To celebrate my degree results my parents, eldest sister, brother and I went for afternoon tea at the gorgeous Angel Hotel in Abergavenny. It was a boiling hot day so we sat in the courtyard where parties were gathered with pitchers of Pimms and glasses of wine. The atmosphere was relaxed yet sophisticated, and as always The Angel delivered exceptionally.
The
hotel also has a bar and restaurant, both of which I have been to and
been served outstanding food and drink. A little on the pricey side, The
Angel is definitely for special occasions like achieving a first in
your degree ;)
If
you are looking to dine somewhere luxurious in the town centre of
Abergavenny, The Angel is the place to go. It is just a five and ten minute
walk from the bus and train station and is situated smack bang in the middle of the
bustling market town.
Now, onto my favourite part - the tea!
The range of teas on offer is incredible. There are more than 30 to choose from and my eyes darted straight to the green tea section - big fan; can't go a day without the stuff. I always like to try something new so I chose the 'Flowering Osmanthus.'
Described on the menu as fresh and fruity with hints of apricot and ripe peach as well as jasmine, osmanthus and China lily flowers, I couldn't resist as I loved the sound of all those things. The biggest attraction for me was the fact that it came in a clear glass teapot so I could see the flower blossoming in the pot - beautiful.
My Mum chose her usual cafetiere of strong black coffee, my Dad an English breakfast tea and Sarah and Craig, Vanilla tea.
The afternoon tea came out in stacks of stunning plates that sat
strategically on the wooden table - we did have a minor accident (clumsy
me!) but the waiting staff were excellent and cleaned up the spilt
coffee and replaced the few cakes that were dropped.
On the top plate were sliced strawberries topped with cream poured by the lovely waitresses. The second plate underneath held the decadent selection of cakes and pastries: (rum baba, custard slice, chocolate & raspberry swiss roll, carrot cake, strawberry shortcake, profiteroles, banoffee pie). And on the bottom plate were four types of sandwiches: (savoury cheese, smoked salmon, ham and egg). I gave my cheese and egg sandwiches to my Mum and Dad - I wasn't too keen on those fillings but the salmon and ham sandwiches were spot on.
Soon after we had finished nibbling on our sandwiches, fruit and cakes, the waiter and waitresses brought out our scones. They were warm and dusted with icing sugar, served with a bowl of thick cream and strawberry jam.
Now, I have heard that everyone assembles their scone differently, and I didn't know there was such an art to it until recently, but after a bit of trial and error I found that I prefer to put the jam on first, then the cream. Just, yum.
If you have never heard of, or been to The Angel then I would definitely recommend a visit if you are ever passing Abergavenny. It is such a gem and the afternoon tea I reviewed in this post was actually the winner of the Tea Guild Award of Excellence 2013 which I think is a fantastic achievement.
To read more about The Angel and to book a room, table or just to have a nosey, check out their website at: www.angelabergavenny.comand let me know your favourite tea room in the comment box below - I am always looking for new ones to visit!
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