...at half past three, everything stops for tea...

...at half past three, everything stops for tea...

Tea consumption increased dramatically during the early nineteenth century, and it is around this time that Anna, the 7th Duchess of Bedford is said to have complained of having that sinking feeling during the late afternoon. At the time it was usual for people to take only two main meals a day, breakfast and dinner at around 8 o clock in the evening. The solution for the Duchess was a pot of tea and a light snack, taken privately in her boudoir, during the afternoon. Later friends were invited to join her in her rooms at Woburn Abbey over the summer and the practice proved so popular that the Duchess continued it when she returned to London, sending cards to her friends asking them to join her for tea and a walking the fields. Other social hostesses quickly picked up on the idea and the practice became respectable enough to move it into the drawing room. Before long all of fashionable society were sipping tea and nibbling sandwiches in the middle of the afternoon

SNOW QUEEN AFTERNOON TEA SELECTION OF SAVOURIES London cured smoked salmon blini, caviar, lemon crème fraîche Mini tartlet of cropwell bishop stilton & poached pear Prawn cocktail, marie rose Selection of fingers sandwiches CAKES AND PASTRIES Snowstorm Coconut cream, mint macaroon, candy floss The magic mirror Salted butter shortbread, yogurt cheesecake, frosted blueberries Snow Queen s sceptre Chocolate & pearl sponge, praline ganache, snowflake lace Palace snowflakes Blackcurrant & cardamom cake, crushed glittering meringue Blackberry kisses Crème patisserie & blackberries FRESHLY BAKED PLAIN AND RAISIN SCONES Served with Devonshire clotted cream, homemade strawberry jam & winter berries curd Free Flowing Champagne Afternoon Tea 55 per person Afternoon Tea 39 per person Each table has a 1 hour & 30mins time allocation All prices are inclusive of V.A.T at current rate and is subject to discretionary service charge at 12.5% Some of our menu items contain nuts, seeds and other allergens. Please ask a member of staff who may be able to help.

FINE TEA SELECTION 4.95 ( 2.50 supplement for the Afternoon Tea) Japanese Sencha Sweet, thick and grassy with flavours of sweet pea, fresh grasses and umami Vintage Raw Puerh Puerh has been aged in carefully controlled environments. The aging process adds a fascinating dimension. Maturing the tea into something richer, smoother, mellower and more complex but without losing the original life of the young fresh leaf. The flavour of well selected and aged puerh has anappeal which is the taste of time and life itself Oriental Beauty Supreme Oriental Beauty Supreme is complex and aromatic with harmonious notes of apple, ripe pineapple and fragrant cedar wood. It has a concentrated flavour with distinctive natural sweetness and fragrant cedar aroma. This tea originates from south of the Tapei in Er-Mei, Xin Zhu County, Taiwan

BLACK TEA Breakfast Rich and robust with a fantastically malty flavour Earl Grey Refreshing and sweet with lifted citrus charm, freshening the structured tenacity of the Ceylon leaf Darjeeling 2nd Flush Rich and full-bodied aroma with hints of the sought after muscatel flavour for which the second flush is famed Vanilla Black Dark, neat black tea-leaf infuses to reveal an intoxicating aroma of moist vanilla pods leaching into sweet raisin fruits Decaffeinated Ceylon A decaffeinated Ceylon black tea, still with the same great flavour, body and richness typical of our other Ceylon teas. Robust and rounded, with plenty of grip and structure and rich finishing flavours of malt WHITE TEA Jasmine Silver Needle A perfect balance of delicate white tea taste and sweet jasmine aromatics All prices All prices are are inclusive of of V.A.T at at current rate and is subject to to discretionary service service charge charge at 12.5% at 12.5% Some of of our our menu menu items items contain contain nuts, nuts, seeds seeds and other and allergens. other allergens. Please ask Please a member ask a member of staff who of staff may be who able may to help. be able to help.

GREEN TEA Organic Gunpowder Supreme Light, sweet and deeply refreshing. In Chinese this tea is called Zhu Cha which means Pearl Tea on account of the way it is rolled during production Organic Jade Sword Clean, rounded, full and grassy with faint seaweed complexities. Brisk and refreshing with a textured finish Organic & Fair Trade Dragon Well Warm and creamy mouth-feel, hazelnut notes and intense spring-freshness SCENTED Whole Rose Buds Beautiful and graceful notes of sweet-edged rose with a refreshingly light and palate-cleansing finish FLOWERING TEA Flowering Osmanthus A base of green tea buds topped with orange lily petals and bursts of orange asmanthus blossoms. Beautifully sweet with notes of apricot and mango

OOLONG TEA Yellow Gold Yellow Gold is hand-rolled with an aroma and flavour combining caramel notes, tangy citrus and fresh grasses, supported by quenching syrupy sweetness HERBAL TEA Whole Chamomile Flowers Fresh, cleansing and intensely enjoyable to drink Rooibos Gentle tangy notes of Seville orange combined with soft-textured hints of vanilla Peppermint Leaves Tea A refreshing trip into mint heaven Fresh Ginger and Lemon Tea Cleansing and revitalising Lemon Verbena Produced from Verveine leaves, this herbal tea has a light buttery taste, complemented by a subtle lemon scenting. Fresh and vivid with mint-like freshness and pressed lemon zest pungency All All prices prices are are inclusive of of V.A.T at current rate rate and and is is subject subject to discretionary to discretionary service service charge charge at 12.5% at 12.5% Some Some of our of our menu menu items items contain contain nuts, seeds nuts, and seeds other and allergens. other allergens. Please ask Please a member ask a of member staff who of may staff be who able may to help. be able to help.