Should you find yourself in England, Afternoon Tea is a must—right? When in Rome! Well, let’s not forget: the Romans left the island sixteen hundred years ago!
Tea . . . is not my thing! Let’s just get that out of the way. Now coffee on the other hand—well, let’s just say If I don’t get my morning dose of coffee, beware! But tea—I can do without. It’s not because I’m still sour about the Tea Act. There’s been more than enough time to heal that wound (said Sam Adams never). I just don’t like it.
But here I find myself in England, trying to immerse myself in English culture. Tea, as it happens to be, is about as English as it gets—with the exception of Mary Poppins that is. As you might imagine, Afternoon Tea occurs daily at hundreds of locations throughout the city—maybe thousands. Most visitors will put this on their “to-do” list of things to accomplish while in London. I had a “to-do” list of my own, but putting afternoon tea on it would take some convincing.
If I had to go out of my way for Afternoon Tea, I’m telling you now, It’s not happening! Fortunately, the hotel we were staying at just so happened to offer it. I realized I couldn’t spend a week in London, the land of tea, in a place that offers Afternoon Tea, and not participate. Despite my dislike for tea, and the belief that it is my patriotic duty to boycott the stuff (that is a joke by the way—I just want to clarify that as so many are easily offended, which I’m sure that statement alone offended someone), I made a reservation for Afternoon Tea for Thursday afternoon—and now I have a wonderful story to tell.
The Tea Room
The first step in getting me into an Afternoon Tea session, as we already learned, was that our hotel offered Afternoon Tea. The second step was seeing the room for which the Afternoon Tea was dedicated. It all began two days earlier while sitting in the hotel bar. It was our bartender (Adrian) who had provided us a glimpse into the adjacent room that was used exclusively for Afternoon Tea. I loved it! It was this quaint little Willy Wonka kinda room. I thought to myself, I can do this! Without further ado, I had Adrian pencil us in.
Tea Time . . . Almost
We showed up for our Afternoon Tea, and from there, the hostess walked us to our table. Immediately, I was calling Houston. We had a problem! Remember that cool little tea room I was so eager to get to? Well, that room was the next room over. We were sat in the main restaurant, not the tea room. You see, I began each day with breakfast in this very restaurant. As lovely as it was, I could use a little change of scenery. I didn’t want to be that guy, but I don’t even like tea. I was here for the experience—not the tea—and the experience was next door.
If I haven’t already said it, The Chesterfield is a top notch operation. I have only positive things to say about this wonderful hotel; I completely loved every aspect of my visit. When I stressed my concern, it was handled as expected. They asked if we wouldn’t mind waiting for a table to become available, and our request was granted. We were headed to the Willy Wonka room!
Tea Time
Did I mention I don’t like tea? Meanwhile, I found myself staring at a menu of potential tea choices. Imagine the challenge of choosing one—when none are appealing. I went with the one that made the most sense—chocolate!
Now this is where I tell you, if you’ve never had the pleasure of enjoying Afternoon Tea, you should try to make that happen. You’re probably wondering—Is this because I fell in love with my chocolate tea? That I discovered I really do like tea? Uh, no! I drank the tea, and it was ok . . . but I could’ve done without it. A coffee in it’s place would have greatly enhanced the session.
So if it wasn’t the tea that sold me on the idea of Afternoon Tea, what was it? The answer—a combination of couple factors. For one, even though I’m not the biggest fan of tea, I have to say it all begins there. Most people don’t have it out for tea like I do. If you like tea, you’re on the road to glory. Secondly, the atmosphere played a big role. I was fortunate to have had my experience at the Chesterfield, whose atmosphere brought you into another world. This is where it becomes a true experience. Lastly, the food.
The Food
A three tier tray shows up equipped with sandwiches, homemade scones, and a variety of cakes and pastries. Life just got good! The sandwiches were good, the scones were amazing—especially after adding jelly—but the pastries and cakes … I don’t even know where to begin.
The pastries and cakes looked like heaven. Guess how they tasted? The same! I had initial concerns, however. I admit, I get overwhelmed when there’s an array of choices, which is exactly what I was faced with. I felt compelled to try them all. The problem—there was only one of each variety. Oh no, there were two of us. I may not be a rocket scientist, nor did I stay at a Holiday Inn last night, but I could ascertain that the math did not add up. I thought, what if she wants that chocolate one filled with peanut butter? What if she takes the one I want?
My worries were put to rest. As it turns out, the tray initially comes with one of each variety. That’s the bad news. The good news is, they’ll bring you as much as you like. That chocolate covered peanut butter delicacy I feared I may never get to try … well, you can have ten of those if you want. This was easily the best news of the day.
Afternoon Tea vs. High Tea
When I talk about Afternoon Tea, you would assume I’m referring to High Tea, right? Not so! They are actually two different rituals. Yep—I was just as surprised to learn that as you are. So—how do they differ?
Afternoon Tea: Typically served mid-afternoon, Afternoon Tea is a meal composed of finger sandwiches, pastries, cakes, and scones—and is generally considered fancy. Yes, it requires things like manners and etiquette. It is also referred to as ‘low tea’ as it is traditionally served on low tables.
High Tea: Is a working class meal served on a high table, typically at the end of a work day—shortly after 5pm or so. These meals will consist of more substance, usually a main dish that is hot, in addition to various types of food. Manners and etiquette go right out the window—my kind of tea experience!
Conclusion
Well, as an American, I certainly don’t expect that I should have to pay tax on tea—but don’t worry, I won’t go throwing it into the harbor or anything like that.
In all seriousness, it was fantastic! Between the wonderful atmosphere and amazing food—not so much the tea, at least in my case—our Afternoon Tea experience was quite memorable. I would highly recommend it; and not being the worlds biggest tea fan, I believe that tells you everything you need to know.