afternoon tea – Stratfield Fairlane

Easter weekend might be looking a little different again this year, but that doesn’t mean you can’t spoil yourself. From kits filled with everything you need for a themed afternoon tea to boxes geared towards a traditional Easter Sunday roast, here are some of our favourite ideas out there.

BEST FOR A BIT OF EVERYTHING: Crosstown Doughnuts

Crosstown has launched a limited-edition doughnut flavour ready for Easter. Its ‘Spiced Hot Cross Bun’ doughnut has been made with Easter-spiced dough, filled with creamy cinnamon custard, topped with Seville orange glaze and finished with a spiced cross and candied orange peel – we hear it pairs excellently with a cup of coffee or glass of sparkling wine. Crosstown has created two Easter selection boxes featuring mix-and-match selections of ground coffee, chai, wine and flowers, alongside a six-pack of the all-important doughnuts.

BEST FOR PULLING OUT ALL THE STOPS: One Fine Dine

One Fine Dine has everything you need to take Easter festivities to the next level – minus the hard work. Items arrive pre-cooked and chilled, ready to be reheated. The box comes with a bottle of wine, printed menus and free delivery, as well as a one-off children’s menu including a make-your-own chocolate egg kit. Dishes on the five-course menu include a choice of roast loin of Herdwick lamb with potato terrine, baby vegetables, wild garlic and carrot purée; thyme-roasted corn-fed chicken supreme with baby leeks, crispy potato, chard leaf and morel mushroom velouté; tonka bean crème brûlée with poached yorkshire rhubarb and blood orange jelly; and Easter mess with chocolate ganache mousse, apricot gel, milk purée, chocolate soil and cacao nib meringue – hidden inside a chocolate Easter egg.

BEST FOR EASTER MORNING: Rococo x The Gentlemen Baristas

The Gentlemen Baristas has teamed up with luxury chocolate-maker Rococo to create an Easter box. The hamper includes baked goods from the coffee company (think brownies and caramel slices) plus its Gatsby single-origin coffee. You’ll also find Rococo salted caramel seagull eggs, 65% dark hot chocolate and milk chocolate-covered coffee beans. The box is available to pre-order now for nationwide delivery.

BEST FOR BAKED GOODS: Bao

Bao’s much-loved buns are getting a tongue-in-cheek Easter makeover this year. The ‘Easter chick’ baos are part of kits that can be ordered from Bao’s Convni store – the group’s 7-Eleven-inspired digital supermarket. The kits feature two yellow chick and two white chick baos, and are available nationwide. Filled with molten chocolate and salted egg, the buns will be delivered ready to be unboxed and steamed at home.

BEST FOR A TRADITIONAL ROAST: Worstead Estate

Over Easter, outdoor gatherings of up to six are back on the table, so Worstead Estate is hoping customers will push the boat out with a wagyu roast from its Norfolk farm. The box contains a wagyu roasting joint, along with six wagyu burgers and wagyu mince. It also includes some extras from some of the county’s top food producers, including herb salt from the Fresh Herb Salt Co, horseradish and truffle oil from Yare Valley Oils, and two hand-painted Easter eggs from Booja-Booja. The Easter box, along with other wagyu boxes, can be delivered nationwide.

BEST FOR CHOCOLATE LOVERS: Cocktail Porter

Looking for something fun? Cocktail Porter is taking Easter eggs one step further with its themed creation: a Lindt chocolate bunny espresso martini. Simply bite the head off the bunny then shake and pour Ketel One vodka, Cocktail Porter sugar syrup, Kuka cold brew coffee and Conker liqueur into the rest of the rabbit and drink with a straw. All ingredients and instructions will be provided in the kit. Delivery is available nationwide.

BEST FOR AFTERNOON TEA: Gail’s

Gail’s has launched its annual Easter range. An assortment of baked treats, from hot cross buns and seasonal shortbreads, are available in store and online. For those wanting to go all out, the Easter Afternoon Tea Hamper comes with hot cross buns, apricot and lavender jam, Quicke’s whey butter, four honey cakes, butterfly shortbread, four mini salami, two mini salmon and two mini avocado homemade rolls, plus Jing English breakfast tea.

BEST FOR PICNICS: London Shell Co

London Shell Co is bringing back its popular seafood picnic boxes just in time for Easter. The hamper contains all the components for a meal for two, including fresh seafood and a bottle of The Grand Duchess English sparkling wine. Each box is filled with high-quality seafood, brought in daily from day boats in Cornwall – think cold-smoked salmon and crevettes with mayonnaise. With no cooking required, it’s an easy meal to enjoy al fresco. The picnic boxes are available for click and collect from The Grand Duchess every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 2nd to 11th April.

BEST FOR PASTA LOVERS: La Tua Pasta

If a full-on roast isn’t your thing, look to La Tua Pasta’s Easter kits. Following classic antipasti, the classic British dish of lamb and mint will be served up Italian style as lamb and mint tortelloni in sage butter sauce. No Italian Easter would be complete without a colomba, a dove-shaped, panettone-style cake that is slow baked. As part of La Tua Pasta’s box, customers will receive one direct from an Italian baker who makes them by hand in the old-fashioned way using ingredients sourced in Sicily.

BEST FOR A LAST-MINUTE ROAST: Blacklock

Top London chophouse Blacklock has created the ultimate lamb roast this Easter. Named ‘Almost As Good As Mum’s’, the roast box for two contains a 28-day aged lamb rump from Cornish butchers, Philip Warren, alongside duck-fat roast potatoes, cauliflower cheese, seasonal veggies, giant yorkshire puddings, mint sauce and plenty of rich gravy. To finish, you’ll receive the restaurant’s signature white chocolate cheesecake with forced rhubarb. We’ve tried it, and trust us – it’s worth it for the bottle of Blacklock gravy alone.

BEST FOR GETTING HANDS-ON: Mon Dessert

Mon Dessert has launched a selection of Easter-themed dessert kits. Each set comes with simple instructions, pre-weighed ingredients and an Instagram-perfect aesthetic. Customers can choose from an ‘Easter Bunny Cream Tart’ , hot cross bun kit and the ‘Easter Chick Macaron’ – ideal if you’re looking keep children entertained over the school holidays.

BEST FOR A FULL-ON ROAST: Smokestak

For Easter Sunday, David Carter and the team at Smokestak will be sending DIY kits to doorsteps across the country, putting a BBQ spin on a classic Easter lunch. Arriving on Friday 2nd April, ‘Easter Menu 1’ will serve two, kicking things off with a rhubarb sour. Diners can look forward to grilled flat breads with cod’s roe and wild garlic and chive soured cream, followed by native-breed pulled pork with pickled cucumber, beef brisket with pickled red chilli, new potatoes with garlic, and spring greens. To finish, there’s white chocolate cheesecake with seasonal blood orange. For those looking to go one step further, ‘Easter Menu 2’ features the same menu, with the additions of spring lamb and herb sausage with a mint dressing; new-season asparagus with pecorino; purple sprouting broccoli with salsa verde; and a bottle of rioja.

BEST FOR INSTAGRAM SNAPS: Bun House

From 26th March to 4th April, Londoners will be able to buy Bun House’s Easter chick-themed buns, each filled with coconut Kaya butter – a sweet Malaysian jam made with coconut, eggs and caramel. To complete the look, the dough will be carefully coloured and finished with an orange beak and red comb.

BEST FOR SPRING DINING: Lyle’s

Lyle’s, the Michelin-starred restaurant in Shoreditch founded by James Lowe, is delivering meal kits across the country, each filled with seasonal dishes for a celebratory Easter Sunday lunch. Available to pre-order now and arriving on Friday 2nd April, each parcel will contain a feast for two, beginning with the restaurant’s sourdough bread and cultured butter, and a dish of mussels, cider and leeks. Next, there will be white asparagus, whey butter and bottarga. The main is a nod to traditional Easter lamb: Welsh mountain mutton, Yukon Gold potatoes and wild garlic. For dessert, chocolate tart will be accompanied by rhubarb and there’ll be brown butter cakes to share.

Afternoon tea always feels like a treat – so it might just be what you need to brighten up your routine. Whether you’re looking for a thoughtful gift idea, an accompaniment for your virtual event, or just a weekend pick-me-up, here are some of our favourite at-home kits to order now…

BEST FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS: Sketch’s MMmm… Afternoon Tea

Bring the iconic, millennial pink tea emporium into your living room with Sketch’s afternoon tea kit. Housed in a sumptuous pink ‘jewellery case’, this divine assortment of goodies comes in original, veggie, vegan, pescatarian and gluten-free editions. Expect delights ranging from classic coronation chicken finger sandwiches on malted grain bread to delicate cherry choux pastries and buttery scones. Tea kits come with a fragrant Tea-JING Vanilla Black Tea, a soft and creamy blend with sweet vanilla tones. Alternatively, level up your high tea with assorted champagne and cocktails for a supplementary cost.

BEST FOR HUNGRY FAMILIES: Gail’s Afternoon Tea For 4

You can always depend on high-street favourite Gail’s for the fluffiest pastries and crisp, golden loaves, and their afternoon tea is no exception. Inside their afternoon tea kit, you’ll find four deliciously crumbly scones ready to slather with Rodda’s clotted cream, along with GAIL’s organic jam and luscious lemon curd. On the savoury front, there are perfectly formed smoked salmon and egg cress sarnies. Finish with chocolatey brownie fingers or moist honey cakes, and wash it all down with a loose-leaf JING tea.

BEST FOR COUPLES: Cutter & Squidge’s Afternoon Tea at Home

For a flavour-packed afternoon tea handmade in London using all-natural ingredients, choose Cutter & Squidge. One tea package for two includes brownies, lemon drizzle slices and scones ready to layer up with fruity jam and clotted cream. All teas are accompanied by Cutter & Squidge’s Fine Loose Leaf Tea, too. It’s worth noting the teas are best enjoyed on the day of delivery, but if you want to store it, simply pop it in an airtight container and refrigerate. Remove the brownie and cake one-to-two hours before serving and warm up the scones (at 180°C for five-to-seven mins) before serving.

BEST FOR FRUIT LOVERS: Betty’s Tea & Scones Gift Selection

If lashings of cream and rich pastries aren’t your thing, a classic hamper from heritage brand Betty’s makes a delicious alternative. The centrepiece of the spread is a golden Yorkshire Tea loaf, beautifully studded with dried fruits and accompanied by four fruit scones, strawberry preserve and a box of Bettys Tea Room Blend 80 Tea Bags – so you can eek out the experience via your morning cuppa for weeks. Order through the site’s standard service and your kit will be delivered within a date range of your choosing.

BEST FOR THOSE WITH A SWEET TOOTH: Afternoon Cream Tea Hamper – Banoffee Editions

For a sugary twist on the classic afternoon tea, this banoffee themed offering for two from The English Cream Tea Company is gloriously decadent. The special edition scones are made with banana and coffee and delivered with – wait for it – a soft toffee mixture, fresh banana and fresh clotted cream to assemble at home. Other sweet treats include award-winning double choccie brownies, lemon drizzle cake and crisp meringue swirls. The savoury elements are no less mouth-watering, comprised of traditional cocktail finger sandwiches filled with cucumber and cream cheese, or lemon-laced smoked salmon. A signature Luxury English Tea completes the kit. The brand advise that if ordering for a Zoom meet-up, do consider booking for delivery the day beforehand and storing the food in the fridge overnight.

BEST FOR VEGETARIANS: Kettle & Crumb’s Afternoon Tea For 2

For a superb veggie rendition of high tea for two, choose Hammersmith-based Kettle & Crumb’s tea delivery service. Think chickpea hummus and chargrilled veg sandwiches on pillowy white bread, and cream cheese with cucumber on rye. Up next, a dinky box of traditional British savouries including luxury vegan sausage roles and blue cheese and broccoli quiche slices. The sweeter elements are just as good, from the sultana scones to the squidgy cake slices (lemon, carrot and brownie). A mix of fine English Breakfast, Darjeeling and Earl Grey accompany the kit – and all the packaging is sustainable, too.

BEST FOR BISCUIT FANS: Harvey Nichols’ Afternoon Tea Gift Box

Harvey Nichols comes up trumps with this luxurious afternoon tea box – which, as it happens, is biscuit-based. Nestled in a plush gift box are buttery shortbreads made following an old family recipe and crunchy Cherry-On-the-Top biscuits, inspired by the almond-laden classic, Bakewell Tart. A duo of jams, freshly baked bread and six perfect cubes of creamy fudge infused with zingy lemon sherbet complete the box. All that’s left for you to do is put the kettle on for a steaming cup of the classic Earl Grey or English Breakfast Tea provided.

BEST FOR BIG GESTURES: Fortnum & Mason The Mid Afternoon Tea Hamper

A stalwart of all things luxury, Fortnums are your go-to when you want to bring out the big guns. Here, scones are substituted for a wealth of exquisite chocolates, preserves and biscuits. Single-handled huntsman basket? Check. Three luxe mini tea caddies? Check. Four kinds of biscuit to dunk into your 3pm cuppa? Check. Dig into Piccadilly Macadamia Nut Biscuits, buttery Shortbread Fingers and chocolate bars handpicked from Fortum’s Chocolate Bar Library. Spoiler: the beautifully wrapped slap of white chocolate with strawberry and black pepper is a delight. Standard delivery takes between 3-5 working days; next day deliveries are available.

BEST FOR ARTISANS: Forman & Field Afternoon Tea for 2 (or 3)

When your tea comes encased in a beautiful hat box, you know you’re in foodie wonderland. Here, artisan British food suppliers Forman & Field offer classic staples (freshly-made scones with strawberry ripple cream) alongside indulgent additions like painterly macaroons, chocolate salted caramels and a trio of mini cakes: brownie loaf, blueberry sponge, and lemon and pistachio. We love the thoughtful touches, like the tea strainer courtesy of The Tea Palace, to strain your piping hot Earl Grey.

For more information on the above afternoon tea kits or if you wish to organise a virtual event and want an afternoon tea kits as a accompaniment to send, please contact our lifestyle managers.

Tag: afternoon tea

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