The last time I had afternoon team was for my Mum’s 60th birthday in London, so I thought it was high time we took high tea again. We visited The Vicarage just on the outskirts on Holmes Chapel. Owned by Flat Cap Hotels, a Cheshire based family run group, owners of independent hotels with restaurants & pubs specialising in delivering locally sourced British seasonal menus, eccentric cocktails, the finest beers & exceptional wines.
Walking into The Vicarage is like walking into a jolly friend’s country house, there are hats, boots, logs books carefully distributed in and around the bar. Making you feel quite at home straight away. Afternoon tea is served in the conservatory and I took the sparkling option with a glass prosecco £18.95 person with the traditional afternoon tea £14.95, you can also have a G & Tea for £18.95 which is a new twist all gin lovers must try.
Fruit scones, mini banoffi pies, raspberry and elderflower cheesecakes and mini treacle tart with creme fraiche and a sugar shard are the total delights presented to you. You can tell great care has been taken with each sweet delight, the shortcrust pastry was crumbly and buttery. The banana in the pie was creamy and fresh and my absolute favourite the treacle tart was just a mouthful of heaven.
You each get your own pot of tea so you can take it as you prefer it; me/builders and my Mum/watery-weak. The perfect finger sandwiches consisted of egg mayo, cheese and pickle, ham hock and every afternoon tea must have smoked salmon and cream cheese. With a mix of brown and white bread these sandwiches were just enough and the variety perfectly balanced. I can’t decide if egg mayo or the smoked salmon were my faves. The conservatory, which is situated through the bar, which leads onto another room where overnight guests take breakfast. The bar is full of lovely inviting leather sofas, so much so I could have nestled into one and ordered a bottle of red and settled in for the whole afternoon!
But children, football tra
ining and dinner prep awaited. Determined to enjoy every morsel we ate the lot, well nearly, but we took the very two last pastries home for my two sons to fight over.
This place is the sort of establishment that welcomes you with a huge hug, no matter what you are going there for, be it a Sunday roast, a drink with the girls or afternoon tea with you Mum. Having all these hand-crafted delights presented to us on a vintage cake stand with tea and fizz (two of my favourite things) was such a lovely indulgence, we both enjoyed every minute. I suggest you all sneak off at once and indulge in this chic and scrumptious treat.
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