It was with great anticipation that we entered Claridge’s to sample their Afternoon Tea offering. Being Claridge’s we were already expecting big things; it’s not without expectation that you visit a world-renowned hotel, and we were looking forward to the afternoon ahead of us.
Claridge’s have been serving Afternoon Tea in the traditional format for over a century. Respecting the classic combination of finger sandwiches, warm scones and sweet pastries accompanied by a selection of loose leaf teas, Claridge’s keep true to this aspect of our nation’s culinary heritage.
Afternoon Tea at Claridge’s begins with a glass of Laurent-Perrier Rosé Champagne, which was a welcome aperitif and certainly set the tone of what was to come.
“Everything from the service to the presentation detail was absolutely superb”
Up first on the menu was a selection of sandwiches. Simply and perfectly presented, these sandwiches featured only the finest ingredients, and the proof was in the taste. The selection included Daylesford organic chicken with lemon and tarragon on granary bread; Dorrington ham, celeriac remoulade and tomato chutney on onion bread; Severn and Wye smoked salmon, brown shrimp butter and rock samphire on rye bread; Burford Brown egg mayonnaise with watercress on white bread, and cucumber, crème fraîche and rocket on white bread.
A nice touch is that you’re able to read up on the sandwich fillings on the menu, which gives you interesting details regarding where and how the ingredients are produced. For example, they have been sourcing their Daylesford chicken for many years, and the meat comes from hand-reared Sasso birds – a French breed that has a slimmer breast fillet with a slightly firmer texture that is perfect for their sandwiches.
Next up, we enjoyed a selection of both raisin and plain scones, freshly baked daily in the Claridge’s kitchens, and served with Cornish clotted crème and Marco Polo gelée.
We chose our tea from a tea selection menu, Sourced very carefully by Claridge’s tea connoisseur, Henrietta Lovell. We opted for the Claridge’s Blend and the Single Estate Afternoon Tea - we were certainly not disappointed with our choices.
After the scones arrived an impressive selection of hand-made pastries. These included chocolate gâteaus, Mariages frères crème brûlées, blackcurrant tarts, pear and walnut éclairs with vanilla cream, and apricot and caraway cake.
Afternoon Tea at Claridge’s is a very special experience indeed, and one we cannot recommend highly enough. Everything from the service to the presentation detail was absolutely superb, and we certainly can’t wait to return and experience it all again.
The Bill: £74 per head
