I was invited to attend a special Afternoon tea at the Angel Hotel in Abergavenny with the team behind East India Company. It was timely for myself and Nicky as we were currently sampling East India Gin for the food pairing that we were doing with Purple Poppadom.
I've heard a lot of good things about The Angel in Abergavenny's afternoon tea and around 3 days ago i spent a good 7 days in an out of the Angel Hotel as the Eisteddfod was up in Abergavenny. I managed a birthday blood mary breakfast a welsh lamb sunday dinner and a few too many cocktails over that week. I was looking forward to return and to finally try the famous Afternoon tea.
The event was hosted by a tea master a cocktail creator. I love tea. I love Gin. I love Sandwiches. I really love cakes and I love Abergavenny. I knew this was going to be a good afternoon.
Lalith Lendora the Tea Master works directly with planters, tea estates to find the best teas from Himalayan, Sri Lankan, Oolongs, Orange Pekoes to bring the best of the best teas like Darjeelings, Assam, smoky Lapsangs and Jasmines. East India has over 140 different flavours of teas and i was lucky enough to try some of the best and some of the most expensive teas. This was not your tea in a bag job. It was fine china, tea leaves and tutorials. My great grandmother would have been so proud.
now, the menu you see above features a lot of food, teas and yes, it was very filling and tasty. Fresh chunky bread filled with classic fillings such as cream cheese and cucumber, egg and cress. I honestly think that when somebody else makes you sandwiches, they taste a lot nicer than when you do them yourself. The filling was chunky and ratio was a bit of alright. I have never had a tea pairing before ( had a few wine pairings) it was interesting how the flavours married the food. Some teas cleansed the pallet ( dragon well lung) and some were full of flavour like the black vanilla
East India Gin - Two years they took to master the art of the perfect Gin. The flavour ( tasting note) of this gin is mainly Juniper with a hint of Orange and Ginger. This Gin goes well with a indian tonic and a Kaffir Lime Leaf.
Your standard classic afternoon tea has cakes and sandwiches, but this one was a bit more special. You have an added Eton Mess, but the plate below was a massive game changer. All homemade and fresh from the oven ( they were warm) and the pastry was crumbled. The coronation chicken tarts were my favourite as was the sausage roll. Not only because they were delicious, but it's the nostalgic memories of being young, sitting around the table with my cousins on a Saturday eating this kind of food. Sharing and enjoying the flavours and textures
The knowledge and experience behind the East India team and the Angel team is beyond anyone's expectation when it comes to good tea. You could see the passion of the Angel's team about the products. If you do decided to go to the Angel, then i highly advise you to ask questions about the tea, ask for recommendations, flavours and the leaf. Tea is not Tea, Tea is a lot more than that. I felt bad going home to PG tips. My relationship with tea has changed the way that it did with coffee a few years back. I smell it like a professional ( want to be) i swirl it in my mouth like it's wine. But, i make sure i don't spit it out.
The Angel Hotel it's self is victorian inspired building. The 4 star hotel offers a warm welcome, high level of service and fabulous decor with local art work. Bespoke and elegant hotel with a must have afternoon tea menu. I am so glad that i got to try the HIgh tea and i would visit again, hopefully with my mum.
Abergavenny has history and heritage in spades from castles, medieval mansions, Roman remains. It's home to Abergavenny Food Festival, which is one of Wales is biggest food festival. It's a lovely Town with local Delis, butcheries and local market. You can also stay at the Angel Hotel and explore the Brecon Beacons on the standing stones.
To book your place for your own afternoon tea please click on the - Angel hotel
Address: 15 Cross St, Abergavenny NP7 5EN
Phone: 01873 857121