Amidst the palpable excitement of the King’s Coronation, thousands of people across the nation are indulging in Afternoon Tea.
This culinary tradition started in the 19th century when the British aristocracy had a habit of eating only two meals a day: breakfast and dinner.
The Duchess of Bedford, who was a close friend of Queen Victoria, found herself getting hungry in the late afternoon. She decided to invite some friends over for tea and snacks to alleviate her hunger pangs.
The idea caught on, and soon Afternoon Tea became quite the fashionable social event. The menu included tea, sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, and a selection of cakes and pastries. The ritual of drinking tea with milk and sugar, served in fine bone china cups, became a symbol of British culture the world over.
Fast forward to 2023 and Afternoon Tea remains a highly popular tradition, not only in Britain, but also in many parts of the world. Hotels and restaurants around the globe offer their take on this classic ritual, with various themes and creative twists.
One such example of this is the music-themed Afternoon Tea at the Middle Eight hotel in London’s Covent Garden in the heart of the city within walking distance to theatre land.
Their Covent Garden Crescendo menu is a delectable fusion of music teemed with delicious treats. All dietary requirements are catered for, although it’s best to give the hotel as much notice where possible in order to accommodate.
Served on an elegant serving tray, guests can enjoy a selection of sandwiches which includes the highly fashionable ‘Coronation Chicken’ which comes with a subtle yet tasty cured herby mayonnaise, grilled vegetable sandwiches which has a layer of hummus, and a dill-infused smoked salmon and cream cheese sandwich. There’s also a herby sausage roll for meat eaters.
For those hankering after something sweeter, there’s a fantastic selection of sweet treats all of which are music themed. We absolutely adored ‘To the Best’ – a cloud-light lemon meringue tart with sweet lemon cream which was lighter than air and had a real kick to it.
‘Strike a Chord’ with its sweet centre of fresh raspberries sits atop a moist almond cake and is topped with a raspberry coulis and gold leaf.
One particular standout is the tangy ‘Blood Orange Opera’ paying homage to the music that surrounds the hotel. With layers of blood orange jelly, this moreish moresel also has citrus pannecotta which gives a sharp yet sweet taste that is unforgettable.
From the pistachio macarons with a dynamic treble clef emblazoned across the vibrant green disc filled with a buttercream to the nutty ‘Hazelnut Harmony’ choux delight, there’s truly something for everyone when it comes to the Middle Eight Afternoon Tea.
Can you really say you have had Afternoon Tea without indulging in a scone or two? Whether you pronounce it to rhyme with ‘bone’ or ‘gone’, you will love the vanilla and fruit scones that are topped with jam and clotted cream.
Whether you choose to team it with a glass of fizz or a cup of tea of which you can choose from traditional blends like Earl Grey, Lapsang and Darjeeling, or something a smidge more unusual like the intriguing Covent Garden blend which combines peppermint, black tea and blue cornflowers to create a full-bodied and slightly sweet yet spicy tea, your beverage of choice will elevate your Afternoon Tea to the next level.
As Alice Walker says ‘Tea to the English is really a picnic indoors’, whilst there isn’t much in the way of music weaved into the decor which is a little bit surprising, the room where you take the tea is light and stylish with an abundance of books everywhere and the staff are polite, efficient and friendly.
If you love music and feel that an Afternoon Tea is hard to beat, then head on over to the Middle Eight hotel in Covent Garden and enjoy a sweet symphony of treats!
£45 per person or £55 per person with a glass of Prosecco.
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