earl grey g&t cockail.

They always do say you turn into your parents eventually. My mum and I both love a pot of Earl Grey when we go for afternoon tea, and we're partial to the odd gin and tonic too. Taking inspiration from the classic way to drink Earl Grey tea with lemon, I've added a cheeky kick in the form of gin to create this afternoon tea style cocktail. Of course served in your best china... Pinkies up!

rose shaped macarons: inspired by portmeirion botanic garden.

Inspired by nature, the Portmeirion Botanic Garden collection is full of floral flourishes from foxgloves to fuchsias and poppies to peonies. Founder Susan Williams-Ellis created the Botanic Garden range which has been synonymous with the brand since its inception, preferring the delicate pottery pieces to be mixed and matched rather like a British garden would. A quaint hydrangea print teapot can sit alongside sweet pea teacups and a stack of cakes on a iris print plate; each colour, shade and design harmonising against one another.

To celebrate what would have been her 100th birthday (June 6th 2018), I've teamed up with Portmeirion to create some botanical inspired creations of my own. These rose inspired macarons are made with a two tone petal effect, given a fondant green leaf and filled with vanilla and strawberry buttercream. An ode to Susan, I'd like to hope she would have been happy to have them at her afternoon tea party.

the best afternoon tea around the uk: food blogger favourites.

 

Happy Afternoon Tea Week! Other than gin week or cheeseburger day, this has to be up there on one of the best national foodie weeks in the UK. What better excuse to scoff sandwiches, drool over pastries and eat every miniature cake in sight? Sipping on tea makes it all that more sophisticated too, don't you think? 

To celebrate these prestigious seven days, I've asked a few of my favourite British food bloggers to throw me some afternoon tea recommendations and reviews from around the UK. (And pictures, of course!) So, from traditional afternoon teas to twists on the classic, here are (quite possibly) the best afternoon teas in the UK. Cheers, darling!

k west festive afternoon tea, london.

It's not quite Christmas without a festive afternoon tea. Am I right? Getting truly in the festive spirit, I went along to enjoy the K West Hotel and Spa afternoon tea a few weeks ago. Amongst crazy Christmas markets, gut-busting brunches and photobooth snaps in Shoreditch, we jumped on a tube to Shepherd's Bush for lots of tea, cake, sandwiches and... did I mention tea? Usually a glam rock inspired affair, the hotel had put a merry twist on their usual rock 'n' roll inspired menu.

chocolate afternoon tea at cuppas of rothley, leicestershire.

Love chocolate? Love afternoon tea? Live in the Midlands? This place needs to be next on your hitlist. For £13.95 per person, Cuppas of Rothley serves up a chocoholics afternoon tea in a 1940s inspired setting. The vintage style tea room, set in the lovely Leicestershire village, has a handful of charming chairs and tables where diners can enjoy traditional afternoon teas as well as lunch, brunch and light bites. 

celebrate national afternoon tea week with buy a gift.

National afternoon tea week... could this be the best week of the year? I think it might. From 8th - 14th August 2016, it's the ultimate excuse to indulge in your favourite sandwiches, perfect patisserie, miniature cakes and endless tea. If you read my blog now and then, you'd know I'm a real afternoon tea advocate. So I've teamed up with Buy a Gift to bring your my top afternoon tea picks to while away the week. 

afternoon tea at ladurée, dublin.

If you come here often, you'll know I'm a massive fan of afternoon tea. When my mum and I get together we can't help but plan in a little bit (read a lot) of tea, miniature sandwich and cake time. Any excuse to eat macarons, right? So when we saw there was a Ladurée macaron and patisserie shop in Dublin, we just had to go. For 45 Euros for the both of us, we were pretty impressed with the experience too. Cue macarons.

afternoon tea hamper from the british hamper company + giveaway!

The British Hamper Company create luxury food hampers, package them up in a lovely gift box and post them off to your someone special. All with a lovely British theme of course. Whether you're looking for a romantic gift or a thank you present, their hampers range are brimming with the likes of retro sweets, luxury chocolate boxes, British pantry finds, picnic baskets, beers & bar snacks and even "a day at the races." 

In true Emily style, I of course opted for their afternoon tea hamper. The lovely lot at The British Hamper Company not only sent me a hamper but one for my readers to win too. So get the best china out, here's what was in this very British box...

afternoon tea at the courtyard, ashby de la zouch, leicestershire.

Set back off the welcoming Market Street of Ashby-de-la-Zouch, you'll find The Courtyard. Vintage Brooke Bond, Lipton's and Lyon's Tea signs adorn the old brickwork of the Leicestershire establishment. Locals might notice there's been a new lick of paint on the outside, with friendly new management on the inside too. The quaint tearoom serves up freshly cooked breakfast, lunch and cakes, with afternoon tea to book in advance. 

afternoon tea at betty's, harrogate.

If you mention York or Harrogate to any foodie, I'd be surprised if the following conversation doesn't begin with Betty's. Having ventured to Betty's in York a year or so ago, I was treated to a surprise afternoon tea at Betty's for my birthday. As soon as we arrived in Harrogate I was hoping that we'd stop by, so an experience of Lady Betty Afternoon Tea in the grand room was very well received.

festive afternoon tea for 2015 at the hyatt regency, birmingham.

One of my favourite things about Christmas has to be the launch of all the festive afternoon tea menus. Of course I never get round to trying them all (in my dreams) but it's so interesting to see what Christmas twist they'll put on the classic. Last year you might remember my review of the Hyatt Regency afternoon tea in Birmingham, where they served up spiced apple and calvados profiteroles, chocolate gingerbread and chestnut and orange slices alongside the usual suspects. This year I've been invited along again for a sneak peek at their Christmas afternoon tea for 2015...

afternoon tea at binswood hall, leamington spa, warwickshire.

When first saw the beautiful Binswood Hall online, I presumed I'd search for the postcode and find it deep in the Warwickshire countryside. The Grade II listed Victorian Gothic building has been newly renovated into a luxury retirement village as well as the new Whittles bistro restaurant which hosts afternoon tea. I don't know about you, but it sounds exactly like the sort of place I want to retire. 

Despite it's British country house feel, Binswood Hall is just a ten minute walk from the centre of Leamington Spa, a gorgeous midlands spa town which I've fallen in love with. Pottering around cute homeware shops before heading for afternoon tea in a listed building? Don't mind if I do.

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. 

amaretti biscuit chocolate tarts.

Tiny, little, mini chocolate tarts. Made from a rich 80% Lindt dark chocolate ganache and topped with white chocolate curls and an amaretti biscuit crunch. To celebrate National Afternoon Tea Week (best week ever!) I went over to fellow blogger Amelia's home to drink lots of tea, scoff lots of sarnies and eat lots of cake. Any excuse, hey? 

You can find her whole DIY afternoon tea post over on her lovely lifestyleblog, but for now here's my recipe for my addition to the cakey party. What's more - they're super speedy to whip up and you can change the topping to your liking!

afternoon tea at vinteas, leamington spa.

Let's get this out of the way, you're going to have a lot of teacup, teapot and plate envy in this post. When I went for afternoon tea at Vinteas in Leamington Spa, I was in total awe of their vintage style crockery collection. The tea, scones and sandwiches were pretty lovely too. If you're ever in the gorgeous Royal town of Leamington Spa, Vinteas is a must visit.

afternoon tea at cadbury world.

A magical place where the likes of Wispa, Flake Crunchie, Creme Eggs and the infamous Dairy Milk are made. Founded in 1824, Cadbury are best known for their deliciously milky chocolate and bright purple branding. 

For years, school kids and big kids alike have travelled to the Bournville based factory to learn how chocolate is made, explore choccy related games and of course... have a few cheeky samples themselves. But now, you can also enjoy afternoon tea at Cadbury World too! As one of my favourite pastimes, I naturally jumped at the chance to try their chocolate afternoon tea.

afternoon tea at fortnum & mason, piccadilly, london.

Fortnum & Mason truly does exquisite afternoon tea. Think fluffy sandwiches, delicate patisseries and a plethora of tea blends to choose from. There's no doubt this will be a positive review, but couldn't wait to share this fantastic afternoon tea in London's famous F&M at 181. Piccadilly.

afternoon tea at hilton garden inn, birmingham.

One of my favourite things to do... afternoon tea! Even better, afternoon tea with a lovely fellow foodie and blogger. Amelia of xameliax invited me along as her +1 at Hilton Garden Inn not long ago. Cake, bubbles, tiny sarnies and chit chat? How could I say no? I hadn't been to a Hilton for afternoon tea either, so I was really intrigued to see how they fared on the tea and scones front. 

charlie and the chocolate factory afternoon tea at one aldwych, london.

“I am the maker of music, the dreamer of dreams!”
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl. 

When I was at primary school, I remember reading Roald Dahl's books front to back until the ink wore off the pages and the covers were dog eared. Accompanied by the all too well known sketches from Quentin Blake, firm favourites were the BFG, The Twits and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. What child wouldn't be gripped by tales of fizzy lifting drinks, coloured changing caramels, edible wallpaper and everlasting gobstoppers?

To coincide with the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory musical in London's west end, One Aldwych has collaborated to create a magical afternoon tea, inspired by the whimsical delights of the book and, now, theatre show. And since it's christmas afterall, throughout December there's a festive afternoon tea twist on the usual menu.

afternoon tea at hard days night hotel, liverpool.

if like me, you love both afternoon tea and the beatles back catalogue, hard days night hotel is somewhere you need to visit. i was whisked away for a surprise birthday trip to liverpool last weekend and my boyfriend had booked us in for their high tea. cue perfectly sliced sandwiches, warm scones, bottomless tea and a cheeky glass of bubbles. i was in my element.