To be shocked at the price for an Afternoon Tea?

[Writerwannabe83]

It is my friend's birthday on Saturday and a group of us (about 15) casually agreed a while ago that we'd go out for Afternoon Tea at a local restaurant. I had never been to one before, wasn't too sure what it was all about so I just agreed to it.

Today I received the Menu of this Afternoon Tea we are having and for some finger sandwiches, a cake and a cup of tea it's £20 per person

Maybe I live in a little bubble but that sounds crazy? This restaurant is going to get £300 out of us for supplying some sandwiches and some cakes?

The menu comes across as very pretentious and is written in such a way that by the designer throwing in some posh words and an over exaggerated description of a bit of lettuce it makes people happily hand over £20 for such 'luxury'....

The tea is "loose leaf" apparently - what does that even mean? Am I going to get a cup of tea with foliage floating on the top it?

I can have a ham and mustard sandwich, a cake and a cup of tea at home for a lot less than £20

But anyway - I just needed to vent.

I'm obviously still going to go as it's a good friend's birthday but I think it will be the last time I commit to an Afternoon Tea

It's my own fault really for agreeing to it without actually fully knowing what it was

Maybe I'm just not posh enough for such things

Can people tell me about any Afternoon Teas they have experienced and how U I'm being because actually I'm in for a treat that is well worthy of £20

£20 is barely anything for tea. However I go to posh places for tea
The ingredients and workmanship required to produce these cakes and petit fours is immense and can be works of art. Really depends but sometimes going top of the range can mean better value, service and ambience.

I've never taken children before. Do children pay full price generally? ?

That Roald Dahl tea looks amazing!!

I went to Chatsworth House (big posh country house and parkland) yesterday (not for afternoon tea sadly) but there's was £19.50 for the full sandwiches, scone with clotted cream, 4 different fancy mini cakes, a savoury thing and tea in vair naice surroundings or £5-9 extra if you wanted wine or champagne with it.

Absolutely loads of food, more than most people would want really, so not bad value - I would take most of the cakes home for later as I couldn't eat them all in one go.

Lunch at the same place was a similar price - most mains were £15 to £20 and even sandwiches were £11 each. Place was fairly busy so I expect most people thought it was fairly priced.

In our local posh hotel it's £14.50 per person. I took DM for her birthday and they let us bring DD too and didn't charge any extra for her. There was so much food even sharing tea for two between 3 of us there was loads!

Definitely ask for anything uneaten to be boxed up to take away.

Good job you're not going to The Ritz.

I meant to update a few days ago but completely forgot until my mom recently phoned to ask how it went.

My friend had a lovely time although I don't think the venue appreciated us turning up with lots of presents, silly hats and table decorations

The grounds were stunning, it was absolutely beautiful. The Conservatory where we ate wasn't anything overly special in my eyes but was still lovely.

Now, on to the food, let's just say I came away very hungry because the fancy sandwiches and cold meat just isn't me at all, I barely ate anything. I had 2 scones but that was pretty much it for substantial food.

There was a post earlier in this thread where everyone was trying to work out what a chocolate salami was (after seeing the menu) and it was like a soft chocolate biscuit with marzipan in it - which was actually quite nice.

With regards to my tea choice, I went for a standard English Tea (no loose leaves) and I did have a little chuckle at all my friends who were trying to sieve their teas and picking bits of leaf out of their cups

To summarise, because of the grounds and the nice company I was happy to hand over my money but the food just didn't do it for me and I went home hungry

It will have been my first and last Afternoon Tea because when it comes down to it I'm just not posh enough to appreciate such 'fine dining'

Op. I feel your pain. For £20 you could almost do it at home for everyone!!

It's expensive but that's about right for somewhere that considers itself posh (outside of London) expect a smear of clotted cream and jam.

Loose leaf tea is tea not inside a tea bag.

Whatever you do don't have alcohol.

We recently bought a Groupon for Patisserie Valerie for afternoon tea for two for £19. It was an absolute bargain.

We had four types of finger sandwiches, four mini cakes, and four scones with clotted cream and jam, all washed down with a large pot of tea each.
I have just bought another one on Groupon.

I normally wait for Groupon or other voucher offers for AT. They seem to come around quite often.

Last week I had afternoon tea on a boat on the Thames. It was £25 for afternoon tea. We had posh sandwiches, cakes and scones all on a tall tiered cake stand. We had unlimited tea. We also bought 2 bottles of Prosecco. It was a lovely experience and I was happy to pay the price. There was plenty to eat and some was left over.

Of course it's cheaper to do at home, but that's not the point. I'm having a glass of wine at home now, cheaper than if I was down the pub with my friends. I'd prefer to be at the pub!!

We paid a silly amount at The Ritz - I think it was £60+ each- but it was worth every penny. DH was only doing it because I would like it but he loved it. The Palm Court is beautiful, the piano was lovely - very 1930s- and the food and service was fab. It was fascinating too.

£60 each for some sandwiches and cakes????

Come to Vietnam! Chocolate buffet at the Metropole was $30 a few years ago!

It was amazing!!

£4.50 in Ikea :D two full size sandwiches, two scones with butter and jam, and two hot drinks. Not proper afternoon tea, I know. But still nice.

I haven't had a proper afternoon tea since I was a kid. Really want one now :|

My sisters parents-in-law insisted on taking her out to afternoon tea every day they of the week they visited for her wedding (apart from the wedding day of course). She hated it, it's not her sort of thing, but felt obliged as they'd come over from abroad and genuinely wanted to spend time with her. They went to a really posh place in Edinburgh that was £50 per person. At least my sister wasn't paying

Wow. This is the first time in about 4 years I've felt brave enough (emboldened? Stupid?) to comment on AIBU, never mind mumsnet in general.
If you live in the crazy, poash (sp is not a mistake) N Yorks town I do and spend half your life in town goggling at the queues round the corner for the prices of afternoon tea these fools are queueing for, nothing surprises you anymore.
This town where 45% of people rent cos the house prices are madness.

I'm outing myself.
I care not.

Now, on to the food, let's just say I came away very hungry because the fancy sandwiches and cold meat just isn't me at all, I barely ate anything. I had 2 scones but that was pretty much it for substantial food.

Next time, decline the invitation if indeed another invitation comes along. If I'd invited you, I would have been very upset that you'd decided to be a fussy eater and not even bother trying to eat anything. There's another thread floating around about people like you who go out to places then refuse to eat anything.

Why did you if you don't actually like sandwiches and cake?

undersea

"People like you"

"If I'd invited you, I would have been very upset that you'd decided to be a fussy eater and not even bother trying to eat anything.

Why? It's not as though you were paying for it. Why would you care what I ate?

But anyway, up until your post we've had 9 pages of light hearted comments and banter about it all so I'm not going to get into any form of argument with you

Undersea I don't think that's fair, don't get the impression the op whined.
and as for trying things...well gyre sandwiches. Difficult to get to adulthood without knowing if you like a ham butty or not.

Or a hamwhich
you know, bread-ham-bread

Artandco - I didn't order the sandwiches and cake optio because I didn't like the sound of it. I took my chances with the meat option and unfortunately didn't like it. I did try some of the sandwiches as there was some going spare (one of the women didn't turn up) but they just weren't to my taste.

Not just any sandwiches and cakes OP, beautiful little finger sandwiches- as many as you want, scones with jam and clotted cream then gorgeous little confections - as many as you want, and delicious larger patisserie cakes, as many as you want. Silver tea service, constantly replenished, amazing staff service, wonderful atmosphere. All very glam. It was just lovely. I would love to be rich enough to stay there for a month and bugger the cost. It was a treat.

In comparison to the other Teas that people have described I think the one I went to was pretty simplistic.

We didn't have endless supplies of sandwiches and things, we had what we were given to us on our trays and that was it. I had four different meaty things to try, two scones (with cream and jam) a tiny pastry thing with a few berries on it and then a tiny bit of what looked like fruit cake.

The girls who had the sandwich option only had about four finger sandwiches each, two scones, and then then the chocolate salami and the same tiny type of fruit cake that I had been given. On one of the women's platter the staff had forgotten to include the cream and jam for the scones so we had to ask for it.

We got endless supply of tea (which was Luke warm at best) but no top-ups of food. I doubt I was the only one who went home hungry

I'm guessing that's why it was only £20 as opposed to some of the prices others have paid

Sorry you didn't enjoy it

Sandwiches and meat option sounds fab :)

I love an afternoon tea. I took my friend out for one for her 40th. Got 4 sarnies - scone - cakes - choc cake and glass of bubbly and tea - think was £20

Went for another one £30 and as above but much more quantity. Think ate 4 scones 😱😱😱😱 was yummy and again bubbly with it

I love an afternoon tea 🍸😁