Afternoon Tea at South Lodge, Sussex Review

The South Lodge Hotel in Horsham is a five-star country house venue that epitomises class and luxury. It’s a lovely place to retreat to for a weekend away or to recharge your batteries.

One of the many dining options is afternoon tea. As you would expect from a traditional country hotel, the occasion was a formal, but relaxed affair, with bone china, fine cutlery and a tiered cake stand. Everything you would expect of somewhere of quality.

We were shown through to the lounge, which is a stylish wood panelled room with a beautiful fireplace and exquisite soft furnishings. It is a classically decorated room with an atmosphere of calm and ease, just right for a lazy afternoon in the country.

The selections were beautifully presented in silver service and on three tier cake stands. It was nice to see a comprehensive range of vegetarian options too. Service was swift and efficient, thanks to our smiling waiter.

Our tea included finger sandwiches with cheese and marmite, egg and cress on soft, fresh bread. The Assam tea was served hot from a pot and complemented everything nicely.

“Afternoon Tea at the South Lodge Hotel was everything you would expect of somewhere of quality.”

Following the sandwiches came freshly made pastries, scones with clotted cream and preserve, followed by fresh strawberries and cream to finish. The pastries and scones were home-made, fresh and utterly delicious.

The fresh strawberries were exactly that, and the clotted cream was the perfect accompaniment. We were even given a slice of cake each to take away, which was a nice touch.

We would most definitely visit here again.