(ad – pr) A traditional Afternoon Tea can be a tricky thing to differentiate. So many of them are a series of over-sweet cakes paired with finger sandwiches betraying how long it’s been since they were cut, followed by an underwhelming brace of scones. That being the case, it’s not a natural way for me…
I probably labour the point a little too much that I don’t have much of a sweet tooth and would generally direct my appetites toward savoury or cheese dishes than dessert. This makes the concept of an afternoon tea something of very little interest to me in general. I can (and have) accept invitations and…
It may or may not have escaped your attention, but this summer the UK will be celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee as she becomes the first British Monarch to reach this remarkable milestone after a scarcely believable 70 years on the Throne. I can’t claim to be much of a royalist but one supposes the…
Tiers is a bit of a dirty word at the moment, especially so in the hospitality industry where it represents painful curbs on the ability to make a living and go about our daily business without frustrating restrictions on the basic freedoms we usually take for granted. In the midst of all this confusion, I’ve…
Surroundings can make quite a difference to some meals. I’ve had opinions related to me suggesting it’s impossible to enjoy a meal in some locations and, while I can see merit in the suggestion, it’s not something I subscribe to. I’ll ignore most decorative faux-pas if the food is good enough, but that’s not to…
I’ve had a curious blind spot for Hotel du Vin for a number of years. Despite being a well reputed bolthole close to the centre of York, I’ve somehow contrived to avoid it since 2013 it seems, based on my occasionally shaky memory. With that in mind, I was all too eager to accept a…
I’m not the biggest fan of afternoon tea. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth so when trying it, I can end up at a loose end after working my way through the sandwich offering. That said, when I was invited to Oxo’s at The Mount Royale for their afternoon tea, I was more…
Being the home of Betty’s largest branch in York, St Helen’s Square is inevitably associated with afternoon tea. Aside from this, in recent years the area has become something of a hotspot for restaurants as Jamie’s Italian, Carluccio’s and the Ivy have set up shop. The Ivy is now bringing both of these worlds together…
York has so many assets, it can be hard to work through them all even as a resident with a bit of time on your hands. There are so many glorious nooks and crannies in this city to explore so perhaps it can make sense to combine a couple of activities in the interests of…
Tour and an afternoon tea at in a stately home