TIME FOR TEA
IT’S Afternoon Tea Week this week, celebrating that most quintessentially English of traditions. Whether you prefer a simple cream tea with a couple of scones and a brew or decadent platters of sandwiches and cakes polished off with champagne, Manchester has an afternoon tea option for you.
First enjoyed by the seventh Duchess of Bedford, Anna Russell, and her upper class gal pals in the mid-19th century, the tradition has enjoyed a revival in recent years and now it’s not just for women.
Blokes are just as well catered for, with a growing trend for gentlemen’s afternoon teas, featuring treats like mini Yorkshire puddings, pies and fish and chips.
Here are a few of our favourite options, to cater for every appetite, budget and dietary requirement. Let us know if there’s somewhere else you think we should try in the comments below.
Please note: Details and prices were correct at time of publishing. Booking is advised where possible, check details and availability with the venue in advance to avoid disappointment. The Midland Hotel, Manchester city centre The historic Midland Hotel has perfected the art of afternoon tea over more than 100 years.
It’s an opulent occasion here, served inside a newlytransformed, dedicated space, The Tea Room at The Midland.
Options start with the traditional afternoon tea, featuring sandwiches such as smoked salmon and lemon verbena creme fraiche and honeybaked gammon with garden pea mousse, and sweet treats such as pistachio and olive oil cake with orange curd, served with your choice of loose leaf tea - or you can upgrade to a royal afternoon tea to include a glass of champagne.
Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free afternoon teas are also available.
Tweet a picture of your afternoon tea during Afternoon Tea Week, which runs until August 20, and you’ll also get a free glass of prosecco.
Price: Traditional afternoon tea £25, Royal afternoon tea £32
Peter Street, Manchester, M60 2DS / tearoomatthemidland.co.uk Cloud 23 at The Hilton, Manchester city centre The glitzy cocktail bar halfway up Beetham Tower offers up an unbeatable view to admire while you tuck into your scones and sandwiches.
There’s always a seasonally changing special to try, including a glass of champagne and a cocktail, alongside the traditional afternoon tea, with the option to add a glass of bubbly for an extra bit of luxury.
Recent offerings have included carrot and hummus wraps, prawn marie rose open sandwiches and Mediterranean sunblush tomato and pesto tarts, along with Eccles cakes, chocolate cupcakes and lemon meringue pies.
Prices: Traditional afternoon tea £23, champagne afternoon tea £33
303 Deansgate, Manchester M3 4LQ / cloud23bar.com Richmond Tea Rooms, Manchester city centre Serving up feasts fit for the Queen of Hearts in whimsical, Alice in Wonderland-inspired surroundings, Richmond Tea Rooms is the perfect place to escape from reality for a few hours.
Afternoon tea here is like tumbling down a rabbit hole into a Tim Burton set, with extravagant decor including plush velvet thrones where guests sit beneath glittering chandeliers.
Options range from the Alice Tea, including a pot of tea and a scone with clotted cream and fruit preserve, to The Richmond Tea, featuring a selection of scones, cakes and treats, finger sandwiches and savoury pastries, a pot of tea and a glass of bubbly.
Price: Alice Tea £6.95, Hatter’s Tea £10.50, Queen’s Tea £18.95, Richmond Tea £24.95
Richmond Street, The Village, Manchester, M1 3HZ / richmondtearooms.com Grand Pacific, Manchester city centre Settings don’t come much grander than at Grand Pacific, the colossal bar and restaurant launched by Living Ventures inside Manchester’s palatial old Reform Club earlier this year.
High tea here includes a selection of savoury treats including crumpets with Cornish crab butter, arancini with goat’s cheese, and salmon and tuna lomi, along with sweets such as jasmine tea bread with rose jelly and cream, and mango and passion fruit brulee.
Diners can choose from a range of loose leaf teas to accompany the spread, or add a glass of prosecco, sparkling rose, champagne or tea-infused fizz.
Price: High tea, £20 per person; prosecco tea, £25; sparkling rose tea, £27; champagne tea, £28; loose leaf prosecco tea infusion, £25.
50 Spring Gardens, Manchester, M2 1EN / grandpacific.uk.com Rosylee, Manchester city centre Northern Quarter bistro and tearoom Rosylee’s afternoon tea features a platter of sandwiches, dinky cakes and warm scones with Tiptree jam and clotted cream.
For an extra special treat, you can upgrade to a royal afternoon tea, which includes a glass of bubbly and chocolate-dipped strawberries too.
Price: Rosylee afternoon tea £18.25, royal afternoon tea £25.25
11 Stevenson Square, Manchester, M1 1DB / rosylee.com Visit us on line for more ideas