It's Top London Tea Time!

4th November 2009

Top hotels and tea rooms across the capital are going into a frenzy of silver-polishing, linen-starching, tea-tasting and pastry-making as judging for The Tea Guild's Top London Afternoon Tea Award 2010 begins.

An army of anonymous inspectors are set to swoop on The Tea Guild's London members during the coming weeks to experience the capital's afternoon tea offerings, with one venue ultimately being crowned Top London Afternoon Tea next April. The English Tea Room at Brown's Hotel grabbed the gong in 2009 but who will win the coveted award in 2010? Described as the 'Michelin stars' of the tea world, the Top London Afternoon Tea award and The Tea Guild's Top Tea Place (awarded to the best tea room outside the capital) are organized by The Tea Guild who work tirelessly to promote excellence within the world of afternoon tea. The awards - or more importantly the judging - help to ensure high standards are always met and afternoon tea aficionados are guaranteed a consistently fabulous treat nationwide.

All the anonymous inspectors (their identity is a fiercely guarded secret) are expert tassophiles who have all work in the tea industry for many years. Many run tea companies and it's the superior tea-tasting expertise they developed during their careers - the judge's tastebuds can pick up minute changes in flavour and subtle nuances of scent - which marks them out as the ultimate judges of any teas' quality. On their visits to The Tea Guild's members the judges mark the venues in 15 categories including decor and ambience, staff efficiency and attitude, food served and - of course - the tea itself. Every aspect of the tea from how long it has been brewing, whether the staff offer lemon along with milk, the number of teas on the menu and whether they are described well, the temperature the tea was served at, the clarity of the liquor and the strength of the tea (we could continue...!) is scrutinized and marked in order to find the winners of the 2010 awards.

As Head of The Tea Guild, Irene Gorman knows all about what makes the perfect afternoon tea and offers an exclusive insight as to why The English Tea Room at Brown's scooped the coveted top spot in 2009. "Afternoon tea is a show," Irene revealed over Earl Grey tea in Brown's elegant wood paneled tea room. "Serving afternoon tea is as complex as lunch or dinner however the formula for a great afternoon tea is actually very simple - Brown's have got everything right!"

And if you visit the hotel, you won't be able to disagree! Tea is served in a series of elegant rooms, cosy with flickering firelight during the colder months, while waiters discreetly pad around the rooms ready to assist any guest in need. As Stuart Johnson, Brown's General Manager, commented on our visit, "When a guest asks for something it means we're in the wrong". Put simply, the hotel's philosophy is that it should have pre-emptively provided anything that could be required! It's this intense level of attention to detail that put the venue above all it's competition, including past winners of the Top London Afternoon Tea award such as The Ritz, The Dorchester, The Lanesborough and Claridges.

But back to the tea... there are seventeen types of tea on the menu, including Oriental Beauty oolong and organic Dragon Well green tea along with classic blends such as English Breakfast. Once you've chosen your tea a tiered cake stand is carried to your table and the feast begins. Starting with a plateful of scrumptiously filled finger sandwiches, the next tier of the tea stand is laden with scones, wrapped in a crisp white linen napkin to keep them warm. If guests linger over the first course of savouries and let the scones become cold, they will be swiftly replaced with a new set - fresh from the oven! The scones are served with clotted cream and delicious strawberry jam. The top tier is reserved for delicate pastries created by French head pastry chef Fabien Ecuvillon, who has been at Brown's for three years and "loves" the British afternoon tea ritual. Finally guests can choose another sweet treat from the cake trolley which is presented at your table. So many courses could cause confusion but guests are always guided in the order afternoon tea should be enjoyed and each item on the stand is fully explained. This is particularly useful for overseas visitors as it may be their first experience of the tea time ritual...

It appears that afternoon tea is the only area where there is no sign of the recession and Irene agrees, "Afternoon tea is the ultimate affordable treat in any financial climate as you know what the bill will be in advance by choosing whether or not to indulge in a glass of champagne with your afternoon tea!". And there are plenty of people from around the world beating a path to Brown's door. The power of The Tea Guild - helped by the internet - means Brown's has been busier than ever since winning the Top London Afternoon Tea Award! Although with it's historical position as London's oldest hotel (it was first opened in 1837) and literary links to Rudyard Kipling and Agatha Christie The English Tea Room has always been a popular teatime destination... Stuart Johnson revealed that hearing the news they'd won the award was "like winning the pools!" and commented that, "it meant so much to the team" while Leyla Mussaud, the tea room's manager, admitted she was "speechless" on hearing the good news. Irene points out that while London-based afternoon tea, and Brown's in particular, offer an highly polished experience "during the past five years the (afternoon tea) game has been raised," across the whole of the UK and continues "more venues than ever before are asking to join The Tea Guild." However, only those that pass and maintain the stringent criteria for membership are judged worthy to join and remain a member of the prestigious Tea Guild.

But what has winning meant for Brown's day to day business? Over a perfect cup of tea, Leyla revealed the award has been a huge boost for the tea room. "Potential guests are using the internet to find out what they should do on a trip to London and of course afternoon tea is a must-do. When they search for the best afternoon in London we're the first place they see because we won the Top London Afternoon Tea award!" As well as regular guests congratulating The English Tea Room's team, once the news was out bookings rose 25% - with an extra 10 - 20 covers needed each sitting! Turning up without a reservation is likely to leave you disappointed. Leyla recounts the afternoon a Japanese woman burst into tears because she hadn't booked a table. "It was so busy and I didn't have any spare tables," she remembers. "Then the woman started to cry! I felt terrible and thought I had said something to upset her." Although she barely spoke English the woman took out her guidebook to London and pointed at a page where Brown's had been recommended as the best afternoon tea... She was crying because she wouldn't be able to experience Brown's award winning afternoon tea! "I looked through the reservations book," continues Leyla, "and luckily found a space for the couple later that afternoon". Thank goodness there's a happy ending! We certainly recommend you make a reservation to avoid ending up in tears...

Today the clientele in the tea room is a real mix. From hotel residents, gossiping girlfriends, cosy couples to cross-generational family groups and groups of men and women doing business over a power-tea, all life is here. And for guests there is no sign of the hard work that goes on behind-the-scenes to give them such a relaxing and indulgent treat. Sinking into the plump cushions with a comforting cup of tea is pure bliss, in fact it's the best cup of tea in the capital!

For further information about The Tea Guild's members nationwide, click on The Tea Guild's channel here.

Private Eye image: mleddy.blogspot.com