What do you think about this afternoon tea?

[SebastianTheCrab]

Very much a first world problem but curious as to opinions.

If you booked a Halloween-themed afternoon tea (yes they exist; yes my DC was excited) and this was the advertised picture on their website vs the actual offering - would you feel a bit put out?

We had a good time, the food was fine (although they did initially bring us off milk for the teas) and it wasn't as expensive as some afternoon teas, especially themed ones.

But... it looks a bit rubbish compared to the pic doesn't it?

Looks like they went to the supermarket and bought halloween themed cakes.

All comes down to price. How much was it?

but did your toddler enjoy it?

People saying it’s not an afternoon tea are saying that about the first one op! Cupcakes and biscuits like that are definitely not an afternoon tea.
Second pic along with sandwiches etc is afternoon tea.

So that was in addition to sandwiches and scones?

I get what people are saying by the website pic only showing cookies and cupcakes, which yes, if that's all you got wouldn't be very afternoon tea-worthy (as you would usually expect a few more cakes, tarts whatever) but I think it suggests a level of cake-decorating skill that didn't really match the reality.

I suspect the pic from the website is just a stock image.

looks disappointing, looks like supermarket cakes.
who actually likes those?
i was always a sucker for them but i dont think my dc were ever impressed

Which picture is the one you took?

The one with the green drink looks like patisserie type cakes, the other is buns with decorations and biscuits with icing.

What was advertised as included in the price? What items were listed? As the professional photo and what you received are completely different items

I get what people are saying about the cakes looking gelatinous but often fancy little cakes at afternoon tea are glazed, and that’s what they look like. I’m not convinced they look like cheap supermarket cakes at all, but obvs impossible to tell without seeing them in person. Was there an adults version, and what were those cakes like?

@PoorMansPaulaRadcliffe

So that was in addition to sandwiches and scones?

Yup it was in addition to sandwiches and scones.

£20 for the Halloween afternoon tea - we got one Halloween one and one "grown up" one for £25 and shared between 3. Central London hotel.

Tbh toddler would have been happy if we'd dumped a bag of sugar in front of him - anything with carbs is a winner (so yes he was thrilled).

But he couldn't tell what any of it was meant to be except the spider which he wasn't that interested in.

While the picture they use to advertise it doesn’t constitute a complete afternoon tea, I would expect the cakes we got to be to that standard. Obviously they weren’t in this case.

If the child I was treating was happy (and it sounds like yours was) I doubt that I would have complained at the time because it may have spoiled the visit and it’s unlikely they could have then magically summoned up better cakes. However, depending on how much I paid, I may follow up with an email and, depending on their response, a review to warn anyone else going not to expect great things.

I don't think that's a bad price for central London, honestly. I think that plate of cakes is ok, so with scones and sandwiches and tea (plus it's being served to you) I wouldn't have had a problem at all. But if you're disappointed, you're disappointed.
Places are struggling. I don't think that comes under 'woefully substandard' so I certainly wouldn't complain.

I don’t know, I think the first picture looks very boring tbh, just cupcakes and biscuits - what you got was a bit more variety (although clearly doesn’t include anything from the first picture). The jelly spider is a bit of a cop out

The actual tea looks more varied as the publicity shot was mostly iced biscuits. Actually the publicity shot doesn't look attractive to me either, but I'm not the target market

First photo is just cakes and biscuits isn't it? Looks to be more of a variety of items on the second photo.

No relation to each other bar the theme of sweet halloween themed items. Not sure what you got was rubbish, rather just not what you expected.

If you'd seen the picture of the second and got the first you'd probably be considered rubbish too. (Due to lack a variation.)

as long as your toddler liked it i think that is a winner

Your actual meal looks much more tasty than the bland biscuits advertised. I think you got better than the photo.

Like others have said the first is decorated shortbread.

Id have been happier with what you actually got, in my opinion it looks nicer than the advertised pic x

'Your actual meal looks much more tasty than the bland biscuits advertised. I think you got better than the photo.'

Agree

I think on the stand this would have looked quite good. They at least look home made.

Your little one loved it.

Result

Yikes, that's almost one for one of those 'nailed it' Facebook page where people have copied something lovely without success

I wouldn't be at all happy at the actual offering OP!

£20? Meh...I don’t think the pastry chef would be winning Bake Off but if the cakes and rest of the tea tasted good, i’ll probably put it down to experience, especially as the two adults were allowed to share one tea between them – some places wouldn’t allow that.

yes, it is a variety

@AriesTheRam

Thats not afternoon tea that's buns on a plate

I agree

@MuttsNutts

£20? Meh...I don’t think the pastry chef would be winning Bake Off but if the cakes and rest of the tea tasted good, i’ll probably put it down to experience, especially as the two adults were allowed to share one tea between them – some places wouldn’t allow that.

We'd actually ordered three afternoon teas and they never brought the third one!

In the end it worked out as there was more than enough food there but the 2-between-3 teas wasn't generosity on their part - just incompetence