Gastronomy in a glasshouse - Sophie Farrah tries Richmond’s new, nature-inspired afternoon tea.
The world’s most stylish garden centre is already a sensory delight – overlooking cattle-filled meadows by the river just outside Richmond town centre, it’s an interior design and food lover’s dream come true.
Crossing its threshold is like entering a magical realm where flora and fauna is king, and now the gastronomic offering has become even more tempting with the introduction of a predictably gorgeous ‘Garden Afternoon Tea’.
The surroundings
Departing from tradition and formality, this botanical bounty is served amongst the flowers and plants in one of the Nurseries’ wonderfully romantic (heated) glasshouses, and it is both a beautiful and delicious homage to Mother Nature herself.
If the weather allows, tea can be enjoyed alfresco but on the day of our visit, we were shown to a table inside a buzzy, busy glasshouse, filled with trailing plants and antique furnishings.
Assembled on a wow-factor Florentine-style, hand-blown glass cake stands that doubles up as a vase filled with magnificent florals freshly picked from the surrounding gardens, a truly beautiful selection of savoury and sweet arrived first.
The food
Simple and rustic, these pretty, mouth-sized morsels change with the seasons; there’s crispy sourdough with prosciutto, Datterini tomatoes and basil; roasted red pepper and almond tartlet with crème fraîche; focaccia with burrata, nasturtiums and sunflower seeds, and – my personal favourite – creamy goat’s cheese on sweet fruit loaf with candied walnuts and pickled shallots. And all that was just the bottom tier...
Further up, we discovered picture-perfect, petal-strewn sweet treats that included mouthfuls of lemon polenta cake with yoghurt and blueberries; Bramley apple, plum and almond tart; a perfectly crispy-chewy meringue with charred nectarines and tarragon syrup; and the unforgettable ‘Baci de Dama’ (lady's kisses) – a beautiful balance of soft, slightly chewy pistachio biscuit, sandwiched with a sweet raspberry filling.
I could have eaten five, at least.
After a brief pause, the stylish horticultural nods continued when a delightful wooden garden trug was placed on the table, filled with small buttermilk scones, still warm, and the customary jam and clotted cream; which you choose to put on first, however, is entirely up to you…
Details
Unlike many traditional afternoon teas, there are no ‘refills’ here, except for the sandwich, which when we visited was soft white bread filled with chickpea hummus and a slice of herb-marinated aubergine.
To drink, there’s a good (but not exhaustive) selection of loose-leaf teas which come in beautiful pumpkin-esque glass teapots, and there’s also the option to add a flute of Petersham’s signature rose petal Prosecco, which I highly recommend.
Much like everything at Petersham Nurseries, their new Garden Afternoon Tea is a stunning example of their unique, spirited style, worship of nature and appreciation for top-notch ingredients and Italian-inspired cooking.
To simply sit in one of their gorgeous glasshouses is already an immense pleasure, but to be also served rose petal fizz, lashings of tea and a cacophony of beautifully presented and wonderfully delicious treats whilst surrounded by cascading bougainvillaea and scented jasmine - well, what could be better?
£45 with tea, £55 with rose petal Prosecco. Garden Afternoon Tea is available every Friday to Sunday from 12 pm until 2.45 pm. Afternoon tea can be booked for up to 12 guests. petershamnurseries.com/dine/garden-afternoon-tea
