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

Proper Tea Room, Manchester Cathedral

Proper Tea Thursday 17th April 2014

I popped in on my way back to the car from lots of business meeting that had started at 630am. I decided that I deserved a treat and as it was middle of the afternoon and I had no lunch it seemed a very good idea. I don't normally have afternoon tea on my own (I doubt many do), but I asked and it was not a problem for one.

The interior design has rustic charm with a vintage feel and is very welcoming. It's nice to have odd and quirky but with order and planned designed. I understand that NoChintz from Manchester's Northern Quarter came up with it. There was plenty of vintage music in the background and with it being a quiet time when I was in this was welcomed.

Anyway back to the food and drink, firstly there is an excellent choice of teas and they are all loose leaf. If you want to add a glass of Prosecco to it you can, but I stuck with the traditional tea at £16 per person.

The staff were very pleasant and the speed of service was excellent.

The first thing to arrive was the tea and presented with a timer and instructions for the desired strength. Loved the milk in the tiny milk bottle.

Then came the food, I will say at this point that had I known they were feeding the 5000 I may have re-considered having afternoon tea on my own. I did feel a tad piggish when it arrived!

                  

I am not sure that these photos really show just how large the portions were but I did take a box home with me!

The sandwiches were very fresh and were truly filled! Ham and Cheese and Chicken and Avocado were the two fillings and a total of six triangles.

As for the cakes what do I say, no small miniature versions here, full blown slices, not forgetting the home made fudge (which was awesome). The chocolate was flour free and soooooo good, the rainbow cake was moist and very tasty. There was a chocolate and raspberry torte, the traditional scone (not a small one either) with jam and cream (plus butter) oh and two ginger biscuits.

As I said I did take much home in a box and shared with hubby as there was plenty for two in a one person portion. 

I have to say that the food, the venue and the value for money was excellent however, the amount served was excessive and in some ways off putting. I do not like waste and to be honest I'm not the type of person that asks for a box but felt in this case that it was really necessary to do so. I don't believe such large portions need to be served, small versions of the cakes would be preferred by many I think and four triangles all different would be preferred personally.

It is a really nice place to visit and well worth it, but go very very hungry!

Proper Tea, Manchester Cathedral