REVIEW: Afternoon tea at Hoghton Tower
The seemingly endless road sets the scene for one of Lancashire’s most historic afternoon teas. It feels like an age before you get your first glimpse of the ‘tower’, a stunning 16th Century manor home now open to the public for tours, events and of course, afternoon tea.
Hoghton Tower
A beautiful Elizabethan building, typical of the time with its turreted courtyard layout, the café is located in the far corner, and this is where Mumbo and I were spending the afternoon having afternoon tea fit for a Queen.
The staff in the café wasted no time in getting us settled and stuck into ours, talking us through the menu and dietary requirements, and within minutes, our tiered stand of treats had arrived.
I love it when an afternoon tea has some little twists that gives it personality – so I wasn’t disappointed by the offering at Hoghton Tower.
For a very reasonable price (£23 each, or £29 with a mini Prosecco/ beer), you got everything you’d expect in a typical afternoon tea, plus what I consider the extras.
The Tiers
Traditional sandwich quarters filled the bottom layer; ham, cheese and pickle, egg mayo and either a fish option, or our swop out, cream cheese and cucumber. It was the quintessential sandwich choice for tea, but here’s the twist. A mini cheese quiche and two garnishes – a couple of salad bites, and a handful of crisps. Afternoon tea meets mini picnic, and as much emphasis placed on the savoury tier as the sweet – a winner for me.
Next up, we went for the scone tier, with high praise given by Mumbo for being noticeably baked fresh that day (which our lovely waitress confirmed). The obscure method of jam spreading put behind us, we dived straight into the final tier, wondering if perhaps the Tupperware was overkill and we were actually going to wipe the stand clean.
A mini fruit garnish provided a palette cleanser, a refreshing touch amongst the layers of carby, sugary treats, and helped us on the final sprint. Three different cakes filled the final part of our experience; a full slice of Victoria sponge, a smaller square of zesty lemon sponge, and a rich salted chocolate brownie.
Now, how I have I got to nearly 43 years old and not had a macaron?! Why did I think they’d be weird? I may be telling you something you already know, but they’re bloody delicious! Never will I walk past them in the chocolate aisle of Aldi again. We had a nibble each of the two spheres, one caramel, and one pistachio, and they were the perfect addition.
Now we didn’t quite finish the whole tier – we brought the Victoria sponge home for our partners – but reader, I could have done.
We washed (nearly) the lot down with lashings of tea – all of which is included in the price on an unlimited basis, and in different varieties. I opted for the breakfast tea – I’m very basic when it comes to tea – but fruit and other blends were on offer. You could also have a coffee with your meal, with additional coffees, soft drinks and a selection of alcohol options available for a small further cost.
Friendly and Knowledgable Staff
The café staff were incredibly friendly and attentive, but it wasn’t just them that were worthy of praise. As we walked in we overheard visitors remarking on the tour they’d just enjoyed, and that they “couldn’t believe the guide’s knowledge for dates, right down to specific months”, marvelling at how they retained all the information.
If you are interested in history, Hoghton Tower is steeped in stories and facts. My new favourite is one I found out after our visit…the term sirloin steak was coined here during a visit featuring King James I and a particularly impressive piece of beef.
The building we visit today is 16th Century, but there have been buildings on this site since the early 1100s – its hilltop location making it a useful strategic base for our more battle focused predecessors, and a great vantage point for us visitors.
So after tea, we had a stroll round the gardens (at no extra cost when you’ve taken tea). Here you’ll find royally planted oaks, beautifully kept rose gardens and a turret with views right out to the Lancashire coastline – including a little glimpse of Lancashire’s other famous tower if my new glasses didn’t deceive me.
If cake, historical tours and views aren’t enough, they also have an extensive events calendar with something for everyone. Ghost walks meet regular farmers markets selling local produce and goods, shows and themed evenings. There’s even a small gift shop.
However, you would hope that the best part of any meal out is the company, and we certainly laughed our way through our cakes thanks to jam-gate and asking Mum to help me capture some content for our Instagram feed – some excellent bloopers reels lined up for future use!
If messing about in boats is Ratty’s favourite way to spend time (hopefully got some Wind in the Willows fans here), then afternoon tea is mine, and there is nowhere half as much worth doing it as Hoghton Tower.
By Amy Blackburn
Image Credits Amy Blackburn & Mumbo!
