01.05.2013- Afternoon Tea at the Millennium Hotel, Knightsbridge

As most of you are probably well aware, I'm something of a self-confessed tea and cake fiend. As well as posting about my adventures in baking , I've also blogged about some of my afternoon tea experiences, including my own Jubilee themed sitting last year. You can only imagine, then, how excited I was when I was invited along to a very special sitting of afternoon tea at the Millennium Hotel in Knightsbridge last week. Only recently launched, Millennium's afternoon tea is a dynamic fusion of the traditional and a more contemporary style of cuisine, with Executive Chef Anthony Robinson creating a delicious array of food, all served in Millennium's Tangerine Café Bar. After a long afternoon at work and a rather stressful battle with London transport, it was lovely to take the opportunity to unwind and have a good catch up with some of my favourite blogging buddies, Sophie, Lily and Aisling over a cuppa or two and some delicious food. Anyway, they say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I'll stop waffling and let a few of the many pictures that Aisling and I snapped take you through the evening as it unfolded:  

After having a drinks reception and introduction to the hotel, we were then lucky enough to be given a tour. As something of a nosy parker (!), I loved having the opportunity to sneak a peek at a few of the rooms- the suite we were shown was breathtaking, with an amazing bedroom, bathroom and lounge area, as well as some spectacular views of Knightsbridge and central London. From there, we were whisked down to the Tangerine Café Bar where we indulged in a spot (or should that be a surge?!) of afternoon tea: 

The menu itself offered a really refreshing take on afternoon tea. Starting with the sandwiches, we were served a delicious selection on a variety of breads, including mozzarella and tomato bruschetta, chicken in a brioche bun and salmon on a mini wholemeal baguette. From there, we moved on to the scones- both sweet and savoury- served with clotted cream and jam. Scones are by far and away one of my favourite things to make, so it was really interesting to taste some different flavour combinations- I'm sure I'll be trying to replicate the banana and chocolate variety before too long! Finally, we moved on to the sweet treats- a selection of cakes and patisserie in the shape of mini eclairs, profiteroles, chocolate sponges and an amazing chocolate mousse served in a dark chocolate teacup, topped with strawberries, blueberries and mint. All of course enjoyed with a cup (or five!) of Earl Grey, Millennium's afternoon tea is definitely something I'd recommend- at £17.50 for two it's amazing value for money and a really lovely treat if you're in Knightsbridge and need a break from shopping or some sustenance before hitting the museums in South Kensington. 

Whilst we enjoyed our sitting, we were also treated to a really fascinating talk from Christine from Minding Manners, focusing on the history and ritual of afternoon tea. As well as giving us some pointers on our etiquette (napkins always folded in half on your lap, never break your scone with a knife!), Christine also amazed us all with some pointers on how to make the perfect cup of tea, as well as finally settling the raging debate about whether the milk should go in first or not (only if you've got china which can't withstand the heat of just boiled water apparently!)  Overall it was a really lovely evening and I'm sure I'll be popping in to the Millennium Knightsbridge for some more afternoon tea indulgence very soon. A big thank you to the teams at Millennium and Greenlight for hosting such a great event!

Where is your favourite afternoon tea haunt?

(Image credit: Sarah Farrell & Aisling Megan, please do not reproduce without permission.)