Afternoon Tea Week: A Summer Special To Savour
It’s the time to celebrate taste and tradition - it’s Afternoon Tea Week!
Where better to relish this wonderfully British pastime and a tower of savoury bites, mouth-watering cakes and home baked treats than in the heart of the New Forest National Park.
Afternoon Tea has become synonymous with a visit to the New Forest, and it’s no wonder, it’s the perfect place to while away an afternoon with friends and family during the summer holidays. Wander our ancient woodland, spot New Forest ponies and simply enjoy spending time out in nature, then come to our country hotel for a full afternoon tea.
But why afternoon tea?
The very British pastime was first introduced by Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford, in 1840. It is believed that she began to request tea with bread and butter to satiate her hunger at mid-afternoon, feeling it was too long to wait until dinner at eight o’clock. Soon her friends were invited to join her for this afternoon meal and a rather splendid habit was formed.
So, when you’re not beaching, forest walking, crabbing or cycling our forest trails, sit and relax together, satiate those afternoons hunger pangs, share delicious moments, make memories and indulge over a classic pot of tea or a glass of fizz if that’s where the mood takes you.
Our New Forest hotel is ideally situated for those exploring coast or country, whether you are following forest trails and need a sit down or wandering nearby coastal market towns, find our afternoon tea near Lymington, Lyndhurst or Beaulieu.
Afternoon tea today is a little more than bread and butter, so in order to celebrate this wonderfully indulgent afternoon treat, we are welcoming you to our New Forest hotel to enjoy our seasonal special, the Summer Afternoon Tea, which invites you to sit down and enjoy a full afternoon tea and save 20% on bookings until September. Perhaps you’re celebrating a summer birthday, an anniversary or simply wish to get together for a long-awaited catch up.
We’ve also partnered with the award-winning Birchall Tea to pair their finest silk prism teas or Fairtrade coffee with your selection of treats. Birchall Tea, a family-run company are passionate about all things tea ‘in their pursuit of perfection’, with five generations continuing the tea tradition since 1872 – more than 150 years ago.
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During your New Forest afternoon tea, you’ll enjoy delicious finger sandwiches of salt beef and smoked salmon or classics like the cucumber and cream cheese sandwich, scrumptious choux buns, and dark chocolate and orange mousse with crystallised orange peel, as well as freshly baked scones with butter, jam and clotted cream (whichever way you like to eat them).
This combination of sweet and savoury treats is perfect to suit all taste buds; sample each bite or enjoy the savoury while the sweet-toothed among you lather their scones in jam and cream – as long as you’re in great company and are enjoying an afternoon of delicious food in a beautiful location, you’re doing it right!
The Summer Afternoon Tea
A selection of Birchalls’ finest silk prism teas or Fairtrade coffee
A selection of cakes and pastries:
New Forest strawberry Opera cake
Passionfruit choux bun
Dark chocolate and orange mousse, crystallised orange peel
Fruit & plain scones served with butter, jam and clotted cream
Finger sandwiches including:
Salt beef with mustard mayonnaise and rocket
Smoked salmon, horseradish crème fraiche
Devilled egg mayo
Cucumber and cream cheese
Prosecco, soft drink or non-alcoholic cocktail
