Posts Tagged ‘Afternoon tea’
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Posh afternoon tea for two for £10 [Part 2]
My home-made afternoon tea went down a treat – have a look at the results:
Admittedly I came in just over budget at £11.94, but think I did an OK good job with making my own scones and sandwiches. Remember, I’m not the best of cooks, so this was something of a challenge for me. I also have a very tiny kitchen and not a huge range of baking utensils, but I made–do with a few substitutes. For instance, I don’t own any scone cutters, so I used a glass tumbler to cut out the rounds of dough instead. And I also don’t have a pastry brush, so I ‘brushed’ milk on the tops of the scones with my (very clean!) finger tips! Thankfully the scone recipe was super-easy and they came out quite well – and it was lovely eating them warm and straight out of the oven.
Scones before …
… and looking v. golden and gorgeous, after!I picked some flowers out of the garden for my ‘centrepiece’ and dug out all my vintage china to set the table. I got a new cake stand for my birthday, which looked very pretty piled with scones and retro English biscuits. I ended up going for Jammy Dodgers, Party Rings and Fondant Fancies. My friend brought along her own art-deco cup, saucer and plate, and I think we achieved that mis-matched vintage look we were going for.
Despite going over budget, it was a big success and we had a lovely afternoon. Watch the video below and see me making a huge mess in the kitchen. I’m not called the Swedish Chef (from the Muppets) for no reason…
TOTAL SPENT: £11.94
COST OF AFTERNOON TEA FOR TWO AT LONDON’S DORCHESTER HOTEL: £75.36 (not including the discretionary service charge we usually pay)
SAVINGS: £63.42PROS:
• Could relax with friend at home.
• Lovely warm scones straight out of the oven.CONS:
• The shopping, cooking and cleaning-up afterwards.
• Not exactly Dorchester-standard food.
Posted in Food
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Posh afternoon tea for two for £10 [Part 1]
Afternoon tea for two at London’s swanky Dorchester Hotel (see above) can cost up to £100. The challenge? Host your own sumptuous afternoon tea – without scrimping on quality – for £10.
Posted in Food
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Eat out at a top restaurant for under £10
I’m a bit of a foodie and love eating out in London and trying new restaurants, but it can add up to fairly expensive exercise. But there’s no reason why I can’t still experience some of the best that London has to offer, even on a budget of £10.The trick here is to make a day-time booking. Lunch menus are always less expensive than dinner, but you still get to try the same chef’s food and eat in an amazing setting.
Better still, and something that I do time and again, is visit for tea and cake. I’m mad about my tea, and have something of a wicked sweet tooth, so this is a win-win option for me. One of my favourites is Sketch, an amazingly avant-garde restaurant in Mayfair. It’s like something out of Kubrick’s wildest imagination, and a visit to the Ladies’ room is quite a surreal trip.
The tasting menu at the Michelin-starred Lecture Room and Library costs £90 (without factoring in drinks), so I always make a beeline for The Parlour. Here, a divine cream tea of fruit scones served with jam, clotted cream and a choice of tea is an affordable £9.50 per person. It’s served on gorgeous vintage fine bone china, and the room itself is a stunningly visual treat.
Alternatively, try a traditional tea or herbal infusion, which start at £4, and then take your pick from the decadent display of gateaux at the patisserie counter, which are also priced from £4. If you fancy something savoury, you could always go for the £5 smoked salmon bagel instead.
Oh, and while you’re there, you can also take advantage of the free Wifi!
COST: £9.50
SAVINGS: £80.50Sketch
9 Conduit Street
London W1S 2XG
Tel. 020 765 94500Posted in Food
