As hard-core Disney fans and massive foodies, it was only a matter of time before my sister, mum and I settled down in a swanky London hotel to sample the popularised Beauty and the Beast afternoon tea. Our venue for this delight was The Kensington in Chelsea, mingling with the upper crust of west London society. We felt so regal tottering along the hotel’s marble floors, its typical Georgian styling airy and painted in turquoise and duck egg blue.
The Kensington certainly didn’t hold back when it came to its chosen Disney theme. Each table was decorated with a single red rose, stark against the white tablecloth and white and pale blue striped china, as well as a gingerbread biscuit each, shaped and decorated to look like Belle’s famed yellow ballgown. Models of Lumiere and Cogsworth filled the room too.
We opted for the champagne afternoon tea, naturally, which came at an increased price of £46 per person. Although this may be deemed expensive for an afternoon tea, I really cannot stress enough the quality and thoughtfulness that went into the meal. Creatively, it adhered to its Beauty and the Beast theme wonderfully, and we were filled with childlike delight and wonder as we explored some of the treats before us. Secondly, this afternoon tea had a few key differences to a typical tea; we really liked this and it helped make the tea stand out even more.
For example, we started with a hot menu consisting of bite-sized venison pies, beef ragu and saffron arancini balls and a cheese souffle, naturally. These were divine, the meat tender and punchy with flavour. Sandwiches were still present and correct however, with fillings such as smoked salmon and creme fraiche, chicken and cranberry, cucumber and cream cheese and egg mayonnaise. All of the ingredients just seemed very high quality, everything was put together very well and each bite was simply delicious. It was good to get a mix of hot and cold savouries too, to suit all taste buds and preferences.
Uniquely, instead of scones, we were provided with miniature sweet brioche baguettes, to reflect Belle’s hometown. The breads were served with apricot preserve and a chocolate dip, so we could dunk and smear the sweet and soft bread in whatever we fancied. This was a great French spin on the scone platter, especially as the breads were so soft 
and tasty, with a lovely shine to the exterior of the bread.
As for the pastries and cakes, this is where the creativity really happened. A dense and rich dark chocolate tart, complete with ganache, was decorated as Cogsworth, while a whipped and fluffy white chocolate mousse, nestled inside Chip teacups, was pipped as the ‘grey stuff’; it really is delicious! A vanilla and gold jelly was styled with rose petals to look like the iconic jar containing the Beast’s rose, while coconut and chocolate macaroons mirrored the snowballs used in the playful fight between Belle and Beast. I loved the coconut dusted on the outside of the chewy meringue, filled with dark chocolate inside.
I tried to savour each morsel, but it was so tasty I couldn’t help but scoff what was in front of me! Not only was it all delicately and beautifully prepared with amazing attention to detail, but the flavour matched the appearance to make everything very yummy to eat too. Definitely one of the most unique and mouthwatering afternoon teas I have ever enjoyed.
I also branched out to try a new tea, called cloud tea. This was a black tea that had notes of caramel, malt and apricot. I rather enjoyed it actually as it was still a black tea, which tends to be my preferred choice, but it had an interesting and sweet flavour so I was still trying something new.
I can’t recommend this experience enough. The menu is excellent storytelling and takes you straight to the highlights of one of our favourite Disney movies. The quality of the food and the ingredients is obvious and wonderful to get your chops around. The creativity, ambience and service were all spot on and we enjoyed ourselves immensely, feeling very glamorous and high-class in such an opulent venue, yet also indulging our inner child with the numerous Beauty and the Beast references. A fabulous experience and one I’ll always remember.
The Discount Deal Menu 