Newby Teas is Official Tea Sponsor of Afternoon Tea Week 2016, so we’re giving you a taste of the Afternoon Teas you can enjoy in some 5-star London hotels. Recently, we stopped by Grosvenor House to see how they do it. When we were invited to take Summer Afternoon Tea at London’s exquisite Grosvenor House on Park Lane, our expectations were high. The 5-star landmark, overlooking Hyde Park, has been welcoming guests to the capital since 1929, and is a luxurious favourite of international travellers who want to be close to the heart of the action. The Park Room provides the discreet setting for Afternoon Tea at Grosvenor House, which was a recent winner at the Afternoon Tea Awards, sponsored by AfternoonTea.co.uk. After a warm welcome from the Park Room’s Front-of-House Manager, Donal – a genial marathon-running Irishman, we discovered – we were seated at window table lined with a plush forest green banquette – the ideal vantage point to watch the iconic London buses and taxi cabs sweep past on their way towards Marble Arch, with a hint of Hyde Park just beyond. In keeping with the vintage of the hotel, Art Deco styling is much in evidence in the Park Room, with the lamp-lined marble counter top of the Champagne Bar and panelled pillars setting the tone.

Tea samovars and urns, on display on eye-catching glass shelving, make an appropriate backdrop, and a little ambience is generated by an ivory-tinkling pianist each afternoon – a serene soundtrack to a very special experience every London visitor should treat themselves to. Of course, ambience isn’t everything. We were hungry and needed to eat! We’re happy to report back that Anna’s Summer Afternoon Tea (it’s named after the 7th Duchess of Bedford who is said to have popularised the custom) scored very highly. We each enjoyed a glass of champagne and an intriguing strawberry and rhubarb amuse-bouche, topped with a circuit of white chocolate-covered popping candy. Service from our waitress, Diana, was friendly and attentive, never stuffy, and she was soon serving us pots of Newby loose-leaf tea and some delightful brioche open sandwiches to get us started. Egg mayonnaise and chive or Scottish smoked salmon – if you get the chance, try both!

The 3-tier stand you would expect to see at Afternoon Tea was present and correct, and generously filled with a layer each of finger sandwiches, fresh buttermilk scones and incredible pastries. We started at the bottom and worked our way up. In the name of research, of course… The plain and raisin scones were accompanied by a fulsome tray of fruit jams and a sizeable dollop of clotted cream. We pondered whether to go jam first or cream, then jam… Both ways worked fine for us. Try to save room for something from the top tier, because these pastries really are worth a nibble. Strawberry and cream choux, and apricot and jivara tartlet were among those on offer when we visited. (We didn’t know either, apparently it’s a type of chocolate from France). Our appetites were certainly satiated by this point, and everyone at the table was hugely impressed by both the quality and the quantity of food we were offered. More sandwiches? No, we couldn’t possibly, and let’s not even think about that stack of homemade cakes over there…

There is no shortage of Afternoon Tea offerings in the capital – some good, some bad, some just meh… Grosvenor House have got everything right: great food, great tea (biased, nous?) and genuine, friendly service. Coming to London? You’ll take home fond memories of your time here. You can see more of the Park Room at Grosvenor House, and browse the Summer Afternoon Tea menu at www.parkroom.co.uk

Win Afternoon Tea for two at Grosvenor House, including return tickets to London and 3 luxury Newby tea caddies. Enter now!