s Strawberries and Cream Tea and I quite liked it. Therefore, when I saw...

Earlier this week, I and some of my work colleagues went to the Royal Horseguards hotel for afternoon tea as a farewell to one of our number who is moving on to pastures new. This was a new venue for me and I think I can safely say that the event was a success and the afternoon was enjoyed by all. Chicken and mayo, Cucumber and Philadelphia cheese, Honey roast ham and mustard, London smoked salmon and dill creme fraiche, Egg mayo and watercress, Crayfish Marie Rose crouton  As there were a few of us the tea took a rather more freeform approach than I’m generally used to with afternoon tea – some went for the sandwiches first, some dived straight into the cakes, and someone made a cream and jam sandwich with the scones. It was a bit chaotic but fun. There was also some champagne drunk, but most importantly for me, of course, there was the tea. Plain and fruit scones with Cornish clotted cream and preserve The teas on offer are mainly provided by Novus...