I’m quite ashamed to admit I’d never heard of Henley On Thames, but as soon as we arrived in the town, I fell in love. I have to admit that I think it’s one of the prettiest UK towns I’ve ever been in. It’s beautifully set on the river, surrounded by a Chiltern landscape and populated with pretty pastel houses. On a hot spring day, it practically bursts at the seems as people flock to sit by the river and check out the independent shops. Hotel Du Vin is located just by the river – a short stroll and you’ll be wanting the feed the ducks and jump on a boat! Henley is just one of Hotel Du Vin’s stunning locations, with 17 different spots including: York, Edinburgh, Brighton, Cambridge and Winchester!
Reason #2 – The Savouries Are Far From ‘Standard’
I love a finger sandwich, I really do but there’s no doubt that you can get bored of the standard fillings. I was pleasantly surprised that Hotel Du Vin have something completely different to offer! Afternoon tea at Hotel Du Vin is served in two halves, you start with the savoury and then move to the sweet. The plate of savouries includes: a Severn and Wye smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel, egg and cress mayonnaise brioche sub, ham with Gruyère croissant, heritage tomato and tapenade galette plus goat’s cheese and spinach quiche. My favourite by far was the bagel, which was just stuffed with all the good stuff! I thoroughly enjoyed tucking into something a little bit different!
Reason #3 – Candy Floss!
Once you (struggle to) finish the array of savoury treats, you’re left in awe of the stunning sweets that follow. A stunning cake stand arrived at our table, featuring two tiers of sweetness. The first tier featured a selection of warm scones served with a mixture of Bonne Maman jams, clotted cream and Lescure butter. The second tier was home to lemon meringue pie, raspberry and dark chocolate teacakes, plus rhubarb and custard doughnuts. The real wow moment was the homemade apple candy floss, which finished off the cake stand in style! I’m not joking when I say that the whole hotel was after our candy floss, it had everyone staring from their tables! The whole second course was accompanied by a cup of tea, which we selected from a stunning array of options!
Reason #4 – The Price!
I’ve tried a lot of Afternoon Tea’s in my time and I was pleasantly surprised by the price of Hotel Du Vin. The whole experience comes in at just £20, which is an absolute bargain! When you consider that the staff waited on us exceptionally, the food was delicious and the setting was superb – you really cannot complain! You can even add on Hotel Du Vin’s selected aperitifs such as a classic Champagne or one of the inspired gins, to make the experience extra special!
I really can’t thank #LDNMeetUp enough for the invite to Hotel Du Vin’s Afternoon Tea! I know that after trying the selection of goodies, I’m going to be a Hotel Du Vin far for life! If you’re interested in trying out the Afternoon Tea, you can book yourself a slot on the Hotel Du Vin website!
