Afternoon tea is my favourite meal. I know that it might not be the healthiest meal but it trumps on the luxurious indulgence stakes.
I was delighted to be invited to the Carlton Hotel in Blanchardstown to celebrate the launch of their afternoon tea menu. The simple thought of it had me up early in the morning and ready to travel.
Like any true afternoon tea addict it is always a complete experience, so I started with my outfit. It had to be my Lindy Bop Tea dress. Feeling pretty and bubbling with excitement I set off on my journey with fellow bloggers Sinead from Yummy Mummy and Dolores from Irish Health Hour.
The mood was set with lots of girly chats and laughs and we arrived in good spirits.
A Hotel with a Heart
Some people might say that a hotel is simply a hotel, but this hotel has heart. What a beautiful warm welcome we received. The staff were fantastic, friendly and efficient.
As we entered the room where the tea party was being held I just wanted to swirl and twirl in my party dress. The attention to detail was second to none and my eyes kept jumping around to take in the detail, all of which built atmosphere and excitement.
Pimp my Prosecco
Before we sat down for tea we were offered a glass of prosecco, but not just any prosecco. This cute primp my prosecco stand meant that we could add flavourings and fruit to our glass of sparkle. As delicious as it was, I wanted to watch my intake and the great staff immediately assisted by pimping sparkling water for me.
The perfect ingredients for afternoon tea for me are great company, excellent hot tea and lots of it and of course the foody goodies. As we sat down at a perfectly decorated table with great little details like name plates and little flowers I glanced over at the fine china and knew I was in for a treat.
The cake stands were delivered and we all simply dived in. The bottom layer of sandwiches was my first dive in. The classic smoked salmon and brown soda, a yummy delicious chicken with apple wood smoked cheddar (so yummy that I was looking for a second one), fresh tasting egg mayonnaise and cucumber and finally a roast beef. I was ok with missing out on the beef (as I don’t eat red meat), and was delighted to sit back and sip at my tea.
My number one tea party food is a good scone. These scones served with jam and cream were fluffy and light inside with just the right amount of crisp. The addition of lemon drizzle cake and a fruity banana bread was just the right balance before reaching for the top tier!
The top-tier of any tea stand is pure indulgence and this was no different. Creamy, dreamy coconut cake, delicious vanilla cheesecake, toffee Mille Feuillee and beautiful little custard tarts which are my mother’s favourite. The big decision – to choose or simply have one of each.
There was a lot of delicious food and I enjoyed it. It was great fun though and between lots of laughs as we experimented with Boomerang and dived into our goody bags. Time simply flew.
Just a small note at this stage on the goody bags. They were fabulous with lots of treats for us bloggers to try. I will be featuring many items on my Instagram (@DynamicKerry) and my blog in the weeks to come. We were gifted all sorts of goodies from a range of sponsors. These included the Carlton Hotel, Ultra Pure Laboratories, Human + Kind, Dr Paw Paw, Ardell Lashes, Graham Anthony, Debenhams, Nude by Nature and from local retailers including Chopped, O’Breins Wines, and Westend Retail Park.
This was my kind of afternoon, and to be honest my perfect social occasion. I will definitely be back!
We even finished off the afternoon with a gin cocktail! Who could say no to that?
A hotel with a lot more to offer
Before the day ended we had a tour around the hotel and I added to my wish list. Beautifully appointed rooms just invite you to sink into soft pillows and take a rest.
The fab business centre caught my eye. Working from home I am often looking for somewhere to hold a meeting or simply work and write when I am out-of-town. I will be working on a different blog post over on www.kerrymanning.net all about working on the go and will definitely be including the facilities at the Carlton Hotel in Blanchardstown.
The Carlton Hotel is conveniently located close to the fabulous Blanchardstown Shopping Centre and in easy reach of the airport.
Thank you for reading. Let me know if you indulge in afternoon tea at the Carlton Hotel Blanchardstown or wherever you live. Remember tea and cake is best shared with friends.
Kerry xx
