Asian Afternoon Tea at Australasia, Manchester

During December I was lucky enough to win Asian afternoon tea in Manchester at Australasia. It's definitely not something I would have gone for normally, because I do like my traditional afternoon tea, however I'm so glad I gave this a chance!

Firstly, the interior of Australasia was stunning. From the iconic glass pyramid entrance on The Avenue in Spinningfields, to the beautuful restaurant downstairs with its white interior (I swear I need to revisit just so I can sit in those booths!) to the terrace and bar area upstairs with its unique shell theming and statement pieces, everywhere oozed luxurious and the interior definitely ticked all boxes for me.

We decided to sit in the terrace area outside - it had vibes of being abroad out there, with its mint green cushioned seats, and leafy walls, adorned with fairy lights. The terrace was heated, however with it still being a blustery February day, it did get a little chilly towards the end, but I can imagine this area to be divine on a warmer day, and even prettier by dusk.

The Asian afternoon tea came in 2 'waves' - savoury, followed by dessert on a different tier. The service was impeccable; both friendly and informative, and each item was explained to us so we knew what we were eating! Fresh wasabi was made in front of us which I liked. The afternoon tea usually comes with Chardonnay, however because Mike was driving later on, we both passed on the alcohol, and went for mocktails instead. I had a coconut and mango cocktail, whereas Mike had an Apple, Kiwi and Lime cocktail. They were both so refreshing and tasty.

The top tier consisted of 'salad' and pork. The pork was full of flavour and reminded me of something from a Chinese dish.

I couldn't tell you what the second tier was, but there was something on there that reminded me of the battered dumplings from Wagamamas, however this one had avocado in.. I'm not normally a fan of this but it worked perfectly with this concoction. This was teamed with a small salad and edamane beans which I'm a huge fan of. I think the cracker was a take on prawn crackers, however this had a slightly different taste to it, but was still just as nice.

The fresh sushi was on the bottom tier, and the one I was least looking forward to, simply because I don't eat raw fish, however I was pleasantly surprised. I will admit, there were a couple I slid across to Mike but for any fish/sushi fans out there, you'd appreciate this tier! There was a range of prawn, tuna and salmon, each on a bed of rice. The soya sauce really complimented these and definitely got that palette going!

After taking a moment, we then went in for the second tier - desserts! The majority of each one is bite-size, and were really tasty!

On the top tier lay 2 good-sized chocolate brownie type cakes. These were quite rich for me (but I managed to eat it all, obviously!). The chocolate was smooth and it was topped with a fresh blackberry and cream. 

The second tier came with these little glass pots of can only be described as a contrast between vanilla yogurt and blancmange. They werent my favourite but were definitely asthetically pleasing! The cute pink merringues that sat next to them were nice and crunchy, topped with a blueberry.

The third tier came with these 3 little beauties. The one on the left bizarrely reminded me a little of a bakewell tart, even though the colour doesn't resemble this! The middle was pastry with what tasted like lemon curd inside (my favourite!), topped off with a blueberry. The final one reminded me of an almond slice, and this too was lovely.

After our desserts, the wind had really upped its game, so we moved inside to the bar area to wrap up the last of our afternoon tea. Here we were presented with tea - we were given a small selection of teas to choose from; English Breakfast, Earl Grey or a few fruit/herbal flavours. I opted for the English Grey and it was presented on a small wooden tray and everything was made from glass which really pleased me!

Overall, an absolutely lovely experience and a place that I'm definitely going to revisit on our next trip to Manchester, this time to sit in the restaurant and experience their food menu and more of their cocktails!

Afternoon Tea Review: Relish, Cleethorpes

For those that know me well will know I'm rather partial to an afternoon tea. Both my friend and I recently visited Relish in Cleethorpes to sample out theirs.

We were initially provided with a pot of tea each, alongside an ice cold jar of water which is always appreciated.
The afternoon tea arrived, which was presented on a small picnic bench. The tea was categorised into 3 sections; savoury, sandwiches and sweets. These were chosen by us a few days before (booking and a small deposit is required when having afternoon tea here). Although this may be a hassle to some, it guarantees that you aren't being presented with sandwich fillings that you don't like and end up leaving (salmon, I'm looking at you!), or desserts that you aren't keen on (Tiramisu I'm also looking at you!).

Because the savouries consisted of warm foods that had been freshly cooked, I dug into those first. I opted for Mozzarella sticks, which I imagined to be something different to what they came out like, but nevertheless, these were gorgeous. The pastry was so flaky and the cheese oozed out. The sausage roll was pretty much the same, no shop-bought ones here, and they were really decent-sized portions.
Next up was a small bucket of homemade chips, and although nice, I found them to be a little dry, which was a shame.

Once the warm foods were out of the way we moved onto the sandwiches. We opted for 3 fillings; Roast Pepper and Goats Cheese with Balsamic Butter. This was nice however the goats cheese was a little too much for me, but this is personal preference. Next up was Parma ham and tomato with baby gem. I've never experienced parma ham in a sandwich before, and because of the sometimes 'stringy' texture of parma ham, I found this to be a little annoying when trying to eat, but again, personal preference. The last filling was chicken & bacon with red onion. This was by far my favourite and I would have been happy if all 3 of my sandwiches were this.

After the sandwiches the fullness began to set in, but I wanted to give the desserts a shot, so we went straight in for the shortbread biscuit. This was small, but it was just a 'filler' dessert amongst the main 3 that we had previously selected. I'm not sure if this was home-baked or not but it was absolutely gorgeous. The texture was lovely and it really did melt in the mouth. We then moved onto the white chocolate chip brownie which although nice, was a little too rich for me. I forget that most brownies are 'too much' for me, but proceed to order them anyway! The lemon posset was presented in a cute copper jar, and it was lovely, although it definitely woke those taste buds up even more through its tangy-ness! The last 'main' pudding was the cheesecake, which happened to be cherry for that day. I'll be honest - I wasn't overly keen on this. The texture for me didn't match up to what a cheesecake should taste like. It was very tough, like it had been stored in a fridge for numerous days. This definitely didn't win me over. The other 'fillers' on the bench were a small slab of honeycomb, fresh strawberries, and a small spoonful of chocolate mousse, which was lovely.

The amount of food that is provided for £15pp is definitely worth it. Would I go again? Yes, I would. Although there were some cons, the pros definitely outweigh them. I'm all about giving places a second chance so next time I'd switch up my sandwich filling, and maybe try a different flavour cheesecake!

2017 Overview (inc Photos)

As we roll into a new year we tend to get reflective over how 'good' or 'bad' the previous year had been to us, it helps us to recognise where we may need to improve or even change things up a little!

Here is an overview of my 2017!

January

I started the new year by hosting my first ever roast dinner for more people than just me & Mike. Admittedly it was only for 2 more (4 in total) so I didn't go wild, but I got really good feedback which encouraged me to do a similar thing in the future.
I gave my dressing room a much needed make-over from its old shabby chic interior. This had been a work in progress for a few months, but January was when it all finally came together and I was happy with the outcome. Shame it doesn't stay as tidy as this!
As January came to a close, we booked yet another holiday to America, both to NYC and Florida, somewhere where we'd only just left weeks prior! And of course, the planning started all over again!

February

February was a fairly quiet month. Mike did his first attempt at being romantic on Valentines day by showering the house in love heart sequins (that got everywhere!) - these led to a candle-lit bath upstairs followed by a candle-lit meal cooked by him. We also celebrated a friends 30th birthday at Damons in Lincoln and I had the best ribs I'd ever had. I also treat my niece to a teddy bears afternoon tea - cute!

March

March saw a lot of things change at work, and consisted of a leaving do over gorgeous afternoon tea. I also went on lots of really pretty scenic walks with my mum and discovered that I really enjoyed being outdoors and around nature.

April

April was a good month. I cracked it open with my mums 60th party and enjoyed yet more walks out in the countryside. I began the huge declutter of my beauty products which was so liberating, and also had my head stuck in some good books! We visited a country park that is on our doorstep but one I had never been to before. I treat my mum to a weekend away in York where we saw Motown, had posh afternoon tea and had nice casual strolls round the shops.

May

May was another good month, I caught up with friends over Italian food, spent my birthday in Manchester, and flew to Skiathos the very next day and got to experience the prettiest Greek island I've yet to see - I definitely recommend! It was lovely just having a 'chill holiday', full of casual strolls, eating, drinking and the odd bit of swimming (when I dared to brave the still cold waters!) - so different to our usual action-packed holidays, but it felt good.

June

In June we took a day trip to Harrogate, then to Knaresborough (which was so pretty!). We also treat my dad to a meal at another new restaurant which fast became my new favourite for my local area (this is always worth a mention!). We got on board with healthy eating and begun our weekly food subscription to a fruit and veg box.

July

July saw us do lots of smaller day trips out, firstly to the seaside town of Mablethorpe, we went strawberry picking, and also took a trip to the York Retail Outlets in hope of finding some designer bargains. My mum ate a hot chilli (by accident) in Wagamama's, and tried to play it cool by not letting on, till I noticed her face was red and eyes were streaming. That was a funny moment! I'm sure that will be her first and last visit to Wagamamas!

August

August saw further days out, firstly to Skegness with my friend and her 2 boys where we spent the day on rides, a week later we treat my niece to a day out to York Maze for her birthday which she loved. We had a low-key celebration for Mike's birthday, and my dad built us a fabulous seating/decking area in the garden which is nice and private. We also took my niece and nephew out of town for a picnic and paddle!

September

September was a biggy in terms of travel, a week in and we were flying to NYC for 4 nights. We did the tourist-y bits that we never managed to do on the prior trip. 5 days later and we flew to Orlando and enjoyed some Disney magic, and got to experience our first Halloween Horror Nights in Universal Studios.





October

I spent October catching up with friends over afternoon tea, visiting Hull and taking a trip to a world buffet. I finished my 2nd audio book, and we attended a friends babies' christening.

November

As winter drew near I found myself indulging in lots of naughty drinks full of whipped cream and chocolate, and as the air turned cold I found myself indulging in lots of bubble baths.

December

December started nicely - we stayed overnight in Leeds and saw Ricky Gervais live, and I discovered that I actually quite like him as a comedian. We visited a German Christmas market and enjoyed afternoon tea at The Malmaison in Leeds as well. I treat myself to get my nails done (only the second time ever would you believe!). A week into December and everything changed - Mike's mum passed away from cancer so the rest of the month became a blur. We didn't really 'do' Christmas as such this year - we didn't put a tree up, it just didn't feel right. I did pop a few fairy lights around and a few Christmas ornaments, just to try and keep a little bit of normality. I had 12 days off work and it was nice just to have time with Mike, to offer him comfort and support.

2017 has been a very 'standard' year in most areas of my life - I don't feel like I have progressed in any area as such. Travel wise it has been quite successful, and we managed to make a very small dent in terms of home decoration and getting the house ready to put on the market, but to complete that journey right now feels like a lifetime away.
It's just so sad that the year had to end like it did, so close to Christmas as well. I had a lot of time for Mikes mum, my future mother-in-law. She will definitely be missed.

With such a sad end to 2017, 2018 has begun so perfectly, and if you follow me on social media you'll know why, but I'll share that news soon.

Happy New Year everyone.

Afternoon Tea at The Principal, York.

You may recall that a couple of weeks ago I treat my mum to a weekend in York for her 60th birthday. Read here to see what I got up to.

We cracked the weekend off with afternoon tea at The Principal Hotel, which is a 5* luxury hotel in the heart of York (right next to the Train Station, to be exact!).

I believe the majority of afternoon tea's take place in The Garden Room, which has lovely views of 'manicured lawns, all the way to the minster'. We were lucky enough to get a window seat too, which is always a bonus with such an outlook!

We were first provided with a tea menu, with a large handful to pick from. I'm not overly adventurous with my tea, so played it safe with an Earl Grey, my mum opting for a latte. We were then served our first 'savoury dish' which accompanied the afternoon tea stand which was yet to come. I've never experienced a separate savoury dish before so this was a real treat for us! The food consisted of sweet potato, chorizo and sherry vinegar veloute, smoked mackerel mousse, Yorkshire Rarebit, and a cheese flavoured soup. I didn't know what I was eating half the time, but it was lovely nonetheless!

Savoury Dish

After we had devoured the savoury plate, out came the afternoon stand. The sandwiches were egg mayonnaise, and Yorkshire ham and pickle. Although nice, I would have preferred 1 more sandwich and sacrificed a sweet for this (I always do feel that the sweet items outweigh the savoury massively no matter where you have afternoon tea). The sandwiches themselves though were fresh and the fillings were generous. 

Next up were 3 different flavours of scones; plain, fruit, cherry & almond. Accompanying this was clotted cream and jam. These scones were bite size, so were manageable in terms of quantity (and how much our stomach would take!).



The last tier consisted of a large array of sweet items; salted caramel chocolate pot, passion fruit macaroon, and a white chocolate éclair, to name a few. Unfortunately I only got to sample the chocolate pot because by this stage I was bursting at the seams! (They did kindly box the remaining food up for us, but we never did get round to eating it later on). My only criticism with this tier was that there was only 1 of each variety, therefore you had to decide amongst yourselves who is eating what. This can put pressure on people, so usually I prefer the sweet items to come in pairs so its equal!

The service was on point. I couldn't fault it - pleasant, helpful and friendly.

The interior of the hotel was beautiful, in all areas from The Garden Room, to the hallways, even to the toilets! It oozed grandeur and detail, it was only a shame I wasn't staying there overnight too!

The Garden Room

Toilets

 

 

I definitely wouldn't hesitate in returning to The Principal and my mum was more than happy with her experience here.
 

Afternoon Tea - The Pier, Cleethorpes

Last week I had the pleasure of having afternoon tea with a friend at The Pier in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire. This former nightclub was recently transformed into a restaurant and tea room so I can imagine it to become extremely busy in the summer months with the tourists!



source

The Victoria Tea Room is situated at the front of the pier, allowing views of both the beach and boardwalk. With floor to ceiling windows, this light and airy restaurant is a pleasant environment to indulge in some afternoon tea.

The service was just 'ok'. Hot drinks were forgotten about and we had to prompt the waitress, to which she had forgotten our orders.

The food itself was of a good standard, however I have had better. The sandwich fillings were typical for afternoon tea, cheese, salmon, egg mayonnaise etc. Both of us aren't fond of salmon so were able to choose an alternative filling. The quality of the fillings didn't blow me away but they were still nice enough.

Initially, although there appeared to be huge amounts of food, everything was of a bite size portion and manageable. I did feel like everything was bulked out with the jars of jam and cream, as well as the strawberries so the quantity I found deceiving. The scones were a little hard on the outside, and I felt the choice of desserts lacked inspiration and variety. I felt there were too many sponge type cakes, some being very flat and bland in flavour.

There were a few unique savoury items that are not usually found on afternoon teas, such as sausage rolls (which were delicious!), and a quiche-type slice.

Because of the setting, I really wanted to like this place, but unfortunately I won't be rushing back any time soon. I will however be sampling an evening meal in the restaurant instead.

Please note: I have had many afternoon teas over the past 3 years so my expectations/standards maybe a little higher than some, so please don't let this affect your decision in visiting places in which I review.

April Round Up - Luxury Food & Lush!

Its that time again... another month into what still feels like a 'new year'.

In terms of busy-ness, compared to my fortnightly weekends away that have seen me through since January, this month has been fairly quiet.

I started the month with a day trip to Lincoln, and although it was for work, it was a really chilled out day, and although I couldn't go completely mad in the shops (because of being at work!) I did manage to pick up a few Lush bits... I was lucky because my client is also Lush obsessed so I didn't feel too bad browsing those wonderous pretties! We also had some lunch in Pizza Express which is always a winner!

A few days later I treat my cousin to her first ever afternoon tea for her 30th birthday. We went to a local French themed restaurant and had, would you believe it, French inspired afternoon tea. Definitely one of the better afternoon tea's I've experienced in my area!

Towards the end of the month I met up with a friend who I hadn't seen in a few months. We caught up over some nice food in a restaurant that I had never visited before, always a winner for me!

Browsing over my Instagram photos from the last month, I feel April has been full of food and Lush baths, and not a lot else! (So if you like the sound of those two, come follow me on @kateld85).

Next month is birthday month, so obviously more travel is on the cards,

stay tuned!

Afternoon Tea at Petit Delight, Lincolnshire

I'd visited here once before for afternoon tea and remembering it was one of the best I'd had in the area. Fast forward almost 1 year and I was back, this time with my cousin in tow, treating her for her 30th birthday.

Although the setting isn't as grand and peaceful as most afternoon tea environments, the quality of food overrides this aspect and you learn to filter out the background noise in this fairly loud French inspired restaurant.

The staff were attentive and helpful, and gave us 2 options for afternoon tea; a traditional one that consisted of sandwiches and pastries, the other that was more antipasti based, including cold meats, garlic bread, olives etc. Neither of us are fans of olives, so we didn't hesitate in deciding on traditional.

Crockery at Petit Delight is very plain and basic. You will not see any mis-matched floral vintage here, which in my opinion was a little disappointing. The teapots and cups were standard white, and there were no fancy tea strainers or sugar cubes to ask '1 lump or 2?'

Food on the other hand was pretty much top notch. We were given a selection of 3 different sandwich fillings - Tuna & Mayonnaise, Prawn, or Chicken & Bacon. We both opted for the latter and glad we did because the filling was on point with both quantity and quality. Also on the savoury tier was a miniature cheese and ham toastie, which was gorgeous. Something so basic but tasted so good. I've never experienced a warm toastie with afternoon tea before so this made a refreshing change!

There was also a thin slither of quiche which is rare on afternoon tea's, but welcome nonetheless! I know this had leek in but any other ingredients are beyond me! Either way, it was tasty.
The sun dried tomato and brie croissant was nice, it was slightly warm and almost buttery, yum! 

Onto the top tier, the desserts! Unfortunately not knowing the names of the majority of these puddings, I can only describe! It consisted of a chocolate brownie, a bakewell tart style finger, a white chocolate and chocolate orange meringue dessert. Last but not least, a crème brulee (this one neither of us entertained). The desserts tier consisted of a good selection of cakes, tastes and textures, and nothing was too over-powering, instead complimenting one another very well.

Although the experience isn't on top form, the quality of food on the other hand is almost perfect.

Cost - £15pp

Easter Themed Afternoon Tea at Cuthberts Bakehouse, Liverpool

Visiting another city only means one thing; another afternoon tea! And Liverpool was no exception.

I always do research in advance when knowing I'm due to have afternoon tea. I always think life is too short to waste time, money and opportunity on a poor eating experience! After scouring a few websites, I finally settled on Cuthberts Bakehouse, a family run business just a short walk from the city centre. As I devour more and more afternoon teas, I tend to find myself leaning more towards family run businesses or smaller independent tea rooms as opposed to grand 5* hotels as they are a lot more unique and more importantly, better tasting! The interior of this tea room caught my eye, with its cute shabby chic furniture and pastel bunting, it was right up my street.

Arriving on Good Friday afternoon, the place was bustling, which always suggests only good things.

We were seated in the corner, which, if it was just Mike and I, that would have been fine, however we had his parents in tow so things were a little squashed, to say the least. I felt this had an impact on our overall experience, which was a shame because it was his mum and dad's first time experiencing afternoon tea, so we wanted it to be perfect, however the space issue was a slight problem.

Issues aside, we ordered our drinks. Both Mike and I opted for our usual loose leaf Earl Grey, whilst Mike's parents chose an Americano each (I believe this was extra). These came in quirky teapots to match the mis-matched vintage floral teacups and saucers. Floral mis-matched crockery is always a tick in my book when it comes to afternoon tea.

Shortly after, out came the food. Wow, just wow. The amount of food and variety was unbelievable. I've had many afternoon teas in my time but I don't think I've ever received that much food in one sitting!

When previously booking, we had opted to have another filling in place of salmon because none of us are keen raw fish eaters. We were given free range egg mayonnaise and also roast turkey and cranberry sauce. Each filling was perfect in both quantity and quality. The bread was fresh and there were other savoury items that were sat alongside the sandwiches such as chicken Caesar salad and honey roast ham salad canapes on crunchy bruschetta style bread. There was even a handmade sausage roll thrown in there which was absolutely divine.

The selection of cakes were on point - there was the perfect mix of both fruit and chocolate desserts, and nothing was too overpowering and sickly. The chocolate fondant brownie I thought was going to be extremely sickly but it was the perfect amount of chocolate-ness! The 'vanilla infused tart' tasted identical to a custard tart, which wouldn't be my first pick of dessert, but the flavours balanced the other food out very well. The macchiato mousse cake was infused with coffee (obviously!), and although I'm not a huge coffee lover, it was subtle enough to still be enjoyable. The quirky extras that aren't often found in afternoon teas, such as the elderflower mint jelly made a lovely change from your standard choices, and complimented the palette well after all those other treats! The macaroon's seem to be a popular choice for most afternoon teas now, but I personally think this dessert is very pretentious and over-rated (but that's a story for a different day!).

Of course afternoon tea wouldn't be complete without traditional scones, jam and clotted cream, although by this point I was bursting at the seams so I could only manage a few mouthfuls, but these were just as good as everything else. If you look close enough, you will see the scones have the cross on, similar to hot cross buns. Unfortunately this was the only hint that reflected this 'Easter themed' afternoon tea which was a bit disappointing. Also, I'm not sure what ingredients are used to make the cross on hot cross buns, but I didn't feel that the texture of the cross on these scones complimented the scone itself. It almost felt like I wasn't meant to be putting it in my mouth.
The chocolate covered strawberries were well received, although by the time I had reached this tier, I unfortunately had to peel a lot of the white chocolate off as I think sugar overloaded had kicked in by then!

All in all, a good quality selection of treats, and definitely up there with some of my favourites. However unfortunately the cramped environment gets a thumbs down from me. Sometimes I feel that businesses attempt to cram as many people in a room as possible and forget about customer experience, but just see pound signs instead. I would visit again, but next time ensure I'm visiting when it's quiet for a less chaotic and cramped atmosphere.

Cost - £20pp