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Afternoon tea has a bit of a haughty reputation hasn’t it?  The thought of the British tradition instantly conjures up images of impeccably dressed ladies daintily lifting china cups to their painted lips, gloved pinky standing to attention.  A tray of beautiful pastries, stunning cakes and gorgeous tea pots and strainers adorning a lace clothed table before an eye watering bill appears, placed by a snooty waiter.  £50 for tea and cake can often seem a little pricey in the current economic climate!  Well, I’m here to show you that this doesn’t have to be the case…

My first destination is the ever stylish Cafe 21 located within the Fenwicks department store in the heart of Newcastle.  Upon discovering they provided afternoon tea I half expected the price to be a bit of a whopper.  After all, the Cafe 21 restaurant down on the river has quite a pricey menu on offer (but utterly delicious may I add!).  When I did some further research I was pleasantly surprised, good old Terry Laybourne was offering a mouth watering afternoon tea for the measly price of £17 per couple.  I had to try this out!

What a bargain!  The sandwiches were fresh and delicious, adorable dinky scones served still warm from the oven and a stunning array of cakes which tasted as good as they looked.  My only problem was when it came to deciding who got which cake.  Things could have turned a little nasty if the macaroon (see top image) was claimed but thankfully I won!  Fabulous service, delicious local teas and a bustling atmosphere.  A wonderful treat after a day attacking the Newcastle high street.

 

Delving further into finding more pocket friendly ways to spend an afternoon I came across Beamish Hall Hotel. Those of you familiar with the North will recognise this as the hotel attached to the famous Beamish open air museum and the super adorable owl sanctuary.  To top it all off, Beamish Hall offers a heaving afternoon tea for the sum of £15 per couple.  What a way to spend a day!

This tea was a little more luxurious and traditional compared to the slick and trendy Cafe 21.  We were given a choice of sandwiches and teas before being presented with a groaning three tiered tray of delights.  Make sure you’re hungry before tackling this one.  The sandwiches alone are three slices deep and filled to the brim.  My fiancées eyes were alight with delight as he plowed his way through this impressive selection.  The scones came ready filled with jam, cream and a sliver of strawberry, which was a nice change.  The cakes and pastries were delectable; a lemon tart topped with cream and a juicy blackberry (my personal favorite) closely followed by a mammoth cream horn.  I’m not ashamed to say I couldn’t finish my portion of the treats, however a very friendly staff member offered to box them up for my supper.  I kindly accepted and stashed my doggy bag in the car before going to visit some super cute baby owls…

So there you have it.  Afternoon Tea doesn’t have to be reserved for the privileged, nor does it have to cost the earth.  Do a little bit of digging and you too can find some super bargains and while away the afternoon dreamily drinking tea and gazing out of the window at rolling lush countryside.

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Why not be extra thrifty and host your very own afternoon tea? Browse here for our very own range of Laura Ashley cake stands and accessories