Cost – £28.00 per person (August 2023)
Parking and Access – There is a large car park available to the front of the hotel. It is also possible to drive up the the front of the hotel to drop people off at the door.
There was a few steps into the hotel from the car park, and one step up to the lounge. However, there is also a flatter route in via the front of the hotel, rather than via reception.
The toilets were between the restaurant and the lounge. They were accessible on the flat from both areas.
Background – I had been given a voucher from the hotel for this Afternoon Tea.
Hintlesham is a village near Ipswich in Suffolk. The Hall was visible from the road, before we reached the entrance. It is a very grand looking building, surrounded by green areas. Parts of the Hall date back to the 1400’s.
Options Available – There were no options for this Afternoon Tea.
Contents (per person) – Six rectangular sandwiches (smoked salmon with caper, egg mayonnaise with tomato, cucumber with cream cheese and chicken with lemon mayonnaise (all three between the two of us), a piece of pork and caramelised onion sausage roll. A medium sized fruit scone. A glass dish containing strawberry jam and a glass dish of clotted cream, plus some butter. A vanilla panna cotta topped with passion fruit, a brownie ,a mini blueberry cupcake, a small piece of lemon drizzle cake and a quarter of a small Bakewell cake. A pot of tea.
Comments – When we entered the hotel, we were shown through the lounge, to the entrance of the restaurant. We were then taken back in to the lounge, where a small table was laid for us in a corner of the room.
The room was nicely decorated, and quite pleasant, but was quite well used as a walk through to the restaurant. It did rather feel like we were in a corridor.
The table was laid with crockery that appeared mismatched, but was actually clearly a matching set with variations on a theme. There was also a linen napkin and (hooray!), a small knife and fork.
We were asked for our drinks order. We asked for a pot of English Breakfast tea, plus a drink each from the bar.
The cold drinks arrived reasonably quickly.
Then the Afternoon Tea arrived on a three-tier cake stand, plus a plate with the sandwiches on, and a smaller plate with the pieces of sausage roll on.
Finally, the tea arrived in a nice, round, white pottery teapot, with a milk jug that matched the mismatched matching china!
The tea was just about the right strength for us.
We were later offered a refill, which we accepted.
There were three of each of the sandwiches between the two of us. So we each had one and a half of each type. They were all well filled, fresh and good.
The piece of sausage roll was particularly good. It was not a huge piece, but was tasty and had been heated up.
The scones had been warmed up. They were of a medium size, were fresh, and tasty. The jam was the usual strawberry preserve. It was a good consistency and there was enough of it. However, there was not really enough clotted cream. We decided not to ask for some more.
The cakes were all rather on the small side. They were all fresh and we enjoyed all of them. The piece of Bakewell cake was particularly bizarre. It was a quarter cut from a small round. It seemed very odd to have such a small piece!
Our favourites were the vanilla and passion fruit panna cotta, and the small piece of brownie, which was deliciously dense and chocolaty.
Service was sporadic. We were the only people in the lounge and were only really attended by staff passing from the restaurant to the bar.
The building is well decorated and comfortable. There seemed to be a few areas in which Afternoon Tea could be served. Including on a pretty terrace to the rear of the building. However, it was a bit too breezy on the day we visited.
| Savoury | 2.0 |
| Scone | 1.5 |
| Jam | 1.5 |
| Cream | 1.5 |
| Cake (variety) | 1.5 |
| Cake (quality) | 1.5 |
| Tea | 1.5 |
| Presentation | 2.0 |
| Service | 1.5 |
| Value | 2.0 |
| Total | 16.5 |
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 