I love the ritual of afternoon tea–scones and devon cream and little sandwiches in the lull of an afternoon and in the company of a companion. This time, I went to Brown’s, the highly regarded afternoon tea place in the Mayfair district–for many people, afternoon tea is synonymous with Brown’s.
I was honestly disappointed with Brown’s for tea, feeling rather cramped and uncomfortable in their space. While it definitely has an air of history, I was dismayed by the seating arrangements–the two of us were cramped into a seating arrangement that was clearly for four (one of us having to share a loveseat sofa with someone from another party). The sandwiches and pastries were unremarkable–so what’s the big deal?
Still, afternoon tea is quite a delight in my book. When I go to London, afternoon tea is an indulgement that I rediscover–and when I return home, a ritual that I crave for quite some time.
But why crave it? Why not indulge it?
On impulse, I decided to make some scones (the Cheese Board recipe, my favorite!), buy some devon clotted cream, and make little sandwiches. On further impulse, I invited a friend over for afternoon tea.
Click–when things come together, it is quite a wonder. This afternoon, we had an impulse tea, complete with fresh baked scones, devon cream, jam, and little egg salad finger sandwiches. Accompanied, of course, by Mariage Freres’ Marco Polo Rouge (rooibos) tea.
It was a great little break in the day, one that got two friends to sit down, if for a brief moment, to pause and share an enjoyable hour together. Genius.
Why do I not indulge myself more often? You ought to try it, too.
The Cheese Board scone recipe follows…
