Afternoon Tea at the Manor? ... Don't mind if I do! :-)

Towards end of school term and I felt like a treat so whizzed off to nearby (about 30mins drive) Hanbury Manor (Hey! If it's good enough for Robbie Williams?!...)  for their afternoon tea experience.  My expectations were thus: there'd be thick plush carpets underfoot, shiny brass around and fine thin china you'd be able to almost look through.  I envisaged wooden clad walls and ancient volumes of well worn books to peruse, sumptuously soft but sturdy and British made chairs at small but spaciously placed apart tables that might all be unique and set out different to one another.  Charming and well dressed (not tarty!) staff that would be well mannered but not overly familiar.  Fine foods done in miniature, fresh real home made bread with crusts all removed and lashes of tea!  

With hindsight it was as follows:  Extremely expensive (after the fixed 15% surcharge applied to the bill it works out about £40 a person).  Wonderful tea, good rich leaves with plenty of 'oomph' in the pot, however it was just crockery, not china!  Food arrived quickly and was a menagerie of made up sandwhiches which were on normal supermarket bread and very dry and icy cold where they'd clearly been made up in batch hours earlier and put in the fridge.  The fillings to the sandwhiches were mighty sparse but after the second delivery of more I didnt mind so much as was very hungry.  Next were the scones, there's enough for 2 each, one fruit and one plain, plenty of preserves and a block of icy cold/solid butter.  the scones were nice, warm too, you could taste the baking powder in them but at least they tasted fresh and just made.  the clotted cream was divine and had the traditional crust on top which I simply adore!  Very full we ventured next to the top tier of desserts.  One of everything; all very sweet and no taste at all.  Made to look pretty and have you buzzing with sugar.  A pity as I was hoping to end on a delectably lush dessert finish.  You can have as much tea as you'd like and there's no extra cost if you wish to double up on the little sandwhich fingers at the beginning.  

Would I go again or recommend it?  For the setting and surroundings in the room and a feeling and look of old England - I'd say yes.  For quality of food I'd say no.  In short, I'd have lunch THEN go there for a cup of tea in that room as it was pleasant and relaxing.  It was my first formal afternoon tea out so not a lot to rate it against but I did expect better quality food for that price.  I always feel when going out for something to eat or drink that I'd expect and like to have something thats at least as good as I could make at home, ideally, better!  In this case I could definitely do better at home.  I'd go again, just for tea and sit and knit in the large window by myself looking out over the lawns.