We’ve all heard of afternoon tea, but what about afternoon cheese and mince pies with your scone? Julia Bryce uncovers what the quintessential occasion means to businesses in the north.
When you think of afternoon tea, you’ll envision a three-tier stand filled with delicious cakes, homemade scones and dainty sandwiches, not to mention a large pot of tea or coffee on the side.
What you won’t have imagined is a tasting-menu-inspired cheese afternoon tea, completely dedicated to the dairy product.
However, if you had, you’d know the only place to get such a feast is at Loch Ness Country House in Inverness.
The brainchild of head chef, Adam Dwyer, who has spent the past nine years leading the kitchen team at the venue, afternoon cheese is very much a thing, and something which is continue to grow in popularity.
Featuring the finest Scottish and European cheeses, guests are treated to a selection of eight styles which are served with crackers, wafers, chutney and grapes, and accompanied by a glass of wine or port. You’ll also find a cheese scone as well as a cheesecake, too.
Adam said: “The company had a cheese shop in Edinburgh beside one of our cafes. We decided to extend the cafe into the space and I got a lorry full of cheese delivered to me one day as a result. I needed to use the cheese as fast as possible and we wanted to make afternoon tea more approachable for men. Afternoon tea is something many ladies go out with their friends for, enjoyed with a glass of Champagne, it was never a man’s thing or a couple’s thing.
“We had the idea of serving it with a cheeseboard, so when all the cheese arrived we thought we’d try it in the same format as the afternoon tea. You start with the three-tiered stand of eight different cheeses, chutneys, jellies and crackers, then you get a cheese scone with cream cheese, and a cheesecake at the end. We did a couple of hundred over the first few weeks and decided to keep it on the menu. We then got couples in doing afternoon tea and an afternoon cheese together, and now it has grown into its own thing. No one else in the UK does it.”
Changing the afternoon tea menu monthly, Adam says by doing so, it keeps regular customers wanting to come back to see what new additions he has added to the offering.
It also allows him and the kitchen team to keep on top of seasonal produce, showcasing items including haggis bon-bons, quiches, choux pastry swans, tartlets, eclairs, creme brulees and more in unique, creative ways.
“We change the afternoon tea menu every month. We get customers coming back every few weeks so we try and change it as much as we can. We usually have eight or nine different sweets and we serve it in stages, almost like how a tasting menu would be served. You get your sandwiches, then savoury course, then scone and once that is cleared, then the sweets. It’s a nice way to do it and makes it more of an event,” said Adam.
“Anything fruit related we go by the seasons. I always try to do something new and not do something we’ve done before unless it was really special. It’s more interesting for the chefs and their education, too. Cookbooks and looking at fancy places in London and Paris are also good for inspiration.”
Offering a range of items including afternoon tea for delivery which could see staff travel across a 25-mile radius, Adam says the hotel has rarely been busier thanks to the Eat Out to Help Out scheme, which the hotel plans to continue throughout September.
He added: “We reopened on August 1 and the Eat Out to Help Out scheme really helped. We had every day full the whole month for August and we’re carrying on that deal in September seven days a week. It’s still pretty busy. I thought it would be dead when we opened, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. People are making up for the time they couldn’t go out.
“We’ve lost a table in each room – our restaurant splits into three rooms, so all we’ve had to do is space tables and arrivals. We’ve always tried to space tables for the kitchen, but since reopening people are more understanding of being told what time they can come and that sort of thing.
Other places in Inverness that serve afternoon tea
Celebrating 10 years in business last month, things are also looking up for Fraserburgh’s award-winning Nooks & Crannies.
Run by partners Lynne Gillan and Malcolm Watson, the tearoom also launched takeaway afternoon tea during lockdown to ensure their customers could get a taste of luxury at home.
Lynne said: “We can’t believe it has been 10 years since we opened. We have loved every minute. We’ve been so lucky with our lovely customers who are so supportive. We couldn’t do it without them.
“We knew we had to do something. We noticed a few other places were doing it and we’re renowned for our sit-in experience and wondered if we could offer it to go. It has really taken off. We have a lot of orders and have put everything we’d normally do with the sit-in on the platters, minus the strawberry mousse as it doesn’t transport very well.
“We usually give a complementary glass of non-alcoholic wine if they sit-in, but we’re not able to do that with the takeaway service. Word of mouth has really helped us.”
Reopening the cafe at the end of this month, Lynne and Malcolm are looking forward to seeing their loyal customers, and new customers, return, and have plenty of health and safety measures in place to keep everyone safe.
She added: “We have just decided that we’re going to reopen the cafe at the end of September. We’ve been very careful as there was a school in Peterhead that had to close, and St Fergus had a small cluster. We decided now that things are getting better we’d reopen for sit-in afternoon teas. We’ll still carry on with the takeaway, but with the weather getting colder we want to be able to have a place they can sit-in.
“When people sit-in they get the full works, the nice table cloth, crystal glasses, lovely old-fashioned crockery. Our tearoom is quite old fashioned, it’s like you’re going back in time.
“We’ve had so many people enquiring. What we have decided to do is have three tables in the tearoom and we’ve ordered perspex for around the tables to make people feel a bit more safe. We’ll see how we go. We’re keeping it at two-metre social distancing putting safety first.
“The takeaway has been great, but you don’t have the atmosphere of the place and we’re not getting to present the food the way we usually would on three-tier cake stands and with our roses made of fondant icing. Even though it’s takeaway we never compromise on the quality.”
Looking forward, Lynne says there is one thing she can’t wait to relaunch later this year, and that’s Nooks & Crannies’ festive afternoon tea which she “just loves”.
Running throughout the month of December, guests will need to ensure they have booked in advance to bag seats to the popular affair.
She said: “Our festive afternoon teas are incredibly popular. We offer them in December for the whole month and people love them. We give out a glass of non-alcoholic mulled wine and the vol-au-vents and sandwiches have Christmas-inspired flavours and fillings like turkey and cranberry, chicken and stuffing, and there’s chipolatas with bacon wrapped around them, Christmas cake, mince pies, and more festive traditional cakes. They also get crackers to pull and the table cloth and salt and pepper etc, is all festive themed, too.
“I think people like our value for money, the freshness of the food and they get a lot of different things. We do the traditional afternoon tea in two stages, offering savouries first including; sandwiches, vol-au-vents, pate on cheesy oatcakes, sausage rolls, then the cakes like cream scones, cheesecake, apple pie, choux buns, cream meringues and strawberry tarts. I really think the service goes hand-in-hand and I think people want to be looked after.”
Other places that serve afternoon tea in the north-east
Maryculter House – Aberdeen
Enjoy afternoon tea by the picturesque river Dee and watch nature unveil itself. With stunning grounds, a walk around Maryculter House after is highly recommended.
Almondine – Aberdeen
One of the best experiences in Aberdeen, Almondine combines a love of French patisserie with a British favourite. The delicate cakes make for a scrumptious afternoon.
Cup – Aberdeen
With everything from chocolate strawberries to massive homemade scones, Cup is the perfect place to go if you’re meandering through Aberdeen’s city centre.
Forest Cafe, Midmar – Aberdeenshire
Take a trip out to Forest Cafe for a spot of afternoon tea which features macarons, meringues and more. Based in the Treehouse Homestore, be sure to browse the wide selection of interiors available to purchase.
Kingsmills Hotel – Inverness
Enjoy a filling afternoon tea with loved ones in the comfortable surroundings of Kingsmills Hotel. Served on fine China, you can pick from a selection of organic teas and fair trade coffees. Be sure to pay a visit to Leakey’s second-hand bookstore while you’re in Inverness.
Bog Myrtle Skye – Isle of Skye
Featuring veggie haggis and beetroot sausage rolls, hummus and roast pepper, wild garlic cream cheese and cucumber and egg and chive mayonnaise sandwiches and a range of decadent cakes, this afternoon tea has a veggie twist.
White Cottage Tea Room – Inverness
With all the classic additions of afternoon tea, you’ll find finger sandwiches, cream scones and tray bakes included, not to mention tea or coffee on the side, too, at White Cottage Tea Room.