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| Peach and champagne – my favourite combination |
Soon our afternoon tea was served. This consisted of perfectly cut sandwiches, homemade scones with the most delicious jam and vanilla chantilly and last but not least, 5, yes 5, mini desserts! All were beautifully presented on slabs of slate with bone white china accompaniments. I immediately made a mental note to google ‘slate plates’ when I got home to see where I could buy some. I know that some foodies/chefs are purists who believe that everything should be served on plain white, round plates, but I like to play around with different ways of presenting food, and this place gave me plenty of ideas.
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| Oak smoked salmon and dill
Havensfield Farm free range egg and cress Trendall’s cured Blythborough ham and English mustard Fivemiletown cream cheese and cucumber |
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| Buttermilk fruit scones, seasonal jam, Madagascan vanilla Chantilly |
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| Jam and cream – a perfect combination |
The desserts were small but perfectly formed and I loved the miniature ice cream cone presented in a shot glass (which disappeared in one indulgent mouthful!)
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| I was very impressed that I had somehow managed to coordinate my nail varnish with my dessert… until I realised just how badly I’d painted them!! *blush* |
Feeling very full, we headed out onto the balcony to enjoy the late afternoon sun and views across the river.
It was lovely and peaceful, but still so very hot! A leaf caught my eye as it floated from a tree, caught the breeze and gently drifted towards me. Transfixed, I followed it’s journey until it landed on the decking beside me. As I looked down I realised it wasn’t a leaf – it was a butterfly wing! Nature is a beautiful thing sometimes, and then sometimes just as you’re thinking that it deposits half a butterfly at your feet!
And with that, we headed home, bellies full and content in the knowledge that we could head straight to the sofa for a lazy movie night… and no washing up – bliss!
