Perhaps no dining experience reflects English gentility better than Afternoon Tea which makes Wynyard Hall Hotel the perfect venue.
Sir John Hall’s 19th century stately pile oozes Victorian elegance and boasts a 2AA rosette Wellington Restaurant characterised by high ceilings, ornate cornicing, grand pianos and walls bathed in regal gold.
Inside the gentle murmur of conversation and clink of bone china creates a unique atmosphere whilst the Wynyard team have devised a menu which offers something to suit all tastes.
I pitched up recently with The Duchess (my wife Lisa) to review the experience. After a warm welcome, we were seated in a prime window table which offers view across the hotel’s surrounding greenery.
The offering includes a tantalising selection of finger-cut sandwiches, light fluffy scones, dainty cakes and savoury pastries.
The hotel has also partnered with luxury tea experts, Newby, who have helped created an extensive tea menu well beyond your typical English breakfast. Expect to find the likes of ‘Silver Needle’ white tea – a delicate, slightly creamy drop from China’s Fujian province – alongside Milk Oolong, Newby’s premium tea, floral with a creamy caramel aroma. Many are loose leaf teas which make for a quaint, totally authentic experience.
What followed would be a tribute to three-tiered indulgence. Savoury treats include coronation chicken flatbread sandwiches, a farmhouse egg & cress brioche bun, a salmon & wye valley asparagus tarte and posh pork sausage roll. Buttery scones arrived with a grand helping of jam and cream whilst a range of cakes and sweet pastries had been carefully crafted in-house by the hotel’s team of patisseries.
All of this can of course be paired with a glass of fizz – with a choice of four available – for those looking for a true touch of luxury.
If like me, your tastebuds are more savoury, there’s also the option of a Gentleman’s afternoon tea which features a selection of sandwiches and savoury pastries. This included salted beef & pickle rye bread sandwiches, raised breed pork pies and a ham knuckle terrine. With the option to pair with a glass of single malt whisky, this was an inventive reworking of the classic formula.
It would appear then that the Wynyard team have got afternoon tea down to a fine art. A unique setting to sample this Great British past time.
For more information, visit www.wynyardhall.co.uk/dining