Afternoon tea at the Refinery Bankside offers so much more than your standard cakes and a cup of tea…
Think afternoon tea and you’d be forgiven for picturing a formal or even traditional affair. Personally, I’ve always associated it with treating mum; her birthday, Mother’s Day and special occasions. Sure, it’s always nice to indulge in the formal setting of a beautiful hotel as a special treat. However, there’s no written convention that this is the only way to enjoy the quintessential British habit of drinking tea. So, when I got wind of some strange goings-on with Afternoon tea at The Refinery, Bankside, I was more than a little intrigued. I just had to go along and find out.
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Pimm’s O’clock terrace
Refinery’s new Pimms O’Clock terrace is as inviting as anything could be on a hot summer’s day in the city. Red and white candy-stripe deck chairs, a floral wall of white roses and a large screen made it impossible for me to tear myself away even after I’d finished my tea. It was easy to understand why many others were doing the same.
The plot twist here however, is that you can now have a Pimm’s afternoon tea on the terrace. Yep! You read it right. With Afternoon Tea at The Refinery Bankside you can order a Pimm’s tea while you lay back on your deck chair. The menu includes tea and two large scones with clotted cream and Pimm’s infused jam (£4.95), a waffle topped with Pimm’s soaked strawberries (£6.50) and Pimm’s Eton mess (£7.95). With Eton mess being my all time guilty pleasure, there are no trophies for guessing which I tucked in to first. The items on the menu are available individually with tea or Pimm’s. If you prefer to do as I did and have everything the afternoon tea costs just £40. There was more than plenty to share between two people. The scones were generously sized and there’d been no holding back on the Eton mess – an absolute treat.
I enjoyed myself more than expected for someone drinking tea. The scones were perfectly baked and the Pimm’s infusions worked a treat for a light and fun menu.The big screen showing the men’s semi-finals at Wimbledon helped too. I predict that this laid back afternoon tea will continue London’s love affair with Pimm’s all the way in to Autumn. Best of all however, is that you can still take mum.
Find out more about Afternoon Tea at The Refinery Bankside here.
The Refinery Bankside
110 Southwark St, London SE1 0TF
