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The Langham Afternoon Tea with Wedgwood: a Quintessentially British Experience in London

Enjoying The Langham Afternoon Tea with Wedgwood in London is truly an experience that one should have at some point in their life.
 
The Langham Hotel, London (Christina's Cucina)
Yes, this my personal opinion, but if you follow me, you’re probably already a lover of tea and scones, so this shouldn’t take much convincing.  
 
Disclosure: The Langham Hotel, London hosted my daughter and me for afternoon tea. No conditions were made, and as always, all opinions are completely my own. 
 
Did you know that The Langham, London, established in 1865, is the famed birthplace of afternoon tea, and the first “Grand Hotel” in Europe? Partaking in afternoon tea at The Langham, London is the equivalent to golfing at St Andrews’ Old Course in Scotland.
Langham London's afternoon tea with Wedgwood
photo courtesy of The Langham Hotel, London

Last month, I flew to London with my daughter to accompany her to Edinburgh. She was beginning her study abroad program at St Andrews University and had quite a bit of luggage. It took her quite some time and energy to convince me to join her (wink, wink), but in the end, I relented. Sigh. 

We arrived at Heathrow Airport about 10 am and were at The Langham Hotel, located at the top of Regents Street, in the desirable West End of London by noon. Although it was January, it wasn’t very cold, and the sun was shining. Walking alongside The Langham on the way to the entrance, I noticed this plaque which read~

“Oscar Wilde and Arthur R. Conan Doyle dined here with the publisher of “Lippincott’s Magazine” on 30 August 1889. A meeting that led to “The Sign of Four” & “The Picture of Dorian Gray””

Plaque outside The Langham, London

I don’t know if you’re a history or literature buff like I am, but I can’t even tell you what it means to me, knowing that I too, dined in the same place as Oscar Wilde and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle! I feel very strongly that certain experiences when traveling cannot have a monetary value placed upon them, like this one.

Langham, London, Afternoon Tea 

Upon entering the stately Langham Hotel, my daughter and I were promptly seated in the relaxing, and sumptuous Palm Court. I had already enjoyed Langham afternoon tea with Wedgwood in Pasadena and was curious to compare the two.

Palm Court at the Langham Hotel in London

Our waitress, Joanna, was eager to please and asked for our choice of champagne. My daughter and I both chose the N.V Laurent-Perrier Brut Champagne Rosé which arrived promptly.

N.V Laurent-Perrier Brut Champagne Rosé at the Langham

Soon afterwards, we were served a lovely cherry and cranberry posset amuse bouche. If you follow me on Facebook, you’ve often heard me rave about my friend Cynthia’s posset recipe. I’d never had a cherry or cranberry posset, but it’s now on my list as a larger serving would make a fabulous, light dessert. Incidentally, Cynthia and I indulged in Afternoon Tea by Wedgwood at The Langham Huntington, Pasadena, a few years ago. This beloved British tradition has spread globally, and is now enjoyed by countless cultures.

Posset at the Langham London

Finger Sandwiches

After choosing our teas, including the Langham’s own blend, the perfectly made finger sandwiches were served on the dainty patterned Wedgwood china. They included Cucumber with cream cheese and chives, and Peppered beef pastrami with red Leicester coleslaw. I have never enjoyed corned beef, but I adored this sandwich. They are all the creations of Head Chef Chris King and his team at The Langham, London.

Corned beef sandwich at the Langham, London

Also on the plate was corn-fed chicken with golden sultana on carrot bread, a delectable truffled duck egg brioche, and sitting atop them all was an open-faced smoked salmon asparagus on rye.

Finger sandwiches at the Langham, London.

My daughter is allergic to tree nuts, however, The Langham assured us that the utmost of care would be taken to ensure that her Langham Afternoon Tea would be nut free. She was able to enjoy all of the sandwiches without issue.

Tea Service

Immediately after the savories were served, our teapots arrived, perfectly brewed according to the specifications for each tea. Joanna poured us each a cup of tea, and left us to enjoy it along with the savory offerings.

TIP: If you feel that you may not be comfortable in such a setting, possibly never having been for afternoon tea before, fear not! The Langham has you covered: check out these Dos and Don’ts for afternoon tea etiquette.

Afternoon Tea at the Langham, London (Christina's Cucina)

The afternoon tea experience is truly a break from the banalities of everyday living. Having a hot cup of perfectly brewed tea alongside delectable finger sandwiches was the perfect antidote to our jet lag. There was no rush to go anywhere; we just the enjoyed the food and tea in the uncommonly relaxing atmosphere.

After we had finished our sandwiches, we were offered more. My daughter and I both had one more of our favorites. I was surprised that she chose the Corn-fed chicken sandwich instead of the Cucumber with cream cheese.

Scones and Sweets

Next came the most beautiful sweets, with plain and raisin scones which are served with Devonshire clotted cream and strawberry preserve, along with more hot tea.

Sweets at Afternoon Tea at the Langham

This amazing presentation was created by Executive Pastry Chef, Cherish Finden and her culinary team.

Langham Afternoon Tea Scones

 Inspired by classic Wedgwood collections, the pastries feature butterfly and daisy motifs, and are simply exquisite. Although pleasing to the eye, the flavors of each pastry were just as pleasing to the palate.

My daughter had the same presentation, minus the macaron, due to the nut content. It was replaced with a gold-leaf topped lemon dessert.

Nut free sweets at the Langham Hotel, London

The pastries were phenomenal and if I had to choose, I just wouldn’t be able to pick a favorite. Although, it might possibly come down to a choice between the The ‘Paisley Parcel’ which had layers of moist chocolate cake enhanced with Kahlua and double espresso, and the simple ‘Hathaway Rose’. The flavors of this floral design, topped Lemon Victoria sponge with raspberry jam, reminded me of my childhood years in Scotland.

Two other offerings were the ‘Butterfly Bloom’ featuring a buttery shortbread tower with salted caramel, and the ‘Yuzu for You’ which incorporates the Langham No. 150 chocolate balanced with the acidity of the ‘yuzu’, a citrus fruit originating in East Asia. Last, but not least was the delightful Wedgwood Wild Strawberry: a wild strawberry ‘pâte de fruit’ with a pistachio cream macaron.

The Langham Afternoon Tea pastries by Cherish Finden

John Watson

Before heading to London, one of my loyal readers named Heather had privately messaged me on Facebook when she saw that I was going to The Langham Hotel. She told me that her good friend, John Watson, was the very talented piano player in Palm Court. I asked our waitress if she could find out if the man at the piano was John Watson, and indeed, he was.

It was lovely for him to come to say hello during his break. John is truly a brilliant piano player, and being able to listen to his music during afternoon tea just another reason to indulge in afternoon tea at The Langham, London.

John Watson and Christina Conte at Palm Court, Langham - London

My daughter and I had such an enjoyable, quintessentially British experience having afternoon tea at the Langham in London. I do hope you are able to do the same if you are ever in England’s capital city. Not only was the food and beverage top-notch, but the service was exemplary. It was on point, without being overbearing. Joanna and other servers were there if we needed anything (not that we even had to ask.) We were also offered a beautiful take-away box to bring the remaining pastries with us.

I must say, I’m happy to see this trend of not wasting food growing in Europe (unlike the US, where it has been done for years). Attention to detail is evident in all that is “Langham.”

Attention to detail in everything "Langham"

The price of afternoon tea at The Langham is more than a little tearoom in the British countryside would charge, however, your experience will truly last a lifetime. For the record, you should be having tea at those little tearooms, too! A completely different experience, but if you do your research, there are many gems throughout the UK’s towns and villages.

After having tea, we took a walk down Regent Street and wandered into Liberty’s of London, which is near The Langham, and strolled around the area until it was dark.

Regent St, London
All Souls Church and Liberty’s of London

One thing to remember is that the sun sets very early in January–this photo was taken before 6 pm–but I still love London’s charm and history, no matter the circumstances. (The Langham Hotel is on the left.)

Regent St London at night.

For more information regarding The Langham Afternoon Tea with Wedgwood (London) or to make a reservation, click below~

The Langham, London

 

The Langham Hotel, 1c Portland Place, Regent Street, London, GB W1B 1JA

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Disclosure: I was hosted for afternoon tea at The Langham, London. As always, all opinions are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC guidelines.

Langham afternoon tea

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27 Comments

  1. Hello, I have truly enjoyed reading your post about the afternoon tea. Thank you for sharing! I am visiting London in May so already made a reservation, just to be sure I won’t miss this experience.

  2. Lovely! This sounds like the gold standard by which all afternoon teas should be judged! The filling on those finger sandwiches is bursting! I’m with Denisa, I’d go for seconds of the chicken sandwich too! And those pastries! Each one looks like a work of art! Love the posset as an amuse bouche! I want to go back to London and try out the Langham’s tea!

  3. Wow. A beautiful article, Christina. You made me feel as if I were there right now. Next time in London, I will definitely make having tea here a priority.

  4. I read every word of this with envy. I love afternoon tea in London but it has been so many years since I last did it. This looks like the perfect tea experience in London, and I can see the benefit of doing it on your first day–a chance to relax and have a wonderful meal.
    Since you’re an expert on Scotland and I’ll be going there this summer, I wonder if it’s possible to enjoy afternoon tea in Scotland. If so, any places you’d recommend?

    1. Thank you, Jenna! Absolutely, there are many wonderful places in Scotland to enjoy afternoon tea, ranging from 5 star hotels to little tea rooms tucked away in little villages! For example, The Balmoral in Edinburgh (see my post), Craigard Tea Room in Helensburgh (another post), and The Willow Tea Rooms in Glasgow. You can check The Scottish Baking Awards to find lots of places my friend Melanie has approved as having proper Scottish baking. Enjoy the UK!

  5. Everything about the Langham Afternoon Tea looks absolutely exquisite! Is there anything better than a traditional British afternoon tea? I don’t think so. And Devonshire clotted cream might just be Britain’s greatest gift to the culinary world.

  6. I can’t believe I’ve stayed at the Langham many years ago – but NEVER indulged in afternoon tea there. It looks wonderful, Christina, and bravo to chef Cherish Finden and the team for these sweet delights. Everything looks fantastic, right down to that gorgeous macaron. I’ve been so used to the French way without the savouries that I need to try a more traditional British version with the sandwiches. Imagine even having a guide to etiquette too! I would love to hop over to London one day and live on this Wilde side with copious amounts of tea …

    1. Oh yes, that would be lovely to stay at The Langham, but definitely need to include this afternoon tea experience, Jill! Maybe we’ll be able to go together one day!