So apparently it’s now the very end of National Afternoon Tea Week in the UK! I don’t know who made up all of these celebratory days/weeks, but this is one I can definitely get on board with.
Coincidentally, last weekend Amy, Charlie and I had Afternoon Tea at Sketch. I also bought a new book on National Reading Day last week, without knowing that it was National Reading Day – apparently I’m really good at accidentally obeying these fake celebratory days!
The Aesthetic
Lets face it, most people visit Sketch for it’s gorgeous interiors rather than the prestigious 2 Michelin star food.
There are 4 dining rooms spread over three floors and the afternoon tea is served in the “Gallery”, a very pretty pink and girly room.
Pink walls, pink suede chairs, rose gold accents and even a man in a pink suit (which I was so totally jealous of). Be warned, the low elegant lighting in the Gallery is absolutely shocking for photographs, so I apologise in advance for shoddy photos!
The elegant vibe is enhanced by the string trio who played a whole host beautiful acoustic music – my favourite being The Circle of life from the Lion King!
It wouldn’t be right to not speak about the toilets when talking about Sketch – these futuristic pods have become a tourist attraction in their own right! I’ve never seen so many people taking photos in the toilets (no, not even on a club in Chelmsford on a Saturday night).
The Tea
First up was the choice of tea – where you will be spoilt for choice! I am no tea connoisseur (in fact I only started drinking it this year – am I even British?!), but I don’t think you could make a wrong choice; and even if you did, you can just ask to swap it for another!
RELATED: At Christmas time, I visited B Bakery for their “Festive Afternoon Tea”. If pink and girly isn’t your vibe, maybe you’re better suited to this one! And you can read all about it here!
The Caviar Man
Shortly after the arrival of the teas, “The Caviar Man” paid us a visit. A man dressed in a funky pink suit presented us with a small dollop of caviar along with an egg concoction with cheese bread sticks. I don’t eat fish, so struggle with the concept of caviar and didn’t eat this – but I would have happily taken more of the cheese bread sticks!
Sandwhiches
Then came the big moment – the arrival of the sandwich/pastries on the classic three tiered cake stand.
The sandwiches on offer were duck egg and mayonnaise, coronation chicken, smoked salmon and Jacob’s cream and finally a tomato chutney, lettuce and mayonnaise concoction.
As I don’t eat fish, I swapped the smoked salmon sandwich for an extra coronation chicken slice which was the BEST IDEA EVER. Of the four sandwiches on offer, the coronation chicken was without a doubt the winner and I’m dribbling a bit just thinking about it..
Petits Gateaux
There was not a single cake on this plate that I didn’t enjoy (and I STILL say that I don’t have a sweet tooth – maybe I need to reevaluate that).
The beauties on offer in this sitting were –
- Malabar Marshellow – while an unusual addition in an afternoon tea, these were amazing. Amy and I actually ordered another 8 of the marshmellows to nibble on while we continued chatting – they were so addictive!
- Blueberry and vanilla choux – the blueberry was a gorgeous twist on a normal choux pastry, I loved it.
- Strawberry tart – a great classic and cutely presented with a little flower decoration.
- Apricot and rosemary cheesecake – this cheesecake was served in a mousse format and was probably my least favourite of the bunch but still blimmin’ lovely!
- Chocolate caramel gateaux – Chocolate is without a doubt, my biggest weak spot, so I absolutely loved this. Despite being so rich in flavour, the cake itself was really light, which is perfect when there are so many other cakes to try!
Cakes from the Trolley
While forks deep in the petits gateux, a waitress came and asked which cake we would like from the trolley – more cake?! The choice was between Victoria sandwich and a pistachio cherry cake. We all opted for the classic Victoria sandwich and it was gorgeous!
The Afternoon Tea Staple – Scones
Another choice was upon us before we knew it – plain or fruit scones. I love scones but was so full by this point that I didn’t even touch it – but the girls looked like they enjoyed theirs!
The Price
After stuffing our faces, chatting the time away and snapping photos at every possible opportunity, it was time to pay up and leave. While bookings are hard to get on weekends, we were never rushed and could have stayed longer – which is great.
The classic afternoon tea is £57 per person and to add one glass of champagne, the price is upped to £72. We stuck to the classic afternoon tea and didn’t think that £15 was a worthwhile investment for one glass of champers!
The afternoon tea includes unlimited food which sounds great but given the amount of food on offer, you probably won’t need to ask for seconds!
While the price is higher than other afternoon teas in London (for example, I recently went to the Charlie and The Chocolate Factory afternoon tea which was great), you’re paying for this beautiful venue and the 2 Michelin star dining experience which in my eyes, was well worth the money.
Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post and all thoughts are my own.
