It may well be Afternoon Tea Week from August 12-18, but if you are anything like me, the lure of a dainty sandwich, a light and airy scone, and a tempting plate of decadent cakes is a treat to enjoy any time of the year.
In my pursuit of the perfect afternoon tea, I’ve sampled quite a few at venues ranging from 5-star hotels to supermarket cafes - with mixed results. The ones that were slightly more miss than hit all had the same thing in common - they were trying too hard to reinvent what is the most quintessentially English and straightforward of menus; I really don’t need a movie-themed sandwich or sparkler in my scone - I just want sarnies with the crusts cut off, proper thick clotted cream, cakes that make my fillings tingle and a pot of hot tea with unlimited refills. So it was a welcome surprise to have an email from Browns Brasserie and Bar land in my inbox a couple of weeks ago inviting me to try their Moët and Chandon Champagne Afternoon Tea, which promised ‘staple afternoon tea classics’ - because staple afternoon tea classics is exactly what I want from my experience.
Browns have been around for almost 50 years, and have 25 branches across the country, with outlets in Leeds, Wilmslow, Brighton, Oxford, Bath and Edinburgh to name but a few. There are also several in London, but I headed over to their picturesque Windsor branch, situated next to the Thames and just minutes from the castle.
Our sitting was for 3pm, nicely avoiding the lunch time rush, and meaning that we got a lot of attention from our very efficient server, and the pick of the tables; we chose one inside overlooking the river.
We were having the champagne tea, which came with a glass of Moet which we polished off whilst checking out the menu. As ‘fussy vegetarian’ are my middle names, I was very pleased to see an entirely separate tea for the meat-free amongst us, whilst my pescatarian colleague, (no meat, does fish) was equally pleased that she would be well-catered for too, with a lobster tail brioche and smoked salmon pate on rye on the non-veggie menu. It’s also worth noting that Browns offer a bespoke Gluten Free Afternoon Tea, accredited by Coeliac UK, too.
The tea (of the drinking variety) list was vast too, with English breakfast and Earl Grey for purists like me, and elderflower and pear and ginger, turmeric and lemon for my more adventurous friend.
Our food was served on a modern two-tier cake stand, and was generously proportioned, the sandwiches fresh and well-filled with familiar but interesting flavours - the veggie ones including egg and chive mayo, mozzarella with basil pesto and olive tapenade, and cream cheese and . The scones may well have been warm when they came to the table, but were not by the time we got to the second tier, but that’s a minor point as it was a boiling hot day, and they were delightful in every other way - buttery, crumbly, and very quickly slathered in cream and jam and demolished.
The cakes and puddings - because let’s be fair, that is the main attraction - were a joy to look at and eat, with a moist blackcurrant Victoria sponge, an indulgent Black Forest chocolate pot, a mini carrot and orange cake and a tiny lemon meringue tart - all gorgeous, not too sweet, and perfectly sized. If pushed, I’d say the carrot and orange was the stand-out - full of flavour, and the perfect combination of zest and sweetness. The presentation of the desserts was particularly pleasing, with pistachio and rose crumbs on the stand, and fresh mint and edible flowers on the individual cakes.
At £37.50 per person for the champagne afternoon tea at the Windsor branch (prices do vary by location - for example, Sheffield is £35 per person, Covent Garden is £40 and the non-champagne version is £10 cheaper across the board) Browns offering is competitively priced and a great option if you are heading out this Afternoon Tea Week (or any week for that matter…) but the clincher for me with this particular brand is that it is a classic offering; it’s not trying to be something it's not, or overly new or outlandish; the whole point of afternoon tea as far as I am concerned is that you know what to expect and that is what you are looking forward to having.
When it exceeds your expectations, it’s an additional bonus of course - and I’m pleased to say our experience at Browns did just that - a gorgeous tea with exemplary service in a stunning location serving afternoon tea just how it should be.
