A Sweet Escape - Afternoon Tea at The Slaughters Manor House
Ad. A kindly gifted adventure.
Well, it isn’t every day that your Defender buys you afternoon tea at a glorious Manor House, but then, Hutch is no ordinary Defender.
When the lovely team at The Slaughters Manor House in The Cotswolds asked whether we’d like to join them, of course we couldn’t wait to indulge.
Not only do the Manor House and its surrounding buildings offer the most fabulous backdrops for Land Rover photography, but the lounge inside offered these particular Land Rover drivers a perfect escape from every day life.
Once comfortably seated (me on a gorgeous pink armchair), we were presented with the drinks menu, plus an incredible wooden tea menu, with samples of the array of interesting teas to smell and discover. I chose the ‘apple strudel’ tea; despite it being mid-May, there was something rather magical about its Christmassy scent that I had to try - and it didn’t disappoint! Almost like a light mulled cider, with hints of cinnamon, it was wonderfully fresh yet warming.
Ever the traditionalist, Al went for English Breakfast tea, not wanting to take the risk of distracting his palate from the stack of treats that was to follow.
I couldn’t help but notice the other tables around us; a scattering of guests had settled in the comfortable armchairs and sofas, and despite the luxe surroundings, the vibe was anything but uptight. Relaxed laughter rippled over the background music, and folks were ordering drinks, afternoon teas, and cracking looking sandwiches to sustain them between exploring. The dress code seemed equally unstuffy - some were in walking gear, ready for a hike into The Cotswolds, others were in lounge suits. All were treated with friendly service, and I loved that.
It was time for the main event - and I knew we were getting serious when a member of staff brought us two extra little tables! First came a little plate of sandwiches just for me (I’m a pescatarian) - egg, cheese and salmon had been perfectly matched with light flavours, on delicious breads. Then, the traditional stand arrived - filled with more sandwiches for Al on the lower tier, fruit and plain scones - delicious and warm - on the middle, and at the top, an exquisite selection of sweet treats.
An encased raspberry mousse dissolved beautifully as soon as it hit the tongue. A Battenberg slice packed an almond punch, with marzipan that took Al straight back to his childhood. A tiny surprise, filled with melting chocolate, was my favourite to eat, but the sweetest in more ways than one was a tiny carrot - which contained the freshest carrot cake we had ever experienced.
We left feeling absolutely treated - and very full up!
Thank you to to the team at The Slaughters Manor House. We loved it.
Fancy experiencing this afternoon tea for yourself? Head to The Slaughters Manor House website for more information.
Amelia x