Afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason
There are few greater pleasures than afternoon tea, if you ask me.
I’m not talking about a 3pm cuppa and a Hobnob at your desk, oh no. I mean the full shebang – delicate fingers sandwiches, precise patisserie, warm scones with jam and clotted cream, and lashings of expertly brewed loose leaf tea. And where to better to enjoy this quintessentially British tradition than at London’s oldest and most luxurious department store? I am of course talking about the ‘Queen’s grocer’, Fortnum & Mason.
I fully intended to pop in to the neighbouring Royal Academy for a spot of culture pre-tea, but instead I got completely distracted by Fortnum’s many levels of whimsical wonders; I marvelled at marzipan fruits in the food hall, fondled heavenly handbags in the fashion department, and hankered after perfect picnic hampers on the first floor. Before long, it was time for tea.
Entering the Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon was like walking into serenity itself; the piano tinkled in the background as we were led to a beautiful table by a large window overlooking the hustle and bustle of Piccadilly. The tea salon here has paid homage to the timeless tradition of afternoon tea since 2012, when it was formally opened by Her Majesty The Queen, in the company of their Royal Highnesses the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duchess of Cambridge. Today it still exudes royal splendour, with its elegant melange of hand-painted flower walls, softly glowing chandeliers and tables adorned with crisp linen, fresh flowers and ornate, hand-crafted, eau de nil teapots.
We started with fizz; a glass of Fortnum’s delicious Blanc de Blancs, but there are also tempting tea cocktails and a rather interesting organic, non-alcoholic sparkling tea on offer. There are several afternoon tea menus to choose from: traditional, savoury, vegetarian, vegan, high tea and more, all completely mouth-watering. Fortnum’s is well known for tea, so the choice in the salon is more of a novel than a simple menu, but thankfully there are knowledgeable staff on hand to advise. I opted for the Royal Blend - a black tea that was created for Edward VII in 1902! It was delightfully malty and slightly sweet, and the perfect accompaniment to what was to follow….
A lovely little amuse-bouche arrived – a mouthful of fresh asparagus with pesto and watercress, and then the traditional, tiered towers of picture-perfect sandwiches, patisserie, cakes and more…
The soft finger sandwiches – crustless of course – slipped down a treat. Fillings included cucumber with mint cream cheese, Suffolk cured ham with piccalilli, Fortnum’s smoked salmon with samphire and the most divine Legbar Blue hen’s egg mayonnaise with watercress, alongside inventive meat-free options such as pickled fennel and whipped feta, and chargrilled artichoke with semi dried tomato.
Beautifully baked plain and fruit scones arrived with a generous silver pot of clotted cream and ample jars of Fortnum’s own strawberry jam and lemon curd, which are yours to take home (if there’s any left, that is). The seasonal sweet patisserie was divine – a beautiful selection of pretty and precise mouthfuls of joy. Highlights included a delicious Eton Mess wrapped in a sweet, chewy brandy snap topped with fresh strawberry, a baby pink mini rose éclair, and a raspberry sponge topped with a rich and indulgent dark chocolate ganache.
But for me, the wow factor was the savoury patisserie, which were world-class. The Portland crab scone, slathered with white crab and apple mayonnaise, was one of the most delicious things I’ve ever eaten, the smoked trout mousse topped with almonds and keta caviar a close second. There was a wonderfully herby courgette and thyme scone, which came with a pot of whipped ricotta, alongside a bright green cube of creamy Ragstone goat’s cheese on a buttery cracker, topped with grape and walnut. And who couldn’t love the Oeufs Drumkilbo – a lobster cocktail with chopped egg, theatrically presented in an egg shell and cup, topped with a squid ink cracker. This dish was apparently a favourite of the Queen Mother, and now it’s one of mine.
The joy of course, as with most afternoon teas, is that all these delicious treats could be refreshed at no extra charge. So, if, like me, you fancied more tea, another crab scone or a second (or third) Eton Mess, you only had to ask. Refills were a little slow to arrive, but on a Saturday afternoon the tea room was heaving, and staff were having to work very hard to keep up.
Unbelievably, on top of all the above, there’s also a cake trolley at your disposal; on the day we visited it proudly displayed a large Battenberg, a matcha mille crepe cake and fresh strawberry tarts, which glistened like plump rubies. Once you’ve had your fill, small boxes are provided to take away anything you couldn’t quite manage. We had consumed so much that we vowed never to eat again, but somehow another little scone and mouthful of goat’s cheese seemed to slip down rather easily later that evening.
With something as indulgent as afternoon tea, I believe that if you’re going to do it, do it properly. The week before we visited the Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon, Princess Anne had hosted a party there, and that says it all; the offering at Fortnum’s is, as you would expect, a real labour of perfection and exquisite attention to detail.
But most of all, it’s about the atmosphere; that feeling that you can’t quite put your finger on. Much like the rest of the building, the tea room feels luxurious and full of history, but it isn’t stuffy or pretentious. Instead, it has a sense of fun and celebration, which is much needed after the past year. If there was ever a time to rejoice and enjoy a big treat with loved ones then surely it’s now, and there are few better places to do it than Fortnum’s.
Afternoon Tea starts from £62.50 excluding service charge. Bookings are now open at www.fortnumandmason.com
Review published July 2021 on Essential Surrey & SW London
