Champagne Afternoon Tea | The Aviator Hotel, Farnborough

First of all, do not eat for at least four days before you indulge in this afternoon tea. Sure, it may not look like much in the photos (my family and I all fell into that trap too) but oh my word will you waddle out of the building thanking all kinds of Gods that you wore a skirt with an elastic waist. But of course, even when you start to feel yourself getting a bit full (midway through scone number two) you simply can't stop.

We spent a little over two hours in the hotel's Sky Bar; chatting, eating, drinking, lounging, eating, eating and yes, eating some more. They make you feel totally at home in the hotel; when you arrive, you are invited to relax and get comfortable while they fetch the perfectly chilled (and totally legit) Champagne which they then pour into your glass like a total pro. Everything runs seamlessly; after the champagne, the host then returns to offer you hot beverages and gives detailed explanations of the vast variety of the Jing loose leaf tea on offer. Once you place your order (I went for Darjeeling) you are given your own cafetiere full of your chosen tea that you can drink at your own leisure. And then, and then, the cake stand arrives. Lord have mercy on my waistline.

For each person in the party, the 'starter pack' includes: four finger sandwiches, two scones, three cakes, one macaroon and one panna cotta. Absolutely everything, right down to the jam and clotted cream for your scones, is made by hand at the hotel just for you. I say 'starter pack' because as it turns out, you can order extra of anything you like and they'll (freshly make) and supply it for you. I have no shame in admitting we ordered extra sandwiches because they were so unbelievably tasty. Who knew cucumber, cream cheese and mint would be so good?!

An afternoon tea was the perfect way to round off a birthday (the chef's even surprised me with a plate of chocolate truffles!) and I would absolutely recommend choosing The Aviator for pretty much any occasion.

~ Eleanor xo

Address: The Aviator Hotel, 55 Farnborough Road, Farnborough, Hampshire, GU14 6EL

The Tea Party, Lee-On-The-Solent

In Britain, as soon as someone catches even the slightest glimpse of the sun, the barbecues come out, the sun-cream gets lathered on, ice cream is purchased by the gallon and we all remove as much clothing as legally acceptable (and then complain when we all feel a bit red and sore a few hours later).

On Saturday, having seen an almost too-good-to-believe weather report, one that predicted high temperatures and completely cloudless skies all day (the stuff of legends), my parents and I decided to head to the South coast and pay the little town of Lee-On-The-Solent a visit.

We used to come here a lot when I was younger; oh the memories I have of blustery, rainy half term days, eating a picnic of squished and unnaturally warm homemade sandwiches while huddled in the car with the window cracked open ever so slightly so we could all claim how much we enjoyed the fresh sea air.

Luckily, Saturday's visit was different; a) it was actually sunny... for the most part and b) we enjoyed lunch the cutest little independent tearoom called 'The Tea Party'. I know, you're sold already. I was too.

Even though the sun was shining brightly, the wind was practically hurricane level, so after walking along as much as the beach as we could before our bodies could no longer take the gale-force, we mosied through the high street and took shelter in the tearoom. This place is everything you'd want a vintage tearoom to be; the wallpaper was quirky and girly, as was much of the decor, the menu had a great selection of light bites and freshly made cakes (I mean, just look at that counter). The staff were really friendly and it was a cozy place to sit, drink tea and enjoy some delicious homemade food.

My dad and I shared a pot of loose-leaf Darjeeling tea (in some of the cutest mismatched chinawear I've ever seen), my mum went for, in the words of the waitress, "ordinary tea". I laughed. To eat, I ordered one of the specials; mashed avocado, poached egg & fresh grilled tomato served on bloomer (long name, suuuper tasty), my dad went for a salmon and cream cheese sandwich and my mum also picked a special, choosing the apple, cheddar & chutney quiche, both of which were served with a freshly made side salad. Served on, of course, beautiful floral crockery. I was in heaven.

Apart from almost being swept off the face of the Earth, we had a great day wandering around the seaside, feeling ever so British. And whilst I tried not to lose my iPhone in the wind while taking artistic photos of the sea, my parents enjoyed some ice creams... that mostly ended up all over them. Who's the child here again?

If you're ever on the South coast of England, be sure to check out Lee-On-The-Solent, and definitely have a pit-stop at 'The Tea Party'. I promise it's worth it.

~ Eleanor xo