A couple of weekends ago, I headed over to Middleton Lodge to enjoy afternoon tea and a catch up with friends. A stunning Georgian country estate, with masses to do, it’s the ideal escape from the outside world.
Afternoon tea here is traditional, and plentiful. Again, like many of the traditional offerings – is it the most exciting and imaginative, probably not, no – but was it one of the most elegant and tasty afternoon tea experiences, yes. So it all depends what you want. What really added to the experience was the surroundings and beautiful scenery – and throwing all that together, I’d definitely return to enjoy afternoon tea here again.
Afternoon tea here is served between 1 and 4pm Wednesday – Saturday, and costs £25 per person. I thought the price was worth it, especially if you are celebrating a special occasion. It doesn’t include soft drinks or alcohol, but does include a wide selection of teas. The sandwich menu is as follows – and there are lots of them: Smoked Salmon; Cucumber & Cream Cheese; Mature Cheddar & Red Onion Chutney; Yorkshire Ham & Mustard Mayonnaise; and Free Range Egg Mayonnaise. Like I said, not the most imaginative – but actually, is that what you’d want from a place like this anyway? Personally no, if I venture to a stately home, I do want something traditional.
Then there are obviously the usual middle tier fruit scones, clotted cream and jam – because what is afternoon tea life without that essential middle tier? Then the sweet tier consisted of the following: Estate Garden Berry & Custard Éclair; Strawberry Cheesecake; Chocolate Tart; and Dulche de Leche Macarons. I’ve kind of harped on a bit about how it’s not the most imaginative afternoon tea, which is slightly unfair, as the desserts really were special, and actually very imaginative in themselves – they really made the afternoon tea, and were bursting with taste and elegance.
