It’s January and like the rest of the world I’m trying to lose a few extra pounds so when I was invited to try the Guiltless Gluten Free Afternoon Tea at the Intercontinental London Park Lane I thought hells bells why not! An afternoon tea with no refined sugar served with a pot of green tea; it’s practically a gym session served up in a fancy luxury hotel, right?
Okay I will let you into a little secret, we may have enjoyed the guiltless inspired Cane Rum, Fennel, Lime Juice and Agave Syrup cocktail; the menu says it’s guiltless and that’s the story I’m sticking with!
Sandwiches
The gluten free sarnies are served on Columbian gluten free bread which was fresh and tasty. I liked the twist on the traditional fillings which included Thyme Roasted Butternut with Balsamic Caviar (it was perfection!), Basil Marinated Manouri Cheese with Cucumber, Apple Relish (I’ve just realised that I ate cucumber without realising it!), Smoked Aubergine and Roasted Piquillo Pepper and Nettle Marinated Asparagus rolled in courgette ribbons.
Scones
We were served plain and fruit gluten free scones. The scones passed my rigorous scone test – they were easy to cut into, they didn’t break any teeth and they were yummy.
Unfortunately the fruit scones were a little dry which made them crumbly and a bit messy to eat. As all gluten free scone eating folks know; gluten free scones are extremely tricky little buggers to get right!
Pastries
This is where things get rather interesting! The pastries are free of refined sugars and use natural ingredients. I was pretty darn impressed – free of gluten and refined sugars but how would they taste.
On the day we received a Polenta and Almond Cake (not my favourite, I found it rather dry), a Blueberry and Yoghurt Chiffon Cake made with fresh blueberries (my other half loved this!), a Red Velvet Cake (which was blooming amazing) and my favourite of the day was the flourless chocolate and mint cake (I’m rather partial to an after eight mint or two).
Tea
The Intercontinental London serves a rather fine selection of teas and as I always like a lighter tea when I’m overindulging in afternoon tea so I choose the White Monkey; a green tea grown in the Taimu mountains.
Atmosphere
The Wellington Lounge is an oasis of calm while overlooking the Wellington Arch (which we actually climbed prior to afternoon tea; it was a truly guiltless afternoon tea after walking a spiral staircase!).
Service
The service was attentive and everything that I would expect from The Intercontinental Hotel.
Would I recommend the Guiltless Gluten Free Afternoon at The Intercontinental London Park Lane? I would highly recommend especially if you’re gluten free; it’s nice to see a selection of treats that don’t leave you in a sugar coma plus have a twist on the traditional afternoon teas on offer in London.
The Guiltless Afternoon Tea costs £40pp and can be booked via the Intercontinental London Park Lane website. For a limited time you can experience the afternoon tea for £30pp by booking on 0207 409 3131 and quoting Guiltless30!
xx
Disclaimer: I was provided with a free afternoon tea however I’m extremely picky so a few free scones don’t sway this kiwi – the cocktail on the other hand… A big thank you to the Intercontinental London Park Lane for inviting me to try their new gluten free afternoon tea.
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