Newby Teas is Official Tea Sponsor of Afternoon Tea Week 2016. For our latest Afternoon Tea review, we visited Hyatt Regency – The Churchill, a stunning 5-star hotel just off Oxford Street. How did their Afternoon Tea offering rate with the Newby team?Arriving at its smart location looking out across the gardens of Portman Square, it’s hard to believe the never-ending hubbub that is London’s Oxford Street is just a couple of blocks away. As is so often the case with the capital, you step off the main drag and discover another world. So it was at The Churchill, a hugely civilised Hyatt which takes its 5-star status seriously. It shows in the details. We received a warm welcome to The Montagu, the hotel’s elegant dining room where – at the time of our visit – the ‘Cabbages and Roses’ Afternoon Tea was on the menu. Cabbages and Roses is an iconic British design brand known for its timeless fashions and homeware. It is a good match for The Montagu, where the look is classic and understated.

Ornate chandeliers hang from the ceiling and colourful art lines the walls, contrasting with the muted tones of the décor. We sat at a table not far from The Montagu’s open kitchen, and admired our surroundings as we settled in. We were well looked-after throughout by Front-of-House Manager, Guilherme Marcondez, who really impressed us with his obvious passion for his role and the hotel – not to mention his admirable multilingual skills and ability to fly (well, in a plane). Nothing was too much trouble, and Guilherme was happy to talk us through the treats which arrived on our table (many and varied as they were). We also got to meet Head Chef, Felix Luecke, who is clearly a man of exacting skill! Kudos to Felix and his team who were efficiently working away within a few yards of our table, without affecting the calming ambience of the place. So, what did we enjoy on this fine afternoon? A familiar menu of 11 Newby teas is served, with a generous pot of your chosen tea provided for each guest. We plumped for the Assam, Jasmine Blossom and the Strawberry & Mango. The opening course of savouries impressed us – rather than sandwiches, this Afternoon Tea features chicken liver paté on melba toast, a delicious prawn cocktail with a floral touch, and a divine smoked salmon macaron. There was plenty for everyone, and this course confirmed we were in for something very special here. After the savoury, comes the sweet. The rich, lavender-infused chocolate tart was a mini culinary masterpiece, as was the cute cupcake with buttercream rose icing, made with our own Earl Grey tea.

The Churchill is, of course, named after the former Prime Minister, and his wife doesn’t miss out on an honour either. Look out for the Rose and White Chocolate Macaron which bears her name, Clementine… it’s in the colours of her favourite flowers. By the time we had munched our way contentedly through the first two courses, wishing we could cook like this, we felt like we were pretty much done. But when two beautiful Cabbages and Roses boxes arrived, brimming with just-baked warm scones, we had to find just a bit more room in our tummies. The scones alone would have been enough, but the accompaniment of clotted cream, lemon curd and homemade strawberry jam made this a truly irresistible finale. Seriously, do not miss them! With champagne or a Bramble Royale cocktail also on offer, those with something to celebrate can end their Afternoon Tea with a toast. To say we were impressed with The Churchill’s Afternoon Tea would be an understatement. Many thanks to Guilherme and his team for their warm hospitality – we’re tempted to pop back for brunch sometime! Find out more about Hyatt Regency – The Churchill and its Afternoon Tea menu at http://hyatt.com/corporate/restaurants/montagu/en/montagu-home/promotions.html