Last Updated on October 22, 2024
Celebrating spring in style with a glorious floral-themed tea
Have you managed to catch the celebrations around the Chelsea Flower Show at Belgravia in Bloom? As if like magic, the sun appeared just in time to make this festival perfect. Belgravia in Bloom is always timed to coincide with the Chelsea Flower Show a magnificent event in its own right that doesn’t need an entry ticket and costs nothing to experience with wonderful floral displays decking the local shops and restaurants! For a very special treat this year, The Goring created a limited edition ‘Bloomin’ Lovely Afternoon Tea’ to run from 13th May through to 26th May 2024 during the festival. We went along to try it out – although if I am honest, I’d never turn down an invitation to afternoon tea at The Goring!
London’s last remaining family-owned luxury hotel, the Goring is a stone’s throw from Buckingham Palace. It’s quintessentially British and the perfect place to indulge in a refined afternoon tea. A firm favourite of mine, it’s a classic affair, discrete and elegant with perfect service and an old-fashioned but in no way dated feel. The ‘Blooming Lovely Afternoon Tea was served in the Veranda, looking out over the Goring’s private garden, a stunning landscape with beautiful borders that include the ‘Royal Border’ filled with a selection of the Royal Family’s favourite flowers and shrubs.
The Bloomin’ Lovely Afternoon Tea starts with a non-alcoholic floral cocktail based on seedlip garden, jing sparking tea and fruit cordial. It’s delicate and floral, served in pretty champagne coupes with a fresh mint garnish. For me, afternoon tea is best with a glass of champagne too, so of course we indulged in a very welcome glass of Bollinger Rosé Champagne. Whether or not you manage to indulge in this special tea or are visiting at a later date, the champagne offered is the Ab Fab favourite – Bollinger Special Cuvée Champagne, Bollinger Rosé Champagne or for a very special treat Bollinger 2014 La Grande Année.
While we sipped our drinks and checked the tea menu, a pretty amuse-bouche of beetroot, poppy seed, amaranth and goat curd tartlet arrived, just to take the edge off our appetites. There’s a manageable but comprehensive tea menu and we opted to try the Goring afternoon blend (their own blend of Assam and second flush Darjeeling) which was light and delicate enough to enjoy without milk but robust enough to work through the sandwiches to the pastries. And, Royal Blend, which dates back to 1902 and includes Pekoe and Assam to create a traditional but elegant tea.
I’m often tempted by the delicious green and white teas offered with afternoon tea. I love Sencha and Jasmine Silver Needle, which are both on the tea menu at the Goring. Black tea, however, is a better foil for an afternoon tea menu unless you plan on pairing teas with courses. The Goring also has a decaffeinated Ceylon tea and a range of herbal teas together with coffee, hot chocolate and matcha if you prefer.
Sandwiches arrived on a pretty porcelain serving dish. We were delighted by the china and silverware throughout the tea. There’s something very special about having leaf tea carefully poured from a silver teapot into a delicate porcelain cup and about spooning cream and jam onto your scones with tiny silver spoons from immaculate white pots. The selection of breads and fillings was perhaps best described as classic British with a twist. Smoked salmon, cream cheese and caper came on beetroot bread, cucumber, yoghurt and mint on onion bread. You’d expect to be served Coronation chicken at this very regal hotel and indeed we were, along with sandwiches of delicately truffled egg mayonnaise on granary and Dukeshill ham, honey and mustard.
The floral element of the scones came in the form of a blackcurrant and hibiscus scone each to accompany the classic plain scone, both served with clotted cream and two options of jam. Ultra fresh, soft and just slightly warm, these were good quality and a reasonable size. We both enjoyed the blackcurrant and hibiscus option which was slightly tart and fragrant.
Of course, the pastries are the highlight of all afternoon teas and the Goring didn’t disappoint with a trio of tidy and perfectly proportioned patisserie that were floral, seasonal and dainty. I particularly enjoyed the Kent raspberry and blueberry, lemon verbena tartlet which had a delicate crisp pastry shell and a nicely balanced filling. The single estate chocolate and mint duo cake with viola flowers was one of the lightest chocolate cakes I’ve ever tried, with just a hint of mint cutting through the chocolate. And, Oakchurch strawberry and violet cheesecake was fresh and delicious.
While we were offered second helpings, we didn’t need them – this afternoon tea was beautifully balanced. Of course, you want to feel that you are having an indulgent experience, but there’s nothing worse than finding you can’t enjoy the cakes because you’ve eaten too many sandwiches or the scones were a bit large.
If you’ve missed the Bloomin’ Lovely” Afternoon Tea”, we still recommend the afternoon tea at the Goring – it’s the kind of place I’d recommend to anyone looking for a special occasion afternoon tea that’s classically British.
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