Tea Anyone??

Afternoon Tea At Claridge's, London


Claridge's hotel in London is renowned for its high standards and elegance, as well as its supreme dining, being home to Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen. But if there's one thing this hotel does better than anyone else it's Afternoon Tea. Claridge's serves the finest traditional English Afternoon Tea I have ever had the pleasure of tasting - and to say this isn't an exaggeration, as the hotel proudly holds the Tea Guild Award of Excellence and has retained this title for four years running.

    Afternoon Tea is served in The Foyer, the tranquil and cosy setting at the heart of the hotel. Surrounded by classy decor and the accompaniment of soothing live dining  music, it's clear that Claridge's is a far cry from the likes of the noisy hustle and bustle of Afternoon Tea served in department store cafes. This place simply oozes sophistication and refinement. So it's out with the trackie bottoms and dirty, worn out trainers if you're hoping to land a table in this dining room.

     Once seated, diners are presented with the tea menu - and it has to be said this menu is quite something. With a selection of over thirty teas, you're quite literally spoilt for choice. They have everything from 'Pinhead Gunpowder Green Tea', to the classic 'English Breakfast', along with Claridge's very own 'Royal Tea'. After choosing, your tea is brought to you along with an assortment of delicate finger sandwiches. The platter includes a variety of fillings, including fine chicken and ham, fresh salmon and cream cheese and cucumber. There is certainly something to please any palate. And there's no need to worry about savouring over each bite, as they will kindly bring you out another load so you can eat until your hearts content. Oh, and don't fret about having to pour your own tea either - if the waiters see you attempting to refill your own drink, they will come rushing over to relieve you of the burden. This hotel aims to please.

      Once you feel satisfied from the sandwiches, it's onto the deserts. You are offered a selection of delectable little fancies, including fruit cake, rhubarb panna cotta, a fruit tartlet, a slice of chocolate fudge cake, and of course, the classic scones. Claridge's serve a selection of apple and raisin scones for you to tuck in to, accompanied with their very unique tea-infused jam and Devonshire clotted cream. The scones came freshly baked and were delightfully crumbly and light, whilst the clotted cream tasted utterly exquisite - a world apart from the hard, stocky, cheese-like substance found adorning the supermarket shelves. Now, to say these scones tasted good would be the understatement of the year. They were absolutely heavenly - quite literally the best scones I have ever tasted. And it seems I'm not the only one bearing this opinion, as the only sounds that could be heard emanating from the table were the "oohs" and "ahhs" that just couldn't be restrained. All I can say is hats off to Mr Ramsay, you've done a splendid job!

     With Afternoon Tea like this, it's no wonder Claridge's is so renowned, attracting the likes of Sir Elton John, Whoopi Goldberg, and Johnny Depp. This hotel is seated on a pedestal above the rest. It even offers an exclusive gluten free range so it can be enjoyed by everyone. But if I did have to make one tiny, miniscule complaint, it would be the consistent topping up of the teapot with hot water rather than bringing out a fresh pot. What you're left with is a rather watered down version of the formerly tasty brew you began with, which was a bit of a shame since they were more than happy to keep 'refilling' the snacks. For such a classy place, they really should spring for a new pot when its finished - although they did provide a little tin of Claridge's tea at the end of the meal to take home so this more than made up for it! But if this is the biggest complaint I can think of, it's pretty clear that this place can't do much wrong.

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A few videos from My Chemical Romance on their World Contamination Tour - MEN Arena 18th Feb 2011

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Wherefore art thou...Gnomeo??

Gnomeo and Juliet - An Inspired Tale

Inspired by Shakespeare classic, Romeo and Juliet, this movie takes the tale of two star-crossed lovers to a whole new dimension. Set in the back gardens of two feuding neighbours, its hard to imagine how this story bares any relation to the original. Yet all the tell-tale signs are there - the Capulet and Montague family names adorning the letter boxes, the rivalry and hatred emanating from both sides of the garden fence, and of course, the biggest give away of all, the name of the movie. Yes, this is certainly a tale that captures the infamous ideologies of its predecessor, but what's great about it is that it does so in a completely unique and innovative way.
     Like the original, the plot follows the doomed love of protagonists, Gnomeo and Juliet, as they desperately seek a life of happiness together, whilst in a world determined to keep them apart. Along the bumpy course of their brooding romance, the pair battle to overcome endless obstacles brought about by their feuding families, which will test the strength of their allegiance to each other and to their loved ones. Yes, there's no denying that this movie is action packed - from the battle of the lawnmower races, the discovery of a secret garden and its eccentric pink-feathered inhabitant 'Featherstone,' the comical portrayal of Mr Shakespeare himself, right up to the vandalism of the cherished garden toilet (yes toilet) - there's quite simply never a dull moment.

     Gnomeo and Juliet is certainly less doom and gloom when compared to the tragic outlook presented by Shakespeare. Yes, his work is indeed one of genius, but who says you can't fun it up a bit? From the bright colours of the garden, as well as the gnomes themselves, to the accompaniment of the toe-tapping beats of Sir Elton John, this version definitely paints a more cheerful picture. It undoubtedly reaches out to the modern day viewer, what with the Elton John inspired gnome adorning ridiculously glittery glasses, to the Grease style closing as the gnome-mobile floats away into the sky. Yes, its all frightfully good fun - but does it have the ending we all hoped for in the original?
     This revised version of a classic tale makes the workings of Shakespeare more accessible, and somewhat more appealing, than its original. It requires significantly less brain power to actually follow what is going on, and all that fancy, Shakespearian language (which I personally feel was just invented with the incentive to confuse everyone) is tossed aside, leaving a much more manageable storyline to deal with. So even if you're not a literary boffin, or a Shakespearian nerd, this movie is still worth a moment of your attention. And if the story does fail to inspire you, I guarantee at the very least you'll never look at your garden gnome in quite the same way again.

**As seen in The Motion Online**