afternoon tea at stoke rochford hall, grantham, lincolnshire.

Found in the Lincolnshire countryside, Stoke Rochford Hall instantly strikes you with its regal structure and inviting doorway. Having stayed and dined at Stoke Rochford Hall, near Grantham, earlier this year, I was eager to see what their afternoon tea menu had to offer. 

The once bouncing lambs from my visit in March were now happy sheep lining the long, winding pathway. Plush greenery surrounds the hall itself, as well as a well kept garden and nearby golf course. Inside you'll find leather chairs, welcoming fireplaces, colourful Beauty and the Beast style library and airy conservatory. If that doesn't tick wedding venue boxes, I don't know what does. 

We had a friendly welcome at 2pm on the dot, ready for their afternoon tea sitting. Mum and I were seated in a couple of plush leather chairs overlooking the gardens and golf course through a large sash window. The meal begun rightly so with their tea menu, fully stocked with Heritage Blend, Gunpowder Green Tea, Japanese Cherry and Peppermint Cut as well as fresh coffee.

Both fans of Earl Grey, we kept it classic with teapot each. A loose leaf tea menu is a high priority on my afternoon tea expectations, so it was off to a great start. If it's a special occasion, you can upgrade to a bubbly afternoon tea with a bottle of Champagne or critically acclaimed English sparkling wine.

The waitress asked if we had any dietary requirements, to which I explained about my dislike for chicken. She assured me that everything is made fresh (even the scones) so it was no problem to find a replacement. And since the scones were made to order, we were informed that we'd have cakes and sandwiches first followed by some warm scones as a second course. I could hardly wait! 

Sipping our tea and taking in the scenery, the waitress then came along with an extra small table to extend our dining area. This could only be a good thing - more surface area for cake is always a plus for me. Minutes later, we were presented with a rather attractive platter of perfectly places sandwiches, desserts, patisserie and cake pops. 

One by one, we made our way through summer trifle, chocolate brownies, a hazelnut cake pop and vanilla macaron. The chicken had been replaced with tuna for my half of the sandwiches, along with smoked salmon bites, homemade coleslaw and local ham. 

Our tea was faithfully topped up and we enjoyed a cold glass of lemon water to wash it down (in case you thought that was a cheeky G&T...) Again these flavours change on the daily, but I'm sure they would be happy to accommodate. Although if you are vegan or gluten free, I would recommend calling ahead. 

The next course was all about the scones. As promised, a warm and buttery portion of scones arrived wrapped in a cotton napkin. Alongside this were the mandatory jam and clotted cream accompaniments, served up in a quirky Kilner jar. 

To be honest we were pretty full by this point, but we gave them a good go. Although afternoon tea is a civilised and dainty affair with pretty dresses and tea strainers, what are tea, cake and sandwiches if you don't leave feeling well fed?

The afternoon tea is £19.95 a head which we thought was great value for the standard of food and service received. The gardens are gorgeous too, so you can always walk off those extra scones. Have you been to Stoke Rochford Hall? Where is your favourite place for afternoon tea?

stoke rochford hall
stoke rochford
grantham
lincolnshire
ng33 5ej
stokerochfordhall.co.uk

Driving? For sat nav use NG33 5EB. Making a day of it? Make sure you head to nearby Oakham or Melton Mowbray to continue the foodie adventure.

Note: We dined as guests of Stoke Rochford Hall, having paid in full for my first visit. All opinions are honest and my own.