Wedding | Hen 2 – Afternoon tea at Truly Scrumptious

Another long overdue post – especially now we are closer to the wedding date then we are the afternoon I had my second hen do (or ‘home’ hen if you will). Which was afternoon tea at Truly Scrumptious in Salford – a village just north of Woburn Sands, so fairly local. I'd never heard of it before, but it's a super cute tearoom located within the Willowford Hotel.

Our table was booked for 1pm and there were eight of us in total. We had the table for two hours, although the experience wasn't rushed at all, and I think we actually left a little later – which also wasn’t a problem.

Hostess with the mostest

LouLou was fabulous throughout. She runs Truly Scrumptious along with Sophie, her daughter, who I believe also made the cakes (more on that later). We were supposed to be sitting outside in the marquee, but courtesy of the Great British weather, we sat inside instead. We had a really lovely table in the corner, by the window. There was a vase of fresh flowers, which smelt incredible (again, more on that later!) – and the décor was stunning. We were the first ones to be shown to our table, and while it was cold to begin with, there was a small electric fire which we lit, and as soon as the room filled up, it was a lot warmer.

We began with a welcome drink at the table. This could have been at the bar – but another party was sitting on the sofas in the bar area, and we didn't really fancy standing up. It was nice to be shown straight to the table though. When it came to choosing the drinks, LouLou said we could have had anything we wanted. The standard choice was Prosecco, Bucks Fizz, orange juice, or elderflower cordial. Most of the group ended up choosing prosecco, so we ordered a couple of extra bottles afterwards. The drinks were served alongside small bowls of popcorn. And then it was time for the main event.

Time for tea

Now, I can’t remember the full choice of teas. It may have been breakfast, Earl Grey, green tea, or mint tea with decaf options also available. I went with green tea, as I'm not too keen on breakfast tea these days. As I was the only one who opted for it, my tea came in a single person teapot – whereas those who ordered breakfast (which was the majority), ended up sharing a larger teapot for two or three. It was unlimited tea, although I stopped after one pot. The fizz took centre stage!

We shared three cake stands between the eight of us. The bottom tier had five different finger sandwiches:

• Cream cheese & cucumber on white bread
• Cheese & pickle on brown bread
• Ham & wholegrain mustard on white bread
• Smoked salmon & cream cheese on white bread
• Egg mayonnaise on brown bread

Served with a small China teacup full of crisps for sharing. It’s the little touches. You can't beat finger sandwiches and it was great to see a choice of five, as typically, you only get four different fillings. I wish I had requested brown bread for my sandwiches because a mixture of the white flour and the fire which was on behind me made me feel quite nauseous. Thankfully, the fizz was flowing, and I took a moment alone outside to quickly compose myself and recover. And then it was onto the treats.

That said, nothing was too much trouble, and the team went out of their way to ensure we had a really lovely afternoon. One of our party can't eat egg white and doesn't like smoked salmon – and instead, she received an additional plate of cheese sandwiches. When it came to the scones, those that didn't like raisins were served additional plain scones. It’s the little touches like that which make an experience all the more enjoyable – and memorable – especially for a special occasion such as a hen.

But back to the scones now, which were on the second tier. Served with clotted cream and strawberry jam. Of course, it sparked that famous debate! In my mind, there’s only one right way: cream, then jam – don’t @ me! The scones were delicious, so fresh and still warm. And the rose, which decorated the cake stand had been grown in the Truly Scrumptious Garden – like the flowers in the vase. All the flowers smelled so lovely. I really like roses that have a strong scent – it reminds me of the front garden at my childhood home.

And then to the top tier, all the sweet treats… well, three kinds of cake and some gorgeous chocolate-drizzled strawberries. The cakes were:

• Carrot cake
• Lemon drizzle cake
• Chocolate brownie

All sliced into bite-sized chunks, so easy to eat and all delicious too. I honestly couldn't have chosen a favourite. Of the three, typically carrot cake’s my favourites but the chocolate brownies weren't too rich, and the lemon drizzle was a perfect mix of sweet sugar and sour lemon. By this time, I was feeling pretty full up and I think the others were too. Afternoon tea is always deceiving. It doesn't look like a lot, but by the time you've had the scone, you’ve hit a wall and are starting to slow down.

The afternoon tea was just wonderful – and great to catch up with friends and family, some of whom I hadn't seen properly for months (possibly even a year with the lockdowns). We all absolutely loved the floral frame. Perfect for those Insta-goals shots. The lighting wasn't the best in our room, so we made our way out into the conservatory, which is much more open and brighter. That was the best place for all the photo opps.

I would definitely return to Truly Scrumptious, especially if they have a special event on. It’s well-hidden but comes highly recommended. Thank you to my BridesBabes for joining me and to the lovely LouLou for all her hospitality that afternoon.

Love, Lucy xx