Chimney Bar and Lounge, Marriott Hotel, Worsley

Marriott Hotel, 2nd August 

This year we seem to be booking our afternoon teas at short notice with little planning. This trip was no exception. Sat on our narrowboat in Worsley post lunch time feeling peckish I Googled to see if the Marriott offered afternoon tea on a Saturday afternoon. They do but the site suggested booking, I called and they checked with the chef and very kindly accommodated us with about an hour of notice. 

The afternoon tea is served in the Chimney Bar and Lounge part of the hotel, a public bar area but do not let this put you off it is a very nice bar area with comfy seats and plenty of room. It is not a bar where there is a TV or lots of noise etc.

We arrived early, and they were just arranging the table for us. Not a problem though and we opted for a drink from the bar first to allow the staff to carry on without the pressure of the annoying early customer....

We were seated on comfy seats with a nice big table and offered tea or coffee and as usual had one of each. There was a choice of tea including herbal infusions and coffees including latte, cappuccino etc. 

This is one of the average priced afternoon teas at £18.50 per person. As one would expect it was presented with care and attention. The crockery does have a modern, elegant look and feel to it which suits the venue yet keeps the traditional presentation going. 

There were ten fingers sandwiches to share including, cheese and onion, egg, salmon and beef. Very fresh on a mixture of white and brown bread and very tasty. 

                                        

There was the traditional fruit scone served with two individual pots of jam,  dish of cream served with strawberry halves. 

The middle tier had lots of mini treats including strawberry mousse, choux buns, lemon cheesecake and chocolate brownies.

There was an extra treat served to the side of a Prosecco jelly.

One of the small details that I really appreciated was the number of proportionally sized tea spoons that were provided. I have had a number of instances where food has been served with spoons that were simply to big or not long enough to fit the container that food was served in. Equally having enough for each item to be able to use a clean one was noted.

Overall the service, food and presentation was excellent. There was nothing that could be faulted and the value was very good. As ever it took some time to finish and we were full as we left. I highly recommend a visit and enjoy the miniature delights from the chef.

Chimney Bar and Lounge, Marriott Hotel, Worsley

The Marriott Hotel, Broughton Preston

The Marriott Hotel, Broughton Preston, 20th April 2013

I decided to take my mum out for a treat yesterday and booked online yesterday morning for afternoon tea closer to where she lives.

Afternoon tea is our thing, sweet things are what my mum lives for, bearing in mind this is the person who had 17 sugars in her two cups of coffee!

This was for no other occasion than it was something to do.

Booked online and arrived with a few minutes to spare. The afternoon tea was to be held in the lounge bar, which is a general area accommodating hotel guests who are just having a drink. There is a really nice conservatory type area leading to the courtyard. When we arrived there were other ladies having afternoon tea and there was a lacking of tables and chairs there, yet plenty of space. The bar man was very helpful in bring a chair for us and would have moved the table around if I had not already done it whilst he was getting the chair.

The service was good with the tea and coffee being ordered promptly and it was not too long before the food was served. 

It was not on a traditional tier but never the less served on nice plates, with nice napkins and cutlery.

The selection of finger sandwiches included salmon (and plenty of it), cucumber (true traditional style) and cheese with lettuce and a hint of mango chutney. Both white and wholemeal bread used and very fresh. The only odd thing is there were three of each, not usual to get a number not divisible by the number of people eating. 

We have four mini cakes each, and these were not that mini :) plus a fruit scone each. The selection of cakes included a chocolate eclair  individual Victoria Sponge, Coffee cake and Chocolate brownie.

The cakes were very fresh and the scones were server with plenty of butter, cream and pots of preserve.

The tea and coffee were refilled without being asked which is always a nice touch. 

The two of us spent two hours there enjoying the food with a nice view of the courtyard and no pressure. The afternoon tea was just £10.95 each and was exceptional value for money.

The Marriott