Afternoon Tea at Great Fosters in Runnymede

Beautiful hotel Beautiful afternoon tea Me and my wife was looked after by Stacey extremely helpful a real assist to your hotel the food was delicious and so was are cheeky glass of champagne will visit again

Disappointing visit yesterday for afternoon tea. Sat inside because of the weather which would have been fine, apart from the abundance of wasps circling. On numerous occasions we had to stand up and fight them away from the food. The staff did try to help but once left with our food, they were nowhere to be seen. One other disappoint was the fact that we asked for a replacement of the smoked salmon finger sandwich and the first round of sandwiches we were accommodated. On requesting further sandwiches, again with the replacement of smoked salmon, we were told that this was not possible! Mmmm … ok! So when asked again if the sandwiches could be the same as the first set, we were told the head chef had categorically told them no replacements ! For the standard and prices being paid at Great Fosters I was surprised that one small finger sandwich could not be replaced with something else. Service charge was added and we did pay this, however I would Not choose to go back again or recommend Very disappointing

Hugely disappointing afternoon tea, which had been booked in advance. Shown to our table by a young member of staff who said someone would be with us “soon”. After 10+ minutes, we had to go and look for someone to attend to us. There was no apology, but several people then spoke to us: 1 asked me to confirm the name as we hadn’t actually been checked in; another said he’d check the food intolerance information, but never came back to us; once the tea had been delivered (which was absolutely fine) no-one checked that we were happy with it. When I asked for the bill from the only staff member who came into the room, I told him we wouldn’t be paying the 12.5% service charge - there was apparently no “manager” to amend the bill, so he changed it manually - no-one though thought to ask why we weren’t prepared to pay it …

We went for an afternoon tea with family. I have been to various afternoon tea establishments and this has to be one of the worst. We were stuck in a windowless room, we were basically in a wine store. The quality of the food was not great, scones were overcooked and very dry. We had a jelly made with Pimms, it had an awful flavour, I ate it to make sure to get our moneys worth. Sandwiches were nothing special, I was not sure what type of cheese the cheese sandwiches contained but they were not very nice. The bread was nothing special, in fact it could have been a supermarket own brand. The small cakes were ok, nothing to write home about. At a starting price of £37 it was not worth more than about £15. It was terrible value for money. The only good thing was that the english breakfast tea was an excellent cuppa. I had been to Great Fosters for afternoon tea a few years ago but I would say the food was definitely of a higher standard and we had a lovely room overlooking the garden. The whole point of going to Great Fosters is the lovely house and garden of which we saw nothing. This will be my last visit and I will not be recommending the afternoon tea.

We loved Afternoon Tea at Great Fosters celebrating my mums birthday. The venue is magical, the ambiance was perfect for our celebration. The Staff were all helpful and very friendly, we were blown away by the service levels of Eunice and her commitment to serving us and ensuring our afternoon was enjoyable. xx

Eunice was a lovely host today 😊 great ambience, and plentiful supply 😀 location is beautiful so much character

Beautiful afternoon tea at Great Fosters. Service was excellent, food delicious and surroundings glorious.

We booked afternoon tea here for a party of 12 to celebrate my mother’s 90th birthday. The booking was made through the events team (as there were more than 8) some months ahead of the date. We were told that a table had been booked in the Anne Boleyn room ( my mother’s favourite) and as I was originally told you could only have 8 people at a table in that room, I phoned the events team to question it and was assured that we were all on one table in that room. We had spoken to the team on a number of occasions and as recently as the day before. When we arrived (from all over the country) for our 2.30 reservation, we were told that our table was not ready yet and we should wait in the garden. When eventually at 3pm we were told it was ready ( we had to ask -they did not come and get us) we were lead to 2 separate tables where some of us had our backs to the others. This was not what we had booked. They eventually laid up a table in the main restaurant and we went in at 3.15 (45 minutes after our reservation time). I had been travelling for hours and we were not even offered a drink while we waited. Eventually at 3pm I requested that they offer us something, we were told he would bring us all a glass of champagne while we waited. This never arrived and was instead put on the table with our tea, so we still had nothing for 45 minutes. The service was mostly shabby with teas served at various times instead of all together and us keep having to remind waiters of what we’d asked for.. Most of the food and tea was fine. We had telephoned that morning to say one of our party was ill so they knew there were 11 people. My mother paid the bill but only afterwards noticed that they had charged for 12 people. We then had the lengthy process of getting a refund. Such a pity as what used to be one of our favourite special places to go, her birthday was completely spoiled by the negative experience we had. Shambolic

Have been coming every year with a friend for our birthdays . Sadly this will be our last visit as this visit was disappointing . Yes this is a fantastic venue and the food was good but the service was terrible .

My brother booked a cream tea treat in the Boleyn room as a belated birthday for my sister. He had made the booking a few months ago, however when we arrived tat Great Fosters on Saturday 20th no one seemed to know about our booking! We were asked to wait so the staff could put together an area for us , but we were obviously put on a hastily cobbled together place with a very small coffee table which was totally unsuitable for cream tea for 8 people. Sadly thing went downhill from there. Our complaints: 1. The table was only large enough for one tiered rack so the other tiers were placed on two high side tables making it impossible for all but two of our party to easily access the food! 2. Our champagne and hot drinks took over 40 minutes to arrive and we had almost finished our food by the time the tea actually arrived. 3.. Coffee and tea pots were also dangerously placed on the same high tables which were only accessible again by two of our party! 4. Only 3 tiered racks were brought out. Surely as there were 8 people in our party the there should have been one tiered rack per couple? 5. The final insult was being charged the 12% gratuity! We were going to refuse paying this, but the waitress who had taken over serving us had limited English & we didn't want to complicate things or risk spoiling our sister's birthday by disputing this in front of her. 6. When walking around the terrace we over heard two male members of staff having a rather heated & loud argument. My sister then witnessed one of these men shouting at a female customer who was having tea with her husband & young son! Absolutely disgusting and totally unprofessional behaviour. Having had afternoon tea previously at other venues including The Ivy in Guildford we believed that Great Fosters would surpass these & we expected a high level of service which sadly was not the case. The staff were very pleasant, the food good and the grounds beautiful, but the painfully slow service and cramped uncomfortable seating spoilt it for us. Would I return? At this point in time: NO

Lovely afternoon tea - beautiful setting, fantastic service from Eunice and Larissa (thank you!) and really enjoyed ourselves. The only negative was that I came in February and there was a noticeable difference with the sandwiches - this time not as nice, mainly plain white bread, not cut properly and in Feb we were offered more if we wanted them. This time it was an extra £6 for 4 extra finger sandwiches. I’d prefer to pay a little more for the whole tea and be offered more sandwiches - all part of a more special experience! Overall though loved it.

Have been a few times to this venue and standards have really gone down. Just visited for afternoon tea to celebrate friends 60th birthdays. On a positive note grounds are beautiful. Afternoon tea was very disappointing, Coronation prawn sandwich (strange combination and not a fan) Other sandwiches were ok .cakes were bland, dry and hard. Staff were few and far between .Did complain but no one seemed that bothered and took ages to find someone to settle the bill. What has happened to good customer service. sadly would not recommend

We have known Great Fosters for years but haven’t visited recently. The good reviews for afternoon tea encouraged us to book for a birthday treat for my wife which was mentioned and noted. Our room was quiet and comfortable with just one other couple although we believe tea was being served elsewhere as well. We were asked to choose our tea and decided on Darjeeling which was excellent. We waited to be asked if we would like the champagne option but it was never mentioned even though I said we would probably have in when I booked. As the tea progressed we decided to skip it anyway as we’re soon not in the mood! The sandwiches were poor and did not seem very fresh. They were just not up to standard! My small roast beef sandwich had a piece of meat in it which was grisly and inedible which is unforgivable when one is given 2 very small beef sandwiches each. Clearly a lack of care and detail!. The other sandwiches were underwhelming as were the scones which, again, lacked spring and possibly had been kept in a cool place for some time. There was an interesting spread of some sort which the server could not identify and which was not on the menu. Upon having to ask the chef we were told it was mushroom ketchup. It was unusual but not particularly outstanding. The clotted cream was fine but not generous at all and the jam was very ordinary indeed. 2 coronation jelly trifles were pitiful and not good and the sponge was just very very average. This was not the standard of pastry we expected. There was no point in complaining because it was clear that nothing could be improved by it. No mention of my wife’s birthday was ever made and we just had to decide never to recommend Great Fosters afternoon tea to anyone nor to visit again. Service was adequate but we were not visited to ask if we wanted more of anything apart from tea which was replenished. Afternoon teas are meant to be special occasions where small quantities of delicacies are served at fairly high prices often with champagne. Well the quantities were indeed quite small and the value for money was poor for the quality of the food which which we did not quite finish.

Afternoon Tea booked for two … service terrible .. waited over one hour .. no service at all … this place is a joke … was told that they were busy and the wedding and various groups were taking priority … once eventually served never came back .. then people in dressing gowns down up … like at a cheap Spa … no style no class … this place !!!!!!!!

Gorgeous setting for a lovely afternoon tea. Lovely tea menu and good selection of finger sandwiches and sweet treats. You won’t go hungry We were served by Stacey, who was really attentive. Great service. Beautiful place, will visit again

Booked tea for our 40th wedding anniversary and was not disappointed. Good quality food and well presented. Staff were attentive and very willing to replenish supplies of food and drink. Also a very good range of teas, coffees and other drinks available. A great experience in a lovely setting. However, perhaps what was most commendable was the way the staff responded when my husband was taken ill at the end of the meal (nothing to do with the food!) They were so kind and helpful and went above and beyond to ensure we were being looked after, for which we were most grateful.

We booked to have a cream tea here which was nice. We could pre-order sandwiches if we felt we needed more. There were 2 scones each and small pastries that my husband enjoyed. We also ordered more than just one pot of tea. The staff were all professional and friendly and overall it was a lovely afternoon.The lodge is like a smaller Hampton Court in beautiful grounds. Impressive

I treated members of my family to afternoon tea but was very disappointed with the overall experience. We had to wait nearly an hour for our food and everything seemed very chaotic. The sandwiches were dry an we had to ask for more tea. For the price they charge I would have expected much better and will not be returning.

I really recommend it, I spent a day with my family having some delicious afternoon tea served by an amazing staff! Thank you very much for the splendid time spent there! Xoxo

Went for Anniversary treat - very disappointed with the whole experience.Well below average, and overpriced. The sandwiches were unimaginative, the cakes nothing special and the scones were hard, didn't seem fresh.The staff were pleasant but inattentive.For a 5 star hotel it leaves a lot to be desired with regard to their afternoon tea.

Firstly the positives, plenty of free parking, staff friendly and very helpful. We had booked to sit inside, as the British weather can be unpredictable. The weather actually turned out to be very nice. We were taken to a smallish, dim, stuffy room, the only window was blocked by the plants outside. We asked if we could be moved to another room, which we were without issue.The sandwiches were dull and uninspiring, the chef must be really bored, ham, egg, chees & cucumber, all on plain white bread. The filling was so sparse you could barely tell what you were eating. You got 4 finger sandwiches per person. Cakes were dull and unexciting, a chocolate brownie, lemon sponge (like a tray bake), a macaroon and a tart. The only saving grace were the scones which were lovely.£35.00 plus service charge is way over priced for this uninspired tea. Go to the Christopher Wren in Windsor, so much nicer and cheaper including a glass of Prosecco.

Dry sparsely filled sandwiches. The egg one smelt of fish. Just four fingers each. Hard to attract attention from staff to ask for refill of tea and coffee. Expensive for poor service and mediocre food.

We did have a slight hiccup with one waitress who was a bit abrupt with us upon our arrival. We were unhappy with how she had spoken to us, and felt upset as we had travelled an hour to get to Great Foster to celebrate our mum's 84th birthday. Before we could call someone over to talk to them, Manfred, the Estate Grill Manager approached us. We talked to him and he was amazing. He found us a lovely table in the shade and gave us a complementary glass of bubbly. He was very attentive and the rest of the waitresses were lovely too. We had a lovely tea which included sandwiches, cream tea and petit fours. It made my mum's birthday feel very special. Want to give a massive thank you to Manfred....went above and beyond.

Delicious sandwiches, cakes, scones and fabulous teas followed by a walk around the gardens. Loved the garden rooms to explore. Great service. Thank you for a very special afternoon.

We had our tea outside but also great set up inside in the lounge so great anytime of year. The selection was great and tasted incredible. Service faultless always there for any thing you wish from extra tea, champagne, pimms etc.

Have visited Great Fosters twice before for afternoon tea and it was fabulous but so disappointed yesterday. Before the sandwiches would be brought separately and once eaten them a large tray came round so you could pick more of your favourites and they were on different breads like beetroot . Yesterday we had 4 finger sandwiches which were on dry bread which looked like hovis. Before the cake stand would arrive with scones wrapped in napkins to keep them warm and then there was a Victoria sponge and on the top beautiful patisseries (like seen on Professional Bake Off). This time there was no Victoria sponge just a tiny tart, piece of lemon cake, chocolate cake and little choux bun (more like the cakes you would make at home ). This is not a cheap afternoon tea and we have had better for a lot less. Very disappointing I just hope they read their reviews and go back to the fabulous teas of yesterday

Took my best friend for a birthday treat but felt let down. Sandwiches had little to no filling and the bread was dry on one side. Scones were very nice but lemon sponge cake and chocolate fudge cake were pretty average. Tea was so weak we had to send it back. The bill was £78 just for the above. It really should have been better.

I was given the gift of afternoon tea for two for my birthday. My husband and I were so looking forward to a scrumptious afternoon tea experience but only disappointment was on the menu. The sandwiches were sparsely filled, the bread was turning slightly hard, the clotted cream too hard to spread easily and the cakes very unimaginative. We told our waiter, he could have been the manager not sure, and he gave us a bottle of complimentary wine but to be honest this gesture really made no difference to the disappointment we felt. As it stands Great Fosters will not be a place I recommend or return to. If a complimentary future tea for two was offered I would give them another chance to prove the scrumptious afternoon tea they promise can actually be delivered.

We were frankly made to feel unwelcome during our experience at Great Fosters, which was for my mum’s 70th this weekend. One or two servers were very pleasant and accommodating but the head waiters leading the service (particularly gentleman with white hair) had a shocking attitude and were more interested in speeding us out of the building than they were giving us the high end service you’d expect. Another waiter seemed to be offended at the prospect of us wanting more sandwiches, which we were happy to pay for! Extremely underwhelmed. I won’t be back, even if anyone tries to lure me in with a free return. No thanks!

We had a fabulous time at Great Fosters today for afternoon tea in a gorgeous setting. Amazing choice and plentiful, beautiful food - sandwiches, scones and cakes.All the staff here are so welcoming and a massive Thankyou to Eunice who looked after us really well and the lovely young lad whose name I didn’t get but who smelled wonderful. He knows who he is as I complimented him on his aftershave as we were leaving. We shall return !!!

With the help of Manfred and Gabor, my son and some friends had a wonderful picnic afternoon tea after some fun activities. The setting was beautiful and the team at Great Fosters were attentive and kind. The weather was incredible too, as were the cakes. A wonderful time was had by all.

Have returned again, this time for an afternoon tea for our 4th wedding anniversary. It is a beautiful historic building with plenty of charm and character. Today we were hosted by Manfred and the wonderful afternoon tea team.Would recommend for food, overnight stay and a wedding (have done all three myself over the years)! Looking forward to the next stay

So disappointing - gorgeous setting, lovely sunny day - but the 'picnic' afternoon provided was really poor and unbelievably bad value for money. 2 crispy-edged sandwiches (cream cheese and limp cucumber and ham with too-strong mustard), one giant brioche bun with a thin strip of egg-mayo (all obviously made first thing and possibly with bread that was already past its prime). Scones/clotted cream and Jam were fine. Cakes again not fresh tasting and most just OK. Choice of very average English Breakfast tea bag or Peppermint - how hard is it to source a wider selection of tea bags? All this for £25. Gardens are lovely and if the sandwiches and cakes had been decent quality and fresh the inflated price would have been acceptable but they need to up the quality to match the surrounding.

We had a wonderful experience here with the delectable afternoon tea, treating some relatives for their wedding anniversary. We had requested to eat outside but the staff kindly informed us of a wasp invasion and advised remaining inside which we gratefully did. Of course there was far too much food but we were given charming little boxes to take the surplus cakes home. The icing on the cake, if I may be excused the pun, was the decorated plate of brownies delivered as a surprise (and unsolicited) treat for our guests. Despite the ubiquitous masks and hand sanitisers it hardly felt like lockdown,

ManFred and Charlotte treated us to a splendid night with the upmost professional service and a passionate sense of humour! A real treat along with divine cuisine.

The Sunday lunch was delightful.The meats were cooked perfectly and the red cabbage was the surprise of the dish, with its beautiful balsamic taste.The service was both enjoyable, with light hearted banter around the cellar we dined amongst and impeccable in its execution.Was certainly a memorable afternoon and one we will be arranging again.

Idyllic surroundings disappointing tea. It was an amazing day and sitting in the beautiful gardens was a joy. Service was ok but it would have been nice to have had new cups and saucers with a fresh pot of tea. Sandwiches were so disappointing the brioche with beef which my partner could not eat and wasn’t offered a similar replacement was good. The rest were poor supermarket white and brown bread when the local town has a great baker! Fillings were minuscule. My partner as a vegetarian was given two cheese and tomato sandwiches in white bread as an alternative. Scones were good. Pastries were ok but the lemon cake was dry. Unfortunately we will not be making a return visit.

My family and I visited Great Fosters for afternoon tea, to celebrate my husbands grandmothers 95 birthday. We requested when booking that we’d like the occasion to be extra special and we were not disappointed.We were given our own private room, the staff were all friendly and courteous. The afternoon tea was excellent, with a good selection of cakes and the finger sandwiches were fresh and tasty. It was a very pleasant afternoon. Beautiful settings to celebrate any occasion.

Having booked for 4pm we were not served till nearly 2 hours later. We had finished the pots of tea before any food arrived. We had to ask for refills as they were not offered unprompted.The sandwiches had obviously been made a long time previously, sparse filling and dry. The scones were small and rock hard, they should not have been allowed out of the kitchen as they were more like a biscuit.The cakes were good though.No extra sandwiches or other food items were offered.It was the first afternoon tea I have come away from without a doggy bag.

My wife and I have visited the once Great Fosters Hotel numerous times chiefly for their afternoon tea. Having not been for a while we decided to go on a quiet Tuesday afternoon and my goodness...Firstly, after we were seated, there was a great deal of confusion over a QR code which we were told to scan. When we were eventually provided one we were told to scan it but put in a different table number - this didn't work. Upon a different waitress arriving at the table to take our order (despite having no menus), she then told us we needn't bother with the QR code.We were then provided with the menus and what a difference compared to visits gone by. Very limited tea options. We proceeded to order - one normal tea, one vegetarian, an English breakfast and a black coffee.We waited a little while and a third, different member of staff attended our table for reasons unknown. He was pleasant and named Casper. We informed him of our veggie order, just in case. He assured us it'll be taken care of...Our food and drink arrived and we were greeted by two normal afternoon teas and our beverages - no veggie options in sight. We flagged down a member of staff and informed them of their faux pas. An apology was received and some veggie sandwiches promptly arrived.Now for the food...I'm not exaggerating when I say that a 7 year old could have knocked up the majority of what was offered albeit slicing cucumber that thinly must require surgical precision. Very bland, very uninspiring. Cucumber and cream cheese, egg mayo, salmon and PLAIN ham. The veggie options were PLAIN chutney, cucumber and cream cheese, coleslaw and egg mayo. I mean, c'mon. It was as mundane as it gets.The scones were microscopic and we asked for additional cream and jam in order to feel as though we got our moneys worth (which I'll come on to). I have no idea how you'd make scones that small.Finally the cakes sort of saved the day. They were easily the best part but in no way compensated for the rest.I suppose we should end on cost. Had it not been for the Eat Out to Help Out initiative, our tea would have cost us £70 before service which is a 12.5% standard. That's £78.75. Let that sink in. Excluding drinks, that's almost £4 per item on the plate. £4 for a chutney filled finger sandwich...In the end, we found the whole thing hilariously bad. We had a good time laughing at the car crash and the cost saving made it bearable but please avoid if you don't share our sense of humour...

We have had afternoon tea at Great Fosters several times and were expecting the high quality tea and service we enjoyed in the past.The quality and quantity of the food was very disappointing. There was an uninspiring selection of sandwiches and the quantity was measily. We asked for more sandwiches ( in the past they were offered). None came, so we asked about their progress and were told that they had 10 covers for afternoon tea and preparing it all was taking time. The sandwiches never arrived.The scones had been miniaturised and were hard.The cakes were very nice and the room we occupied was good.The service was very much on an on demand basis, no pro- active follow up to see if everything was ok or whether we needed any more tea (which we did).Not value for money and not comparable with the Runnymede.

We are regulars at Great Fosters, having also had our wedding reception here. The quality of the food (whether it be afternoon tea, the Tudor Room or the Estate Grill) has always been excellent. We came today for afternoon tea for my great aunt’s birthday and were extremely disappointed. I won’t upload pictures because our cakes were exactly the same as those posted below - essentially all the same with just different flavour toppings. The scones seem to have been miniaturised despite the increase in price and gone are the refills. The quality was drastically reduced from our previous visit. Whilst Great Fosters has been redecorated under the ownership of Alexander Hotels, this has resulted in it losing it’s charm. We had been concerned about this change in ownership and were proved right today. We couldn’t fault our host (Casper), who was lovely but would definitely think twice before we book again. At present, Great Fosters cannot compete with either Coworth Park or The Runnymede for the quality of food and atmosphere which is a shame as it had always been our top choice locally.

After reading the reviews here, I was a bit concerned about what to expect. I booked a tea time for my wife's birthday. We were sat in a private room, the study I do believe, which was beautiful and ideal for our group. It was less 'proper' than perhaps a formal tea, but we found the experience perfect and memorable. Casper serviced the table with care and we quite enjoyed the conversation and his insight on the tea, scones and clotted cream.The finger foods were outstanding and I would not hesitate to highly recommend this beautiful hotel for a comfortable tea with beyond-expectation sweets and savories. Thank you Great Fosters(and Casper)for helping create an ideal and memorable birthday.

The family and I have been going to Great Fosters for about ten years now. We've always loved everything about the place, to the extent that my wife and I got married there a few years ago. We periodically visit for romantic meals, family gatherings and our favourite; Afternoon Tea.We haven't been since December due to the dreaded lockdown, and we thought we’d treat ourselves for an Afternoon Tea this afternoon. But honestly, I wish we hadn't bothered!The sandwiches were nothing special, the scones have shrunk and lost their signature flavour and the cakes we're just boring! The brownie even had a smell of other cooking. Plus I was paying more than I'd previous times! I'm happy with inflation, but I’d expect a consistent experience!I'd rather go to the Runnymede just a few minutes away for much better value for money, even if the ambience isn't quite the same.It wasn’t all bad, the service is still exceptional and the tea presentation was just as lovely as always, but it’s just such a shame that you’re paying more for a lesser product.I will visit again in the future, but if anyone from Great Fosters reads this, please look into this as I was so disappointed!

I can see from the other reviews that my experience was similar. I come every year to Great Fosters to treat myself and my mum to a gorgeous Afternoon Tea so am a keen 8 year regular. What you can't fault is its amazing building, attentive staff and gorgeous grands. This has always made Great Fosters a beautiful location for dinners and weddings. HOWEVER, the afternoon tea has very much gone down hill. They have kept the price of £35-45 per person but cut the portion sizes dramatically. You use to get: sandwiches on multiple types of bread, fresh scones, a Victorian sponge cake and desserts. You now get basic sandwiches, TINY scones, and miniature desserts. They have dramatically cut the portion sizes, cut the creative flavours but kept the price. This is such a shame as so many regulars will be highly disappointed and not want to come again and pay these high prices that they were willing to pay before.

We had an afternoon tea which was 25 pounds each as 10 pounds were taken off for the eat out to help,The tea was extremely poor compared to what we had there five years ago ,I took photos five years ago & now see the difference ,They charged 8.75 tip which as my wife paid as i went to the toilet ,But i didnt realize until i got home they did a 12.5 charge on the 70 pounds not the 50 which we paid,I rang them no responce ,Then i e- mailed them still no responce ,The cakes were extremely small also last time we went we asked for more sandwiches which we got ,But this time they said we would have to pay for them ,I certainly wont be going back there again ,There not the slightest bit interested in customer relations only ripping you off ,I have put some photos on from last time & this time see the difference .The setting was nice but thats it ,We were outside then it started raining we went inside but no more water was bought ,So we ended up with none , Also as it was my Birthday my daughter rang then up in the morning to ask them to say Happy Birthday to me sadly that never happened .The thing with the 12.5% charge you dont have to pay it,We should have cancelled it . Even the scones were a lot smaller than five years ago .

We had Afternoon tea in the beautiful gardens at great fosters, Egham.£35 pp usually but using eat out to help out was £25ppHowever even with this discount this was not worth the money!.Sandwiches were fine but it’s not hard to make ham and mustard, cream cheese and cucumber, egg mayo and salmon fillings!.You get 2 scones each but they were small and very dry thank goodness for the jam and the “clotted” cream with a bizarre texture but at least it made them relatively edible.And finally the cakes... they were just ok, mum liked the eclair so I let her have both as I found the others a bit bland and had given up by then.However the food was not the worst thing...The service was abismal!!!We asked the waitress who brought our food out for some more tea and water and that we were waiting for a cocktail which she said she would go and get, after waiting a further 10minutes in the baking hot sun for them I went in to complain and they finally arrived.But I then had to do the same with the bill!!.You can use the app to “request a waiter” or “request the bill” however these functions are either not working or they were just ignoring the request!!! I suspect the latter.We were comped our drinks due to me complaining about the wait for them.Food 4/10Service 0/10Setting 9/10

Firstly I think its important to highlight that we visit GF every year in Summer for our Afternoon Tea in the sun. We have a Gluten Free Daughter and a lactose free son and have always been blown away by the food.This time we chose to take our friends during the Eat our Help out scheme and have just returned a little shocked. Very disappointed that the hotel was exceedingly busy (which is a good thing for them) but the afternoon tea was a long way from previous years. The Sandwiches were very plain, the scones were tiny and the cakes we overall below standard. We were so upset having taken friends and telling them how good it was going to be. Overall the staff tried really hard and in 32 Degree heat did incredibly well but they were just short staffed. I have to thank them for at least making the effort. Casper took our problems but asked us to write a review again (I have written previously a glowing review). I want to understand that if eat out help out is causing this and intended to improve the number of customers this won't work. When we asked for more sandwiches the staff said she would ask her manager, never to return. The total experience was around 3 1/2 hours long and I don't know why they took so long, But overall the food quality was not acceptable. I will struggle to be back next year unless I am fully convinced this was temporary and will be removing my recommendation from Coeliac Berkshire website until this is improved. lets hope this was a one off but please be careful of previous photos things are not the same.

Not as good as previously I’m afraid. Firstly we were sat right out in the sun on one of the hottest days. Luckily we were moved to a table with an umbrella. When we made our booking, we made a few simple requests like plain scones, no mustard etc. They hadn’t taken that into account, so we had to return it. Was all sorted though and staff were very pleasant. Didn’t get that many sandwiches though as they used to bring round seconds. Also cakes very small. Although we enjoyed it, it is quite expensive for what you get. We usually get leftovers boxed up, but we ate it all and I’m not a big eater. So, we probably won’t be returning.

Oh dear!Similar to other reviews, the expectations were high but the outcome low. The reality of the food was a small, almost amateur affair. Nothing in comparison to the pictures that caused us to book there in the first place. Tea choices were non existent and no top up offered on food and drink.I will give the staff a break in these post COVID times, but felt a little pressured to sit outside rather than in the cooler indoors.For the price point, there are much better alternatives.However, the grounds were lovely for photos.

We have been regular visitors to Great Fosters for their amazing afternoon teas for the past 10 years and never had a complaint We visited this week and will never go backWe had so looked forward our visit post shielding but the whole experience was an absolute farce.Our waitress was not welcoming at all and in fact she couldn’t understand us and we couldn’t understand her. We had to point out our reservation on her guest sheet as she couldn’t see it.We ordered as soon as we were seated and waited 30 mins for one tea and one coffee.Our food took another 15 minutes!Difficult to understand why as no cooking involved and there were several empty tablesTo say we were disappointed with the food that arrived is an understatement.Please see the photos provided and decide whether that is worth £70 plus a service charge of £8.25The cakes were dry and basically looked shop bought and the scones were hard.The hotel website and their facebook page advertise their afternoon tea with photos of the most beautiful cakes, pastries and sandwiches which are very superior to those that we were servedWe previously spoke to friends about Great Fosters cakes as being “works of art “ but these were shameful The table next to us requested fresh tea and had to ask twice more before it arrived 30 minutes later.We asked to speak to someone in charge before we left but were told the manager was in a meeting, but would telephone usTwo days later and still waiting we emailed the head office but no response from them either.What an absolute shame that this once wonderful hotel has no interest in customer service and after reading management responses to other negative experiences on here,we realise they have no interest in trying to improve.

The good; great friendly staff and amazing setting, from there it ends.For £35 plus 12.5% tip; given 4 finger sandwiches, 3 cakes and a scone with no refills is not what I expect. I’ve been before and endless refills were supplied. The cakes and scones were bone dry: the sandwiches were very nice just not enough. Don’t waste your money for afternoon tea.

Had afternoon tea here, having been here twice before I hoped it would be the same. Tea was served without milk, scones were smaller and the cakes weren’t as good as before. When asking a waitress twice a query she never returned & when paying the bill we were accidentally overcharged. The gardens were covered in dog poo which isn’t very nice. We had a good welcome but won’t be returning as it needs to massively improve.

3 stars awarded for the gardens. I Visited today for afternoon tea with my mum. Stunning setting and grounds, an incredibly historic building with so much character. The staff were courteous but not particularly attentive. The afternoon tea was .... ok, mediocre compared to others I have had previously. The bread was not fresh, seemed stale, and we informed the waitress who brought some more sandwiches. The fillings were a bit frugal, the scones were small and not cooked in the middle. The pastries were disappointing. We walked around the stunning grounds but the one spoiler was the amount of dog's mess on the lawns, very shocking. Glad I went but there is a lot that could be improved upon for a 5 star hotel and the prices they charged £78 including a 12.5% service charge for a mediocre service.

Entrance area - I love how you have updated the entrance area and made it even more welcoming, classy and comfortable. Taking away the over the top floral displays has really opened up the room.The afternoon tea - I have a number of complaints, which I did not want to address at the time (more later)We were seated at 1pm - we assume we were meant to sit in the 5 seats as there was no one there to show us. I had been offered to go through when I arrived as just me, but wanted for all 5 of us to go through together. Despite this, we didn't get our tea until 1.35. As in the beverages, not the sandwiches. I realise that you had a number of other afternoon teas on but they were served a lot quicker than us. (Were they guests of the hotel and therefore more valuable to you?)Agreed, one of my party made it tricky on the day by asking to be gluten free (in addition to myself) which no doubt caused panic in the kitchen. When the teas arrived, I was given a tea holder (I don't know if there is a correct name for them) and it was pointed out "sandwiches - gluten free", "scones - gluten free" "macaron - gluten free etc". It felt really over the top and I did not rate the service of the girl who served them - Veronika perhaps? She had very very black mascara on.The teas arrived on individual tea holders. I have experienced this numerous times due to being gluten intolerant but it was actually very awkward on the table. Particularly due to the level at which they sat = eye level in your new lower down chairs. It meant conversation and celebration was around the edges of the tea and not flowing. Needless to say, I was further disappointed to only receive 3 finger sandwiches each. And no offers of replenishment. This has never happened to me before, even in the big London hotels (Soho, Dorchester Athenaeum). Funnily enough, the member of staff who was in the room then, managed to continually avoid our eye contact so never mind, a pregnant lady had just three sandwiches. It felt very mean.Previously, the service has been impeccable and we have been offered refills or more tea and water throughout - this did not happen, so I was only able to enjoy two cups of tea.The scones were lovely, however your staff presented the afternoon tea cages facing away from my friends so they were unable to see the spoons for the cream and jam. Small things, but when you are paying £37 a head for a non alcoholic afternoon tea with only three finger sandwiches, it counts. Moving on to the cakes. They were very small,intricate and overly sweet whilst not really tasting of anything. In fact, our pregnant lady didn't touch them despite only having three finger sandwiches. We were permitted to sit at the table for longer than the allotted two hours, which we were thankful for - but perhaps also because of your delay in bringing out our beverages which would have a knock on effect for the rest of service. It did take us three requests to get the bill though, which was a bit frustrating as there was only one other couple dining at the time.

Wonderful setting! Glorious old hunting lodge, steeped in history. Sandwiches and a ones beautifully presented. Be sure to ore order if you have dietary requirements! Lovely log fire!

Delicious afternoon tea in gorgeous setting, could not have been better looked after. Above and beyond - offered extras for our toddlers and were clear we could have refills if needed - but they weren’t! We took three boxes home between the 4 of us! Lovely atmosphere and furnishings - gorgeous hotel. Can’t understand some of the negative reviews from last year!

Had a wonderful afternoon at Great Fosters great services lovely afternoon tea and fine champagne. Lovely walk round the hotel, clean tidy, and friendly Staff

My friends took me here for a Spa Day and High Tea when I was visiting the UK. Amazing selection of food but we couldn't eat half of it. They boxed it up for us to take home so we shared it with other friends that evening. A gorgeous old house that also has accommodation although we did not stay the night. Beautiful gardens to wander around and and the pool was nice to laze around before Tea.

The staff were friendly and approachable. The sandwiches were not traditional afternoon tea - Coronation Chicken on a baguette and Egg on brioche. Jam and cream were served without spoons. However, the scones and pastries were delightful. Having been to Great Fosters on many occassions, we were disappointed with the standard and lack of tradition.

Great Fosters is a big place with restaurants and accommodation but it also does a good job with more intimate events such as afternoon tea in the library. A very good selection of food and teas, served by attentive and friendly staff. Especially good in the winter, in the summer there is outdoor seating overlooking the well kept gardens.

We really enjoyed our Afternoon tea today. The staff were fantastic and very attentive. The tea was lovely and the hot chocolate with marshmallows delicious. We were really looked after and offered more tea and hot chocolate. The sandwiches were enjoyable. Scones beautiful and little cakes also lovely. Thank you for an enjoyable Afternoon tea. The hotel looks fab .

It is a couple of years since I have had afternoon tea at Great Fosters.It was one of the best around with superb sandwiches, a good range of teas, super scones and and delicious cakes. Add a wide tea menu and a few more sandwiches if you would like them, and it was worth traveling around the M25 for. I did. Repeatedly.I knew GF had new owners and that the price of the tea had risen considerably, there was also a maximum time at table policy which I did not recall from previous visits. Still, based upon past teas I was looking forward to returning.GF is still a beautiful building in immaculate grounds and inside there had been some half hearted refurbishment with corporate chairs and new but somehow not quite right crockery. The tea menu had been cut back with a reduced choice, no more Lapsang.But if the tea menu had been trimmed the food offering had been slashed.No more trays of sandwiches and plates of scones and cakes.A single stand per couple with a few, trying to be artful, but fundamentally low rent sandwiches, a couple of scones and mini cakes and macaron. The scones had also been on a diet but were warm and tasty and came with appropriately reduced portions of cream and jam. The cakes varied from quite good to sugar rush.Service was very friendly even after we declined the various upsells.On a sunny summers day the grounds might make the tea a worthwhile admission price but otherwise afternoon tea at GF is barely worth crossing the road for, let alone a few junctions worth of the M25

Myself, my husband and mother just had after noon tea at Great fosters to celebrate our 5 year wedding anniversary. Returning for the 1st time in 3years it has changed quite a bit. still stunning. beautiful grounds. unfortunatly the afternoon tea was rather dissapointing. I am dairy free and they offer a dairy free afternoon tea. it comprised of 2 salmon and caper finger sandwiches...very dry. unfortunatly it got worse. my only other sandwich on offer was 4 thinly sliced pieces of cucumber in white bread. nothing else. not even a slither of any type of spread. that was my offering. I'm dairy free, not vegetarian yet had no chicken offerings at all. none of us were offered more sandwiches so my 2 sandwiches were my lot.the dairy free scones.hard and very cloggy. nice to have dairy free cream though and jam was lovely. maybe my biggest disappointment was what most people look forward to the most. the cakes and deserts. I could have cried. a tiny plain dry cake, some type of lemon jelly which was awful, a raspberry panacota type desert and a chocolate offering. truly terrible to be honest. if that is the best they can offer dairy free guests I think they need to 're evaluate their thinking. we were not offered top ups of water either.very sweetly we were presented with a happy anniversary plate written in chocolate with 2 macaroons for our anniversary. a lovely touch but unable to eat them due to my dairy free intolerance. a big shame. I honestly think they can do better. especially now allergies and intolerances are common and there are many ingredients readily available to create wonderful things.maybe we will return for our 10 year anniversary and try again.

Like other Afternoon Tea reviewers here, we have a long and familiar history with GF.

I go to Great Fosters for the Afternoon Tea about 3 times a year. It’s always fantastic and has never disappointed my friends or family that I have taken there...until today. The menu has completely changed and you can tell they’ve made a lot of cutbacks, yet charge the same amount of money. Normally we would greedily stuff ourselves with their delicious beef sandwiches on onion bread, or smoked salmon and cream cheese. This time, we didn’t even want to finish the sandwiches in front of us, let alone ask for more. The smoked salmon and capers were revolting, the rest of the sandwiches were pretty tasteless. They used to give a lovely Victoria sponge or lemon drizzle cake, in addition to the delicious smaller cakes. They seem to have stopped that now. The smaller cakes weren’t very nice, we would normally take them home if we hadn’t finished but they were that bad that we didn’t.

This was a really lovely experience from start to finish. We were greeted on arrival by the manager. He gave us an overview of the history of the house. As we were early and the weather was nice we walked in the vast grounds. The garden is spectacular. We then went for our tea. As the weather was so nice we were offered the opportunity to eat in the garden by the edge of the water.

Celebrated our anniversary at this beautiful venue. Staff were polite and attentive, food was wonderful & there was a wonderful ambience. The only thing that let it down & let it down badly was the large group of impolite corporate men outside who blocked all entries to the bar & rooms & made it very uncomfortable trying to get through them. Gave up & went elsewhere for dinner.

We booked afternoon tea for my Moms birthday and it was a very disappointing experience and most definitely the worst service at afternoon tea that I've ever had. My sister booked dairy free for hers but they claimed to know nothing about it when we got there. Rather than sorting it out efficiently, they made a big fuss about it and said they couldn't do any sandwiches so she needed to order off the main sandwich menu! This whole thing took a lot of time so we were left with our afternoon tea for a good 30 mins while they sorted hers out. It made the whole thing really awkward for my sister who didn't want to make a fuss. I spoke to the manager who just kept repeating that they hadnt received the request for dairy free and so it wasnt their fault. Eventually he agreed to give my sister her afternoon tea free but then charged her for a sandwich! Apart from that, we waited ages to be offered any drinks and the service was overall very poor. I definitely won't be returning despite the hotel and gardens being beautiful.

Visited several times over the last couple of years and I rated the afternoon tea the best I had ever had - so was very much looking forward to another visit. Booked a table outside to be told we were being seated inside due to the wasps, the staff kindly agreed to set us a table in the garden. Menu was explained in good detail with our orders taken promptly, the staff deciding to place the jam in a different container to prevent the wasps. The drinks arrived in a timely manner followed by the afternoon tea, the jam was served in its usual fashion which did attract a lot of wasps resulting in the jam needing to be replaced. We decided not to order any alcohol but the glasses were not taken away. The food quality was very good with decent size sandwiches, but no offer of any additional items. Waited 30 mins for a waiter to top our drinks up but no one appeared - I had to go inside myself to ask for more drinks. Some of the staff were delightful, others couldn’t care a less and it was weird we were served by so many different staff- there was no consistency which is possibly why we were forgotten about. It’s very unlike me not to leave tips, but unfortunately the staff did not deserve anything - considering the standard of Great Fosters this was some what disappointing. It’s good to see the Gardener still cares about his job !

Afternoon Tea, in a lovely hotel, catching up with each other, without our children. This was the plan...

Was a lovely day so we started sitting in the garden which is stunning. Unfortunately we moved inside due to wasps. Inside is a beautiful old building but it felt lacking in any atmosphere. We were seated in a side room and there was hardly anyone around anywhere. The staff are attentive and accommodating. The food was average for the cost. Some of the sandwich were soggy and others dried out quickly. The china etc was lacking in any quality for the environment or cost. It was ok but I wouldnt be rushing back there, unless it was for drinks in the garden.

Having stayed at the property before many years ago we booked a special package for D,B&B; for my husbands Birthday & Our Anniversary. Knowing we were coming we were bought an Afternoon Tea for Two voucher as a gift. The service we received from the female staff member was great (sorry didn’t get her name) She was welcoming, explained the menu and chatty without being too intrusive. I’d read previous reviews and was a little concerned about a couple of things but must say the whole experience was lovely. We were asked if we wanted fresh plates between savoury and sweet, there was subtitle music playing in the rooms and my tea was replenished a number of times. We were also asked if we needed additional jam or cream. Knowing that we were staying in the hotel I was told that should I not wish to eat everything that a box could be provided and the cakes taken to my room.

We were a party of five and decided to go to Great Fosters for afternoon tea, I had a conversation with Prem the manager to ask if we could have all finger sandwiches, as well as scones and cakes, as I knew that they served also buns and baguettes and he obliged us by serving all finger sandwiches as wells as scones and cakes which were delicious. The staff were very attentive and friendly. We very much enjoyed the lovely gardens and stayed for a cocktail on the terrace as it was a very hot day. Our afternoon was enjoyed by all and we will definitely return.

What can I say great place nice grounds staff could be more friendly but was busy Did two types of sandwiches and cakes as wife does not do meat or dairy well worth the money

We go to great fosters each year for an afternoon tea as it is so amazing however it has changed and although it’s nice it is no where near as good as it used to be. Our favourite part used to be the finger sandwiches, not only were they incredibly tasty you were also offered a second round. Instead of cucumber & cream cheese, ham & mustard, egg, salmon & cream cheese it’s now egg, salmon and capers, coronation chicken and cucumber. These are in rolls or very stodgy bread in the case of the cucumber roulade. These are the most disappointing aspect of it now. The scones and cakes continue to be nice. We used to take bits home but we finished it all today. Service was hit and miss, they were very attentive getting us sat down and serving the afternoon tea however we had to go and find someone for another pot of tea as no one re-appeared. Unfortunately this is a yearly tradition that will no longer happen. I wish I had checked the reviews before going to see that other people had experienced the same. If you’ve never been before it might be worth a visit (however it’s expensive) but if you’ve had an afternoon tea here before be prepared to be disappointed with the changes.

Wonderful historic building in manicured grounds. Excellent food and service. Takes you back in time. Expensive but worth the experience.

Beautiful historic building and perfectly manicured gardens. Travel back in time for a royal experience in warm English sunshine. Very good service. Well presented high tea. Excellent food and large tea selection.

Have been here for afternoon tea a number of times in the past when it was a luxurious experience. went recently and it has become overpriced, poor value for money . To start by saying ‘we no longer offer extra sandwiches ‘ kind of sets the tone !

I celebrated a milestone birthday and as my best friend couldn't come for the main celebrations we treated ourselves to a Champagne Afternoon Tea which was amazing. I had gone there a couple of days before our treat, as I originally booked the table inside but as the forecast was promising, I thought it would be nice to sit by the water and take in the spectacular views of the gardens. I happened to mention to the Reception Manager in passing that I was celebrating a rather special birthday a week before our visit.

We were brought here by friends and were very impressed at both the building and the tea, unfortunately the weather was against us so we couldn’t explore the gardens but what we saw from the windows looked great, the actual tea was wonderful, we phoned prior to our visit to see if they could change our order slightly and they duly obliged, wonderful selection and the service was exemplary

I am just messaging to say how disappointed my family were today with afternoon tea. For many years we have been coming to great fosters for meals/afternoon tea to celebrate birthdays ect. However in the last few months on both occasions we have been let down. Firstly in April when we came for the Easter wreath workshop. The Easter wreath workshop was lovely but the meal included was disappointing. We had ordered our meals but my godmothers order had been taken down incorrectly. We had got our steaks but were waiting for the chips before starting to eat. Then a waiter came out and said he had my godmothers down as salmon. He took her steak away and gave to another client and then gave her salmon. My godmother had ordered steak but did not want to make a fuss. This is awful customer service and you would not expect this at a four star hotel. Who takes a dish from a customer to give to another customer because they have mucked up the orders? Furthermore the steak I had was cold.

The menu given to us on the day was out of date. The website still shows picture of previous years' afternoon teas.

We visited Great Fosters yesterday for afternoon tea. Great Fosters has been one of our favourite hotels for many years. However our experience yesterday was very disappointing. The high standards of service that we have received in the past are gone. We waited a long time to be served, the tea when it eventually arrived was stewed and had to request additional pots of tea and clean cups and plates. There was no offer of additional sandwiches as in the past and no Victoria sponge and not value for money. Service was slow and the staff not attentive. In addition the changes to the decor are not sympathetic to the age and feel of an historic building. The new reception area sticks out like a sore thumb in a once beautiful great hall. Alexander Hotels you are ruining a stunning ancient building, ripping the soul out of it. If I wanted corporate I would go elsewhere. You need to up your game,

Had afternoon tea as a Christmas gift from children but have been here many times over the years. A lovely setting. Best visited in summer for afternoon tea. The Tidor rooms are superb for dinner if you can get a reservation.

Came for afternoon tea for a surprise birthday treat for my mother , was so disappointed. We were shown to our table . Which was set nicely and clean , there was no background music which is very dull maybe soft piano music or something calm . No extra sandwiches or cakes were offered and it was nothing amazing . Very sweet and not much choice of sandwiches. The reception wasn’t very welcoming . The bill came to £140 then 17.50 on top for optional discretionary service at 12.5% . We chose to leave £10 not £17.50 so she said she will get the manager , why when optional ????? We should of just not left anything as that’s very rude . The manager didn’t come and we left it ruined an expensive day and we will not return and definitely wouldn’t recommend.

This an over priced hotel. The food was average. I talked to the GM after coming back home and she was hoping to take of the issues in my next visit to UK.

We arrived at reception and told they did not have any record of us and luckily I had the email to show the confirmation they had sent me the night before.We were shown to the room for the afternoon tea where again we had to explain we had come for the tea.We were then seated and given luncheon menus and then given one menu and the other one grabbed from the couple sitting near us who had been waiting over an hour for their tea and were also appalled at the service.At no time were we made welcome and they only time the waitresses spoke were to tell what the sandwiches were.It was like being at Fawlty Towers.we asked for a glass of water three times and in the end I had to go to the bar and then they brought a jug over with no glasses.To go with the four scones there was a tiny ice cream scoop of clotted cream and when we asked three times for more they brought us a jug of milk.We were never asked if there was anything else we would like and we did ask for more tea and could we have some more hot water and again even though there was plenty of staff I had to go to the bar to ask.When we left we said Thank you (goodness know why)we were not acknowledged.We complained to one woman who seemed indifferent and then as we left we met the operations manager who seemed interested in our complaints.

We had a nice afternoon tea here in a beautiful setting. It was summer so we were outside, but in the winter you can have tea inside by the fire and it's wonderful as well. The choices of tea were nice, and the food was delicious. Afterward we had a nice walk around the gardens. I would like to go back and stay in the hotel.

Such a disappointing afternoon tea. I came here a few years ago and it was such a great experience. I see the hotel has been taken over. It used to be classy and historic now it is gaudy and cheap full of furniture that would not look out of place in a Novotel. The service for the tea was terrible. Flat champagne; no milk or sugar and food not worth the £37 per head. Such a let down.

Arrived for afternoon tea Saturday afternoon nobody greeted us infact we felt ignored 3 people were on reception and seemed to be busy doing nothing.

Having been to Great Fosters for some wonderful afternoon teas, this was my first visit since the new company took over. What a disappointment!

The afternoon tea has changed - no extra sandwiches, no victoria cream sponge - its been cutback and the price has gone up! Not the place to go to for this price - Pennyhill Park is only £3 more and there are cheaper options like the Runnymede. Hopefully the Great Fosters team will see this is not good value anymore, and the 'extra mile' needs to come back!

I’ve been for afternoon tea three times at this restaurant; three years ago, it was excellent; at the end of last summer, it was ok; and last week, it was awful. Stale sandwiches, no extra sandwiches, cakes ok but blatantly everything has been cut back. Service was like Faulty Towers. It took over 45 mins for our tea to arrive and then we had to chase (even going up to the bar twice to get some service). We were not the only ones. This hotel is in a fine location, is absolutely beautiful and it is such a shame that it’s been sold by the family who owned it and ran it superbly for many years. It used to be a class act; now it is one to be avoided at all costs. Truly disappointing.

The Great Fosters used to be great but not any more. We visited today for a friend's birthday but left feeling sorely disappointed and ripped off. The price of afternoon tea had increased from £27 to £37 and consisted of five finger sandwiches (equal to about two and a half slices of bread), two scones with cream and jam and a few miniature patisseries. The tea was unlimited but this was little consolation. The service was also well below par. When we were seated initially, we were told in no uncertain terms that our time was limited to two hours. Great start to the afternoon! When we asked for extra sandwiches, our request was ignored. One member of our party didn't receive her pot of tea and, when we asked the waiter for it, we watched him go out into the foyer and flap his arms in a temper. One member of our party is vegetarian and another allergic to nuts, however, when the food arrived, the two special orders had been combined as one and given to the vegetarian. This meant that the lady with a nut allergy was given food that could have caused a severe allergic reaction. Just not good enough! The place has also recently been redecorated and, in our opinion, has now lost all it's historical charm and quaintness. The appeal of this place used to be that it felt like you were stepping back in time when you visited. Now it resembles any other characterless run of the mill hotel. We definitely will not be visiting again.

Fantastisk ställe med mycket atmosfär.

Took my mother-in-law for an afternoon tea treat and I could not have been more pleased with my choice. From the moment we walked through the door we were made to feel very welcome and when I told the receptionist it was out first time, he seemed to step it up a gear. We were shown to The Tudor Room and this room is absolutely stunning. Out waitress Molly was absolutely excellent, taking the time to explain how the afternoon would pan out and informing us of what would be available. The service is second to none and you can tell everyone is trained to a very high standard. The offerings for afternoon tea are stunning and the only criticism, they give you too much! It was such a lovely setting and the room was full of mother's and their daughters. I can't wait to come back and explore some more of this stunning place.

Simply fantastic Tea. A beautiful location with amazing formal gardens. The Afternoon Tea was terrific. All elements were perfect and inventive. The value for the kids was also outstanding.

Just a fab experience with great customer service from Emma and Archie, both are a credit to the hotel. Totally recommend for families and couples. Afternoon tea is fantastic - lovely sandwiches and lots of fancy cakes plus a glass of champagne. A love;y treat on a sunny day. Brilliant!

Had afternoon tea for a friend's special birthday and wasn't disappointed but then you get what you pay for. Weekend price is £37 for a good selection of tea, coffee and hot chocolate a volonté. For an extra charge you can hve g&t;, 3types of bubbles and pimms. Service was impeccable and the sandwiches, scones and sweet treats were truly scrumptious. There was a GF and vegetarian option too. Definitely recommend as a special treat. The setting is lovely too and you can wander in the gardens afterwards.