[AD – Gifted] This was a complimentary experience in exchange for a review
Nothing says ‘Happy Birthday’ than an Afternoon Tea at Highgate House Hotel. And I couldn’t have picked a more perfect occasion to have Afternoon Tea with my mum!
Highgate House Hotel is a beautiful 17th century country house set in the scenic countryside in the village of Creaton in the heart of Northamptonshire. Not only does it play host to some fabulous events, conferences and outdoor cinema events in the summer, but it also has some wonderful spaces to host Afternoon Tea.
I’ve heard lots of great reviews of Highgate House Hotel and it’s a venue I have longed to visit, so it was a perfect reason to visit.
As we arrived, parking was fairly easy, however navigating your way to the dining room where the Afternoon Teas are served is a little bit tricky – however, there were plenty of people around to ask for directions and help, as well as billboard maps – once you get inside, you’re in good hands as you see the front desk heading into the dining area.
Our seats were very comfy, a big yellow cushioned sofa for me (hello Instagrammable!) and an old-fashioned, wide cosy chair for my mum opposite.
Our surroundings felt very botanical with the yellow, green and olive colour scheme that made us feel like we were sat outside, even though we were not – lots of wide windows, fresh plants in flower vases and the sunshine pouring through the windows.
Our waitress, who I recall was named Sophie, was very accommodating, chatty and Louise was just a lovely human being who wasn’t trying to hard to please, but was just being her chatty self which made our experience even more special.
She was more than happy to guide us through the different types of Afternoon Tea on offer and she made note it was my birthday!
As the Afternoon Tea arrived, it captured our attention straight away; not only because it was FILLED to the very end of the plate and with so many different colours to take in.
But not only that, I was also distracted by the big plate that Sophie brought out with a customised ‘Happy Birthday Nicole’ written in chocolate with a mini truffle with a candle in.
Literally the SWEETEST thing ever – a little touch like that goes a long way!
We started from the bottom, up, where we were treated to three different tiers of sweet and savoury treats. The first tier consisted of the finger sandwiches which I was pleased to hear were all homemade, including the bread and the filling was oozing out of the sides which is always a good sight to see.
Upon tasting, we had a mixture of white and brown bread and plenty of different flavour fillings and combinations, including meat and vegetarian options.
The favourite for me was the smoked salmon and cream cheese which tasted so fresh and had that gooey texture I love when you bite into both the smoked salmon and cream cheese – just glorious!
We quickly proceeded onto the next tier which consisted of all freshly baked cakes that filled the plate up and looked incredibly indulgent!
The first thing we noticed was the chocolate-covered strawberries, which was an interesting twist on the original but oh my word, as soon as we took a bite… we were both taken to heaven!
The fruity, sweet strawberry flavour mixed in with melted chocolate on top absolutely melted us both! I only wish I waited till the end of the meal to have had mine, as this really completed the experience for me.
All of the cakes were some of the best cakes I’ve ever had the pleasure of tasting – and I’m not a huge cake fan! They had plenty of filling in the middle, making each cake really moist and not too spongy and dry and all the flavours were classics that both my mum and I enjoyed.
On this occasion, we had a fruity victoria sponge, a succulent chocolate, a very aesthetically put together vanilla tart with raspberries and strawberries on top and soft and crumbly fruit loaf – everything was baked to a delectable perfection.
The top tier was the most colourful of them all as they contained some of my favourite french delicacies: macaroons!
From pistachio to rose, the crumbly sugar-coated texture mixed with the sweet layer inside made for a lovely, well-put-together homemade macaroon.
And finally, the finishing touch to any Afternoon Tea: the scones.
Ofcourse, you will be pleased to know as much as I was pleased to hear that they were homemade and were all different types of scones, from the classic sultana, cherry-filled ones and even a crisp pistachio flavoured one which was my favourite – combined with homemade clotted cream and raspberry jam which really complimented them all.
The whole experience felt truly relaxed, everyone made us feel incredibly welcome and I even got to meet the chef himself who was behind the creation of the Afternoon Tea’s – always a nice touch!
Overall, we couldn’t have asked for a more sophisticated but relaxing way to celebrate my birthday. Everything from the food, to the service, presentation, surroundings and the company was all five stars in my eyes.
For this experience, we had the Traditional Afternoon Tea for £22 per person and there’s various Afternoon Tea experiences you can have from Pimm’s Afternoon Tea (£26 pp) and Champange Afternoon Tea (£28 pp).
Rating: ★★★★★
Will you head to Highgate House Hotel for Afternoon Tea?
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