AFTERNOON TEA AT BELMOND CADOGAN

Could this be the best afternoon tea in the UK? We think so

Aritual with English roots – it was famously introduced in the 1840s by Anna, the Seventh Duchess of Bedford to stave off hunger between lunch and dinner, which was served fashionably late in her household at 8’ o clock – expectations always run high when you sit down to afternoon tea in England. So at Belmond Cadogan on Chelsea’s Sloane Street, which has just won Best Contemporary Afternoon Tea at the UK’s Afternoon Tea Awards, expectations run high. A grand piano in the corner of the room adds a dash of drama, as does a huge fresco underpinned by a gorgeous glass light fixture and the open tea bar at the back of the room.

We are swiftly ushered to statement designer yellow chairs, in which I comfortably recline to enjoy sunlight streaming through the stained glass window, before taking a proffered plump cushion and glass of Taittinger. Scottish chef Adam Handling’s take on afternoon tea is a smart, sassy mix of old classics and new creations, a truffle egg elegantly served in a silver eggcup that’s melt-in-the mouth wonderful the first thing to cross my lips. The woollen tea cosies on the pots, which were knitted created by the chef’s grandmother, deliver a home-made, cosy touch to an otherwise modern setting, as evidenced by the afternoon tea stand, with golden ‘branches’ supporting plates of exquisitely presented savouries and cakes.

The level of expectation from my tastebuds ramps up as I watch the staff place each item painstakingly onto the tray from behind the bar area. The cream cheese, picked cucumber and shallot sandwich is a definite standout, as are the roasted chicken, tarragon mustard mayonnaise with smoked garlic and tomato jam on onion bread and the liver parfait choux. The sweets arrive after a palate cleanser of basil sorbet with lemon foam & elderflower. They include a trio of traditional – a fruity Dundee cake that references the chef’s Scottish roots, plus a Battenberg and lemon drizzle. Contemporary offerings, meanwhile, include a granny Smith and lemongrass cremeux and a salted caramel sacher. If this is the future of afternoon tea, we’re fine with that. belmond.com