By Annette Kellow
Now we are nearing the big day of Christmas there is no getting away from the amount of wonderful edible goodies on offer. I have decided not to deny myself such delights (tis the season after all) and I have already concluded that I can go on one of those January diets that normally last no longer than a week. As my mum was visiting London (and is an even bigger fan of tea than me!) there was only one thing for it- Time to find a festive afternoon tea for us both to enjoy!
But which one would be the most suitable? There is, after all, many tea parlour establishments in London that offer such dining so I wanted it to be very special for her visit.
As my mum has not spent much time in Kensington I picked out the Royal Garden Hotel with breathtaking views over Kensington Palace Gardens which serves a traditional quintessentially English tea with a Christmas twist. On arrival we were seated in what can only be described as the best seat in the house! We had perfect window views of the palace and the gardens whilst being in the centre of the dining hall, it was a relaxing setting with a tranquil ambience. There is a huge selection of highly sought after delicate teas but my mum and I went for our usual, English breakfast- yes, we were being unadventurous but it’s our favourite!
Then we were greeted with a mouthwatering selection of sandwiches that included chicken salad, egg, beef, cream cheese and smoked salmon, which were absolutely delicious. This was accompanied with a live piano player whom played some beautiful classic pieces! As we settled into some well-earned catch up our Christmas-inspired tier of cakes arrived. These included a red velvet Christmas cane cake, a Chocolate truffle Christmas pudding and a Snowman’s hat cake. This was finished with an assortment of fruit and ginger cakes, scones, jam and cream. Yes, we did mange to eat it all I'm proud to say!
Afterwards we were even treated to a glass of their finest fizz which after a truly scrumptious afternoon we were ready to face the world and continue our Christmas mission- shopping!
To book your festive afternoon tea at The Royal Garden Hotel please visit www.royalgardenhotel.co.uk/special-occasions/afternoon-tea or call 020 7937 8000