Afternoon Tea Week 10th - 16th August 2015

Here at The Amazing Blog we love a good cuppa and a slice of cake, and therefore can’t wait for all the festivities of Afternoon Tea Week 2015 to begin.

From the 10th - 16th August the biggest celebration of tea time treats in the world is happening all over the country, although many of the biggest and best events are right here in London.

Among the events is a Historical Afternoon Tea at Dennis Severs’ House with Kerstin Rodgers aka Ms Marmite Lover, one of the country’s most successful bloggers. On Friday 14th August Kerstin will be creating a historical, Georgian themed Afternoon Tea and baking from historic recipes. The event begins at 3pm and you can’t buy your tickets here.

If you’re more into the baking side of creating a great afternoon tea, definitely check out The Bakewell Baking Festival, which takes place from 14-16th August at the Bakewell Showground. The festival boasts an amazing line-up of culinary talent including Stacie Stewart, Edd Kimber, TV’s Fabulous Baker brother Tom Herbert, baked-Alaska-gate Bake off star Iain Watters andBake-off star Howard Middleton. Tickets start from £7 and can be purchased here.

For a truly immersive afternoon tea experience the InterContinental London Park Lane are offering the opportunity to enjoy the limited edition Scents of Summer Afternoon Tea in the company of Executive Chef Ashley Wells and Bespoke Perfumer Nicola Pozzani of Floris London. Here you'll experience how the evocative notes from Floris fragrances; such as freshly cut grass, jasmine, bergamot, citrus, and rose, are skilfully crafted into the sandwiches, scones and cakes, including bite-sized Jasmine tea cakes garnished with edible flowers, bergamot and blackcurrant flower macaroons, Peach Melba mousse, and a grapefruit and almond tart with violet cream. This limited edition afternoon tea costs £45 per person and available until the 27th September 2015. Book your table here.

If chocolate is more of your thing renowned artisan chocolatier paul.a.young fine chocolates has created an Afternoon Tea Week Collection.  The delicious afternoon tea favourites that we all love have been reimagined into truffles including scone, jam and clotted cream, treacle tart and Pimms! To get your hands on some of these moreish treats head on down to your nearest paul.a.young shop.

This is just a selection of all the events being held. For more information and exclusive offers please visit Afternoon Tea Week’s website.

Afternoon Tea at the Kensington Palace Orangery Restaurant

Here at The Amazing Blog we are big fans of tea, in fact we have at least eight varieties on the go in the office! But sometimes a mid afternoon tea break just doesn’t cut it, we want to be treated like royalty... Luckily we have found an idyllic spot to spend our bank holiday weekend, basking in the sunshine at the Kensington Palace Orangery Restaurant. Here you can relax and enjoy the splendid scenery, all whilst indulging in a wonderful afternoon teathat is fit for a Queen.

You can dine in Queen Anne’s 18^th Century Orangery in the Kensington Palace Gardens, which we think is a perfect bank holiday treat for any tea and cake lover. The afternoon tea looks delicious, there is a range of sandwiches, scones with clotted cream, and pastries served as well as a selection of over ten different teas.  Afterwards  you can take a stroll through the enchanting gardens of the palace as well as see the historic King’s and Queen’s State Apartments.

For this quintessentially English treat,  afternoon tea starts at £22.65 per person, and for £29.95 you can also indulge in a glass of wine with your afternoon tea and see the new ‘Fashion Rules Exhibition’; a collection of dresses worn by HM The Queen, Princess Margaret and Diana, Princess of Wales. Whether you are just visiting London or have lived here all your life, this is sure to be an afternoon you won’t forget. To book your Afternoon Tea, please visit the Kensington Palace ORangery Restaurant website .

Afternoon Tea For Two

Everyone has one of those friends for whom presents seem near impossible to buy. Not only does she have a wardrobe fit to burst with the latest designer clothes; she also has a dresser adorned with lotions and potions galore, enough books to fill a (modest) library and the most sumptuous home decor around.

Everyone at The Amazing Blog has at least one of these friends, who make both Christmas and birthdays something of a nightmare. Thankfully, help is at hand... Afternoon Tea For Two may help you with this mission. Their range if afternoon tea experiences and branded vouchers are the perfect treat for the girl who has everything.

On the Afternoon Tea For Two Website you'll find hundreds of afternoon tea ideas - from really high-end London hotels to relaxing country retreats. You just have to choose the experience you think she'll like and book it. It's that simple. However, if you're not sure about whta your friens prefers, you can always buy a branded voucher and allow her to treat herself to her gift of choice. You can't go wrong with Afternoon Tea For Two vouchers, there are over 350 tea experiences nationwide. All Afternoon Tea for Two vouchers and gift cards are available in either e-format or as physical vouchers and gift cards. They include a personalised message and a unique voucher code, which can be redeemed against any experience your loved one fancies.

At The Amazing Blog we think Aternoon Tea For Two offers the best tea experiences and gift ideas - especially if you have one of those friends that literally, has everything.

Happy Mother's Day!

With Mother's Day on Sunday comes the ideal opportunity to spoil the woman who deserves it most. And while there are many people who have already bought the perfect present and organised the most decadent of treats, there remain many mere mortals among us (myself included!) who are yet to spare a moment of thought towards what to buy their mum this Mothering Sunday. And as always, help is hand as The Amazing Blog has sourced some of the very best pressies for mum's nationwide.  

If you're after something longer lasting than chocolates or an elaborate bouquet of flowers, Senti, a Wimbledon-based shop from whom you can order online, is the home of all things fragrant. Truly beleieveing in the evocative power of smell, Senti are experts at creating moods and memories through their hand-picked range of products. From scented candles, perfumes and diffusers, there's a wide variety of fragrant products on offer, any of which would make a fabulous present. Our favourite is the Rose Fragrance Reed Diffuser from Dr Vranjes, a unique take on room fragrance that makes the perfect gift for Mother's Day.

If, however, your mum would appreciate a bit of pampering, why not treat her to a manicure in the comfort of her own home? Deborah Lippmann's range of nail polishes are hugely popular and having tested them out ourselves we can see why. They use no animal testing and their products contain no toluene, formaldehyde or DBP and with such a wide range on offer, you're sure to find the perfect shade for your mum.

If nail polish isn't her thing, why not buy her a Lip Gloss from Cargo? Their unique formula plumps and hydrates lips, filling fine lines and leaving a brilliant shine. Perfect pay off, great wear and high-shine without being sticky, this gloss is packed with a lip-nourishing botanical cocktail. Shades include a sparkling nude plum, powder pink, tropical melon, iridescent coral-pink and a dazzling nude beige.

Rituals is another brand we've come across that's perfect for Mother's Day. Founded in 2000 they're pioneers in the combination of luxury home and body cosmetics. Rituals develop high quality products to enrich body and soul: luxury goods ranging from body and facial care, to organic cotton ware, scented candles, perfumes, gemstone make-up and tea. The Rituals philosophy is simple: happiness can be found in the smallest of things. We tried the Hammam Delight Foaming Shower Gel in fresh eucalyptus and rosemary and loved it. This unique foaming shower gel gently cleanses your skin and leaves it silky soft & smooth, and is certainly a womderful treat for Mother's Day.

Finally, if you fancy treating your mum to a unique twist on the traditional afternoon tea. Niko B's East London workspace, Chocolate Lab, is offering the perfect present for any chocolate-loving Mums this Sunday. Bringing together an adventurous collection of desserts created with seasonal ingredients and exotic flavour combinations, Chocolate Tea is a fresh take on afternoon tea and includes playful chocolate interpretations of classic international cakes and desserts, handmade ice cream and fresh chocolates created by an Award winning chocolatier, Anthony Ferguson, on site at the Chocolate Lab. Chocolate Tea is served with tasty cups of Niko B's hot chocolates, fresh chocolates, deserts, cakes, baked bread and champagne. The perfect feast for a special mum!

The Wednesday Fayre

So finally, it looks as though us Londoners can enjoy some Summer weather now that August is here. I’m so ready to put on my jean shorts, brightly coloured vests and sandals and have some much needed girl time in the sun. If you find the city center too busy and suffocating in the heat (as the Amazing team do) then you will be pleased to know Greenwich Market has thought of just the thing.

The Wednesday Fayre kicks off tomorrow (3rd August) and will be open to the public every Wednesday for the duration of August. Besides the unique art shops, vintage fashion boutiques, antique stalls and famous pubs that Greenwich Market is known for, the Fayre will also provide a great variety of food stalls for foodie’s - especially those wanting to enjoy a traditional afternoon tea! Visitors to the Fayre can sit in Flowerhouse’s pop-up English garden and chat with friends, sample the delicious range of cream teas and assorted Summer treats from Ms Cupcake or indulge with Lhic’s luxury homemade ice creams whose ingredients are sourced from local Kentish farms... YUMM! If you want to get creative you can decorate cup cakes with Ms Cupcake or try your hand at some arts and crafts with beaded jewellery at the Beadoir workshops too.

Delish food and shopping...now I’m seriously thinking about taking a half day off next Wednesday!