Cost – £32.00 (September 2021)
Parking and Access – There is a large car park available to one side of the hotel. However, it is a short step, with a slight slope, to reach the main entrance. It is possible to drop passengers right by the entrance, then go to the car park with your car.
Afternoon Tea was being served in a couple of areas of the hotel. Both of these were reached on the level from the entrance.
There are toilets available nearby, which were reached on the level.
Background – Some very good friends of ours, who live in this area have long been recommending the Afternoon Tea at Lime Wood Hotel to us.
At last, we were able to make a journey down to the beautiful New Forest area and finally try this Afternoon Tea. Expectations were high, but the Lime Wood Hotel did not disappoint.
Options Available – There is an option to have a G and Tea, which includes a special gin. Or for a sparkling Tea, which includes a glass of English sparkling wine.
Contents – Four rectangular sandwiches (egg mayonnaise, smoked salmon with cream cheese, ham with mustard and roast beef with horseradish. A medium sized plain scone, and a medium sized fruit scone. A pot of strawberry jam and a pot of cultured clotted cream. A blackberry friand, a raspberry choux bun, a lemon cream finger bun, a chocolate and fennel flower pot, plus the cake of the day. Your choice of tea from a menu of eleven teas.
Comments – When we arrived at the entrance to the hotel, we were shown through to the rear of the building, past the main central area where many others were being served Afternoon Tea, into the old Scullery. We were told that this area had originally been used at the hotel’s breakfast area. But, since the pandemic, they were now using it as an additional room for Afternoon Tea. It was a nice peaceful area to sit, with various green plants, and with wine bottles ranged around the walls. There was a large fireplace at one end.
We were shown to a round table with a white linen table cloth. The table was laid with pretty blue and white china, white linen napkins and a knife, fork and teaspoon. There was also a matching sugar bowl in blue and white.
We were given a menu to choose our tea from. The menu also featured some ‘Free Spirited Cocktails’, which were alcohol free. We both chose to try a ‘Sunrise in the Forest’ cocktail, to make the occasion even more special. We chose English Breakfast tea for our hot drink.
The cocktails arrived first, and they looked wonderful! The drink was made with orange, lemon, grenadine and soda, and looked like a beautiful sunrise. They were delicious too.
The tea arrived in a white china teapot along with a milk jug which matched the blue and white china.
Afternoon Tea itself arrived on a two-tier spindle type cake stand with round plates matching the rest of the china.
As usual, we had requested our sandwiches made without mustard or horseradish. This request was met with no problem and the sandwiches all arrived as we had asked for them.
The sandwiches were all on a brown bread. All of the sandwiches were well filled, tasty and fresh. The ham was particularly good. We were offered more sandwiches, and asked for an extra smoked salmon and an egg mayonnaise sandwich each. These arrived on a separate plate and were just as tasty as the first batch.
The scones were warm and freshly made. They were the more homemade type of scones that we prefer and were very good.
The jam was particularly good, with large pieces of fruit in it. Luckily, there was enough of it.
The clotted cream was a little unusual in that it was a cultured clotted cream. This gave it a slight taste similar to a crème frais. We both enjoyed it and liked having something a little different. There was enough clotted cream for the scones, but it was close!!
The sweet course was also delicious!
We had read in the menu that the chocolate sweet contained fennel. This worried us both, as neither of us like the aniseed flavour of fennel. We approached with caution, but needn’t have worried. In fact we both put it aside to eat last as it was soooo good!
The lemon finger bun was light and deliciously lemony. It was really good and reminded me of cream cakes from my childhood.
The raspberry choux was also really good, but I wanted more as it was quite small.
The blackberry friand was also tasty, but was probably our least favourite of the four items.
We had been intrigued by the last item on the Afternoon Tea menu. It simply said ‘cake of the day’. However, all was revealed when our bill arrived. The waiter asked us if we would like the cake of the day to take away with us. There was a choice of two – a blueberry Victoria sponge or a gluten free chocolate. We opted to have a piece of each. Both slices were a good size and were placed in a box for us to take home. I can report that both were delicious, and it was really nice to have a little extra to go away with. What a good idea!
Service was very good. It was very attentive, without being too much so. We had no problem in getting our teapot refilled when we needed and we didn’t have to wait for ages for the bill at the end.
My only down point was the two young ladies on the table next to us. They decided that it was acceptable to play video clips, loudly, on their phones. Giggling and commenting on them. In the end I had to ask them to turn it down a bit. Thankfully, they were a bit quieter from then on. I might be old fashioned, but this seemed a very selfish thing to do in a room full of people enjoying their lovely Afternoon Teas.
The Afternoon Tea at Lime Wood Hotel costs a little more than many in the surrounding area. However, the quality of the food, the venue and staff all add together to make this a really good Tea that I would definitely recommend.
Looks like our friends were right!!
| Savoury | 2.0 |
| Scone | 2.0 |
| Jam | 2.0 |
| Cream | 2.0 |
| Cake (variety) | 2.0 |
| Cake (quality) | 2.0 |
| Tea | 2.0 |
| Presentation | 2.0 |
| Service | 1.5 |
| Value | 1.5 |
| Total | 19.0 |
All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The photographs are all my own.
I remain completely anonymous and always pay for my Afternoon Teas. They are never gifted to me by the businesses reviewed.
I am the legal copyright holder of the content and images on this blog.
Sarnies Scones and Cakes 