The Laura Ashley Tea Room at Burnham Beeches Hotel
The distinctive florals of Laura Ashley fill me with a warm nostalgia. Memories of my grandmother’s curtains, wallpaper, bedspreads (you name it), all filled with colour and pattern. I’m pretty sure she was a one-woman Laura Ashley champion and probably propped up the entire business for several years in the 1980s. So it was with glee I opened an email inviting me to visit the new Laura Ashey Tea Room at Buckinghamshire’s Burnham Beeches Hotel late last year.
The hotel itself is located in the midst of the Burnham Beeches nature reserve, a beautiful and vast expanse of land owned by the City of London as a site of special scientific interest and a special area of conservation.
The building is impressive as you approach, with a Georgian Mansion House adjoining a modern building to house a hotel, restaurant and health centre, all set in ten acres of gardens.
The Tea Room itself is set overlooking a manicured lawn and stepping into the room is like stepping back in time. Laura Ashley from floor to ceiling, the decor is stylish and quintessentially British. One would be forgiven for thinking they’d been invited to high tea with a Lord or Lady as they take a seat in the grand space with its high ceilings and decorated mantlepiece.
Afternoon Tea at The Laura Ashley Tea Room is available every day from midday to 6pm and the hotel’s pastry chef has clearly worked hard to create an extraordinary afternoon tea offering, with delicate sweet treats, perfectly baked scones and a variety of Birchall teas to choose from – including English Breakfast and Earl Grey as well as Jasmine Pearls, Mao Feng Green and a luxuriously fruity Red Berry & Hibiscus Flower.
Sandwiches mix classics and twists on the traditional – cucumber, cream cheese and dill on granary bread, Montgomery Cheddar cheese with chutney on tomato bread, Wiltshire ham with grain mustard on onion bread, and a variety of more innovative offerings using ingredients such as aubergines, artichokes, marinated peppers and cured meats.
Cakes are crafted freshly each day, and fit the cliche ‘taste as good as they look’ perfectly! There’s a fruit and plain scone served with clotted cream and artisan jam on the middle tier, as any self-respecting Afternoon Tea should have.
A nice accompaniment to the menu is the option to upgrade and enjoy a sparkling wine befre pouring your tea. There’s a good quality champagne and also a Prosecco, but in keeping with the traditional feel of the afternoon we decided to go for the Hattingley Valley English Sparkling Rosé – a classic varietal blend, a small proportion of the wine is fermented in barrel to create the delicate pink colour.
It’s a true showcase of quality English wine making and just perfect for the occasion.
Afternoon Tea at The Laura Ashley Tea Room is a treat for the eyes and the belly, full of luxury and grandeur. Book now by clicking here.
