Afternoon tea at Woburn Coffee House

You all know by now how much I love an afternoon tea, and I’ve been to so many, I’ve lost count! I have to say though, this is the best afternoon tea I’ve ever had! I love a menu that’s a little different, that doesn’t scrimp on the portion sizes and that tastes as good as it looks (or even better) – and honestly, Woburn Coffee House ticks all the boxes, including a stunning location in which to sit and enjoy an afternoon tea.

We had the traditional tea on the winter menu, if you go to book now, you’ll be served the spring menu – I’d love to go back to compare the different elements. This was certainly no traditional tea, and that, I loved. We were treated to delightful selection of savoury canapes (not a sandwich in sight) and delectable, sweet treats, on a five-tier cake stand – with some delicious added extras too.

The traditional tea is priced at £39.95 per person, with a large pot of tea, a coffee or soft drink included. I went with a latte. We also had jugs of iced lemon water on the table. There’s also a celebration afternoon tea, priced at £46.95, which comes with three additional savoury canapes, before the five-tier cake stand.

Onto the food. I mean doesn’t it look impressive. We tucked into: insalata di mare, julienned vegetables laced with an oregano vinaigrette (this was lovely, so light and fresh, I really loved the cold seafood with the crunchy veg); hickory smoked beef pastrami, rye toast, caper berries, pickled silverskin onions and a Russian dressing (the most delicious bite, the sharpness of the capers and silverskins was lovely and I rarely have pastrami so this felt such a treat); cured bass and Jerusalem artichoke on freshly baked fettunta (Tuscan bruschetta), topped with sundried tomato petals (this screamed mediterranean vibes and I’m a sucker for artichoke. The fish was so chunky, and I could have demolished so many of these).

This was then followed by: braised leek, sweet potato and goats cheese terrine, topped with an apple and sorrel salad (this was fresh and so flavoursome, although the textures were mainly soft. I think it would have been perfect on top of a crostini); roasted garlic custard, topped with sherry vinegar and red pepper jelly, served with a flaky cheese straw (wow, the cheese straw was so heavenly, but dipped into the savoury layered pot was just next level. The sweet red pepper counterbalanced the strength of the garlic, which was just delicious); chorizo croquette with salsa verde emulsion (this was always going to be a winner as I love chorizo and I love croquettes. Again, I could have demolished plate after plate).

We were also served some savoury scones – with pots of butter and chutney. I have to admit, I am sweet over savoury, and I could probably count on one hand how many savoury scones I’ve had in my lifetime – but I think I may have been converted. I was worried I’d eat it all and then be too full for all the yummy, sweet treats – but luckily, that wasn’t the case and so I went double scone, and followed it up with the toffee apple scone, which was served with clotted cream and raspberry conserve. The scone was still warm inside and wasn’t at all dense. I loved the sweetness of the toffee apple flavour, and it was nice to have something different from the traditional plain or fruit scone. I can’t help but think a toffee sauce (or dulce de leche, or similar) may have worked better than a raspberry jam.

The scones were then followed up with the top tier treats: rhubarb and custard crumble tart (the perfect size, rhubarb and custard is such a classic combo, and the piece of fresh rhubarb in addition to the rhubarb gel was a lovely touch); burnt Basque cheesecake with winter berries (my all-time fave dessert, this did not disappoint. While this was a good size, I could have eaten more and it made me instantly crave Basque cheesecake – maybe I’ll have to make one again soon); warm sticky toffee pudding with pear and prune, infused with Scottish whisky and tonka bean (loved the little metal pots these puddings were served in, sweet and sticky, and the perfect treat for a winter afternoon tea… it just warmed my soul).

We also had lovely little purple organza bags, with a piece of sour cherry and pistachio nougat, which I didn’t take home but ate as soon as I finished the rest of the afternoon tea. A lovely final touch – it really is the little details that make an afternoon tea so special, or memorable.

The orangery was a beautiful setting – regardless of group size. The food was exquisite and so unique to any other afternoon tea I’ve had in the past. While staff explained the cake stands to us, it was really nice to receive a menu booklet to look at during the tea, to jog our memories (and it’s definitely come in handy since, making my various reviews easier to remember).

If you’ve not been to Woburn Coffee House yet, this is your sign to go. It’s open Friday to Sunday, with various sittings between 12 and 4:30pm. The spring menu runs from April 4 to June 15.

Love, Lucy xx