Let's go outside
29th June 2009
As the British Summer hots up, Alexandra Fullerton rounds up the best places to enjoy afternoon tea al fresco.
Mandarin Oriental Hotel - London
London It's where the A-list flock whenever they're in London and The Mandarin Oriental Hotel should be a must-visit for the tassophile too. Afternoon tea is served between 3pm - 6pm and, when the weather is fine, tea is served on a beautiful terrace overlooking Hyde Park. The hotel is currently running a Wimbledon-themed offer - guests ordering a bottle of Veuve Cliquot champagne will get a free set of limited edition tennis balls too. But f you're planning a trip, don't turn up unannounced! Adrian Walsh, Manager of the Park Restaurant warns that "booking is essential," particularly at weekends...
Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, 66 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7LA / www.mandarinoriental.com / 020 7201 3849
Orange Pekoe - London
The informal seating area at the front of Orange Pekoe is the ideal spot for catching-up with friends and treating yourself to a cup of tea, some cake... and a suntan. Throughout Summer the tea shop is serving English strawberries and double cream alongside a special Wimbledon Cream Tea (which includes more strawberries, champagne and warm scones). According to Orange Pekoe's Managing Director, Marianna Hadjigeorgiou, the sun shines on the seating area from 1pm onwards... We recommend you arrive early to stake your claim on a table as queues can form with customers eager for a seat in the sunshine - and a pot of Orange Pekoe's Award of Excellence-winning tea. Orange Pekoe, 3 White Hart Lane, Barnes, London, SW13 0PX / 020 8876 6070 / www.orangepekoeteas.com
Bettys Harlow Carr - Yorkshire
Bettys is a tea time institution with branches peppered across Yorkshire. You can find one of their tea rooms at the RHS's gardens at Harlow Carr. The Terrace, which overlooks blooming flowerbeds, is (according to Bettys.co.uk) "one of the most beautiful locations to take tea 'al fresco' in Yorkshire... if not the country!" We can't disagree... During Summer months Bettys open a Tea House in the middle of the gardens too.
Bettys at RHS Gardens Harlow Carr, Crag Lane, Beckwithshaw, Harrogate, HG3 1QB / 01423 505 604 / www.bettys.co.uk
If you can't visit the tea rooms in person you can still recreate the picnic spirit in your own garden with Bettys By Post's Tea and Scones gift box which includes 80 Bettys Tea Room Blend tea bags, Strawberry Preserve, Lemon & Lime Cake and four sultana scones. Simply scrumptious! Order on 0845 345 3636 or via www.bettysbypost.com
The Lowry Hotel - Manchester
For a chic city experience, The Lowry Hotel can't be beaten. Their elegant terrace, which links the hotel's bar and restaurant, catches the sun all afternoon. It's the ideal spot to enjoy a delicious afternoon tea of finger sandwiches (including free-range egg and watercress), freshly baked scones and pastries.
The Lowry Hotel, 50 Dearmans Place, Chapel Wharf, Salford, Manchester, M3 5LH / 0161 827 4000 / www.roccofortecollection.com
Ashdown Park Hotel - East Sussex
This Award of Excellence-winning hotel is the epitome of country house living with 186 acres of immaculately tended grounds in which guests are welcome to partake in a leisurely afternoon tea. We're currently craving the hotel's Supreme Afternoon Tea - as well as the expected sandwiches, scones and cakes, guests can also indulge in tea cakes, crumpets, berries, biscuits and a Sussex Sparkling Pimms Cocktail. Supreme, indeed!
On August 22nd guests can take a tour of the hotel and estate, followed by afternoon tea and a history talk, while throughout July and August adventure-seekers can book a llama trek through the forest topped off with a Cream Tea in the hotel's Summer House.
Ashdown Park Hotel & Country Club, Wych Cross, Nr Forest Row, East Sussex, RH18 5JR / 01342 824 88 / www.ashdownpark.com
Gillams - Cumbria
The Lake District market town of Ulverston is known as Cumbria's 'Festival Town' and any tea fans in the area should stop off at Gillams tea shop. The Gillam family have been involved in tea trading for over one hundred years and now run a Victorian-style tea room, serving organic and vegetarian treats alongside a variety of loose leaf teas. In Summer months guests can take a seat in Gillam's gorgeous garden. Owner Douglas Gillam told Tea.co.uk that they'd recently taken part in the Open Gardens scheme, so the garden (which seats 32 guests) is currently in full bloom. We reccommend a visit ASAP!
Gillam's Tea Room, 64 Market Street, Ulverston, Cumbria, LA12 7LT / 01229 587564
The Angel Hotel - Monmouthshire
Once a bustling coaching inn, The Angel Hotel's courtyard was a noisy hub of activity as horses and carriages clattered through the space where afternoon tea in now taken. But now, in 2009, the courtyard is a cool and tranquil haven where guests can enjoy an Award of Excellence-winning tea surrounded by climbing plants and a gently tinkling water feature. Indulge in a choice of 13 different tea and infusions, scrumptious sandwiches (including Black Mountain smoked salmon), warm scones, freshly baked cakes and pastries.
The Angel Hotel, 15 Cross Street, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, NP7 5EN, Wales / 01873 857 121 / www.angelhotelabergavenny.com
Montague on The Gardens - London
Tea at this intimate townhouse hotel is a real treat - especially when taken on the decked Terrace with beautiful views of the hotel's gardens. With a long service (afternoon tea is served from 12noon to 6pm) there is plenty of time to smell the roses - and enjoy your tea. Set teas include The Calendar Girls afternoon tea with ham, prawn cocktail and salmon sandwiches and pink-iced cakes to commemorate the West End show of the same name.
15 Montague Street, London, WC1B 5BJ / 020 7637 1001 / www.montaguehotel.com
Juri's - Gloucestershire
The Tea Guild's Top Tea place in 2008, Juri's is a delightful fusion of Eastern and Western influence. Run by the Japanese Miyawaki family, the tea room is decorated with Laura Ashley chintzes and the garden is planted in the same traditional style... If you were to image a Cotswold country garden, bursting with lavender and clematis, an image very close to the reality of Juri's would spring to mind! The eponymous Juri told Tea.co.uk that the borders have just been planted up with "old roses" so now would be an ideal time to visit.
High Street, Winchcombe, Cheltenham, GL54 5LJ / 01242 602 469 / www.juris-tearoom.co.uk
The Castle Tea Rooms - Herefordshire
Situated in the grounds of the Medieval ruins of Ludlow Castle, Castle House is home to an Award of Excellence-winning tea room where, in Summer, guests can enjoy afternoon tea in the fresh air. The 65 cover garden terrace overlooks proprietor Richard Davies' herb garden and many of the herbs and flowers find their way in the the kitchens to be used as ingredients or decoration (in the divine Lavender shortbread, for example).
Castle Tea Room, Castle House, Ludlow Castle, Castle Square, Ludlow, SY8 1AX / 01584 878 796 / www.ludlowcastle.com
Hazelmere Cafe - Cumbria
With a brand new decked verandah in place, Summer at The Hazelmere Cafe in seaside town Grange-over-Sands looks set to be an outdoor affair! Owner Dorothy Stubley told Tea.co.uk that the cafe's Summer Afternoon Tea includes salmon and prawn sandwiches with parsley and lemon mayonnaise, a fruit scone with homemade strawberry jam and a pot of Darjeeling tea from the Indian Risheehat Estate. A previous Top Tea Place and consistent Award of Excellence-winner, it's bound to be mouthwatering...
1 Yewbarrow Terrace, Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria LA11 6ED / 01539 532 972 / www.hazelmerecafe.co.uk
Old Stables Tea Rooms - Herefordshire
While literary fiends flock to the town of Hay-on-Wye to find antiquarian books, tea fans are drawn to another attraction: The Award of Excellence-winning Old Stables Tea Rooms. Summer visitors can take tea in the outside courtyard and enjoy a new selection of brews including Rose Pouchong, Welsh Brew tea, Ceylon and Chai blends. The homemade sconces, cakes and preserves are well worth a trip so wish for sunny weather.
The Old Stables Tea Rooms, Bear Street, Hay-on-Wye, Herefordshire, HR3 5AN / 07796 484 766 / www.chefontherunfoods.co.uk
Bullivant of York - Yorkshire
Finding outdoor space in many city centres will often equal a few pavement tables crammed in between buildings and the gutter - but at the Award of Excellence-winning Bullivant tea room in York, there is a peaceful, pink-painted courtyard at the back of the shop. Guests can currently indulge in a Strawberry Cream Tea which includes fruit scones, homemade strawberry jam, more berries and a choice of tea. Sweet.
15 Blake Street, York, YO1 8QJ / 01904 671 311
Buxted Park - East Sussex
Take tea on the terrace at Buxted House Hotel and we bet you won't be able to stop yourself from imagining what it would be like to indulge in their delicious afternoon tea every day! There are a range of loose leaf teas on offer along with set teas to include scones, finger sandwiches and cakes and pastries. The sunny season also sees jugs of Pimms on the menu too...
Buxted Park Hotel, Buxted, East Sussex, TN22 4AY / 01825 731301 / 07931 319 363 / www.handpicked.co.uk/buxtedpark
Cemlyn - Gwynedd
Visitors to Cemlyn in North Wales should be prepared for a sharp intake of breath as they step out onto the tea shop's sun terrace. With enviable views over Harlech Castle and a vista that stretches out over the mountains and sea beyond, Cemlyn's position is truly special. As is the menu! Rich chocolate cake and buttermilk scones (served with local cream) and a wide range of leaf teas all tempt Cemlyn's customers. If the sun on the terrace gets too hot there are shady parasols to protect guests too... Bliss.
Cemlyn Tea Shop, High Street, Harlech, LL46 2YA, Wales / 01766 780 425 / www.cemlyntea.co.uk
Tiffins - Hampshire
The small but perfectly formed courtyard at Tiffins only has room for a few tables but it's an idyllic spot in which to take afternoon tea. The menu devised by owners Sharon and Chris Pendlebury reflects the time of year and local events... which means there is currently an abundance of strawberries and locally grown lavender (in the form of a delectable lavender cake).
Tiffin Tearooms, 50 West Street, Alresford, Hampshire,SO24 9AU / 01962 734 394
Muffins - Cornwall
Guests at Muffins will enjoy the quintessential Cornish cream tea, with locally grown strawberries and clotted cream travelling just one mile from farm to plate! As well as a large range of teas from around the world the tea shop also serves locally grown Cornish tea from the Tregothnan estate - and all can be enjoyed in the Award of Excellence-winning Muffins' pretty walled garden.
32 Fore Street, Lostwithiel, Cornwall PL22 0BN / 01208 872 278 / www.muffinsdeli.co.uk
Lainston - Hampshire
A beautiful country house hotel and Award of Excellence-winner, Lainston House Hotel's gardens (full of English roses and highly scented honeysuckle) offer an idyllic location in which to take afternoon tea.
Sparsholt, Winchester, Hampshire SO21 2LT / 01962 863 588 / www.exclusivehotels.co.uk
Marshmallow - Gloucestershire
An Award of Excellence-winng Cotswold tea room, Marshmallow has a very pretty interior with French Doors leading out onto a lovely terrace. Bursting with climbing plants, fresh white furniture and a Cotswold stone floor it makes a lovely tea-time retreat.
High Street, Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire GL56 0AT / 01608 651536
Quarterdeck at The Nare - Cornwall
Tassophiles in search of sun, sea and sand should head to the Nare Hotel, where the Quaterdeck restaurant leads out onto a poolside terrace with far-reaching sea views.
Carne Beach, Veryan-in-Roseland, Truro, Cornwall TR2 5PF / 01872 501 111 / www.narehotel.co.uk
Bingham - Surrey
This chic hotel is an excellent option if you're looking for an elegant venue in which to take afternoon tea. Now the weather is warmer dine on the terrace, where guests are greeted with lovely views over the gardens towards the meandering River Thames.
Bingham, 61 - 63 Petersham Road, Richmond, TW10 6UT / 020 8940 0902 / www.thebingham.co.uk
Orangery at Kensington Palace - London
Situated moments from the Royal residence at Kensington Palace, The Orangery is an elegant space in which to take afternoon tea. The cool interior leads out onto a terrace, where guests can enjoy their tea when the weather is fine, which in turn looks out over the grounds of the Palace gardens.
The Orangery at Kensington Palace, Kensington Palace, Kensington Gardens, London, W8 3UY / 020 3166 6112
The Goring - London
Guests at The Goring can be forgiven if they forget they're in central London... The hotel's terrace and blooming private gardens (which are the largest in London) and the new Country Garden Tea all conspire to confuse city folk into thinking they're in pastoral bliss instead of the bustling capital! An almost rural retreat.
The Goring, Beeston Place, Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1W 0JW / 020 7396 9000 / www.goringhotel.co.uk
Swinton Park - North Yorkshire
The views over Swinton Park's lovingly tended gardens are an excellent reason to take tea outside at this luxurious, castellated hotel - as are the chances of watching a game of croquet or catching a glimpse of grazing deer. As well as Award of Excellence-winning teas all the preserves served are made in a village on Swinton's estate.
Swinton Park, Masham, Ripon, North Yorkshire, HG4 4JH / 01765 680 900 / www.swintonpark.com
Manor House Hotel - Wiltshire
While the gardens at this Wiltshire hotel are glorious, the afternoon tea is Award of Excellence-winning! Combine them both with tea taken al fresco and you have the recipe for a perfect afternoon.
Manor House Hotel, Castle Combe, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN14 7HE / 01249 782 206 / www.exclusivehotels.co.uk
Peacocks - Cambridgeshire
The pretty patio at this previous winner of The Tea Guild's Top Tea Award is a lovely spot to while away a leisurely afternoon of tea drinking. Overlooking the River Ouse, guests have a choice of over 50 blends of tea including Garden Blend, Rose Petal and Jasmine - all ideal for a Summer's day.
65 Waterside, Ely, Cambridgeshire, CB7 4AU / 01353 661 100 / www.peacockstearoom.co.uk
Moggerhanger Park - Bedfordshire
Guests at this stately home's tea room can take a seat in the smartly paved courtyard and enjoy an Award of Excellence-winning afternoon tea.
Moggerhanger Park, Park Road, Moggerhanger, Bedfordshire, MK44 3RW / 01767 641007 / www.moggerhangerpark.com
Flying Fifteens - Suffolk
With an open patio area overlooking Lowestoft's Blue Flag beach, Flying Fifteens is an Award of Excellence-winning venue for outdoor afternoon tea.
19a The Esplanade, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR33 0QG / 01592 581 188
Tea on The Green - Essex
Overlooking the idyllic village green in Danbury, the patio tables at Tea on the Green soon fill up with customers eager to try the tea shop's Award of Excellence-winning afternoon tea.
3 Eves Corner, Danbury, Essex CM3 4QF / 01245 226 616
Tisanes - Worcestershire
The pretty patio garden at Tisanes is the perfect place to relax in the sun with a pot of tea and guests will be spoilt for choice: the menu at this Cotswold tea shop has almost thirty blends available!
Cotswold House, 21 The Green, Broadway, Worcestershire WR12 7AA. 01386 853 296 / tisanes-tearooms.co.uk
Abbey Cottage Tea Rooms - Dumfries
A quaint tea room using mostly local ingredients. Summer visitors to Abbey Cottage can enjoy afternoon tea on a small patio, overlooking the romantic ruins of Sweetheart Abbey.
Abbey Cottage, New Abbey, Dumfries, Scotland, DG2 8BY / 01387 850 377 / www.abbeycottagetearoom.com
Rectory Farm Tearooms - Cornwall
Every Summer visitors flock to this Award of Excellence-winning tearoom, housed in a working farmhouse and it's idyllic gardens. This year, we recommend you join them (but book first!)
Rectory Farm, Morwenstow, Bude, Cornwall, EX23 9SR / 01288 331 251 / www.rectory-tearooms.co.uk