Doing Afternoon Tea in Brighton
Introducing Two Brighton Tearooms With English Traditions
Afternoon Tea customs and practice can be celebrated in tearooms in England. Two distinct tearooms are introduced for guests wishing to do Afternoon Tea in Brighton.
Serving sweet cakes and drinks within a sensual eating house interior to afternoon guests was traced to the Original Old Chelsea Bun House, Pimlico Road, London in the 1830s by David and Richard Mabey’s In Search of Food: Traditional Eating and Drinking in Britain (Macdonald & Jane’s London 1978).
Afternoon Tea customs and practice can be celebrated in tearooms still in London and in other towns and cities in England. Two distinct tearooms are introduced for guests wishing to do Afternoon Tea in Brighton.
Afternoon Tea at The Grand, Brighton
Guests at The Grand Hotel, Brighton - the city's only five-star hotel - may know the comfort of the Victoria Lounge for evening drinks accompanied by a pianist. Traditional walls and plush furnishings support a formal service. Full Afternoon Tea at The Grand, at £22.50 per person, comprises personalised tiers of sandwiches and cakes with selected teas at your table. Coffee – if Afternoon Tea guests must – is available.
Sandwiches include smoked salmon, egg mayonnaise with cress, cucumber and cream cheese and roast chicken tarragon mayonnaise. Guests are also served sultana scones and plain scones with clotted cream and preserve, Madeira and fruit cake, chocolate éclair, lemon tart, black cherry savaran, chocolate delice, cream horn, raspberry tart and dark chocolate dipped strawberries.
Afternoon Tea at The Grand, Brighton has durable appeal to guests and visitors who may decide to include a bottle of champagne or a glass of Kir Royale – a classic cocktail of champagne with a shot of crème de cassis added slowly until the blush - both signatures of upgrading The Grand Afternoon Tea. The Kir Royale Afternoon Tea is £28.50 per person and the Champagne Grand Afternoon Tea for Two costs £80.00. Reservations are strongly recommended for the two daily sittings of Afternoon Tea at 2.30pm and 4.30pm. Expected dress code is smart.
A Royal Standard at The Tea Cosy, Brighton
Proprietors/owners, David Daly and James Green, of The Tea Cosy ignited debate about tearoom manners when the Code of Etiquette was published on menus in 2007. Sobriety is guaranteed and there is no dress code to eat and drink at The Tea Cosy. Prospective visitors to The Tea Cosy, George Street, Kemptown can read the details of The Tea Cosy Code of Etiquette in advance and note that the tearoom is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
The Tea Cosy, known to display a Royal Standard purchased on eBay, includes in its tearoom menu the Lady Diana Spencer, Princess of Wales, Queen of Hearts, 10 year Anniversary, Forever in our Thoughts, Memorial Afternoon Tea comprising a selection of cake slices - which may include walnut and date, lemon Madeira, Bishops fruit cake, Walnut cream, apple cake, carrot cake, spice ginger, cherry Madeira, Victoria Sponge, chocolate cream and coffee cream - fruit scones with cream, jam and butter, dainty crust-free smoked salmon and cream cheese, ham and mustard, egg and water cress sandwiches, cold potato salad, olives, fruit, biscuits and a pot of English Breakfast tea with unlimited refills for a minimum of £16 for two persons.
Alternatively, the William and Harry Quick Tea, at £3.50 per person, including a pot of Tea or Hot Chocolate for one served with a selection of biscuits claimed to be the Queen’s favourite ones or Queen Mother 100th Birthday Memorial Cream Tea of a pot of tea for one with warm fruit scones, freshly whipped cream and home made summer fruits jam, at £4.95 per person, can be ordered from The Tea Cosy menu.
Tearooms, cafés, restaurants and pubs are in high density in Brighton. For visitors, to the English seaside, wishing to engage with the performance of Afternoon Tea, two distinct places in Brighton that can entertain their guests with their tearoom culture are identified for your culinary travel.
The De Vere Grand Hotel is on the seafront at 97-99 Kings Road, Brighton, BN1 2FW and The Tea Cosy is located in the Kemptown area of Brighton at 3 George Street, Brighton, BN2 1RH.
