Edition by Celia by Celia Zeng

CONTENTS Introduction History of afternoon tea

Published in 2016 by Celia Zeng Master of Visual Journalism University of Central Lancashire E-mail: Yzeng3@uclan.ac.uk Telephone: 07922494161 Instagram: CELIA_ZENG This book was designed and produced by Celia Zeng, and all photos are taken by Celia Zeng

Afternoon tea in Manchester The Midland Hotel Cloud 23 Sugar Junction

INTRODUCTION

am a student come from China, and my hometown – Chaozhou is also having rich tea, where people are very

fond of tea, and people is very particular about it. When I have not come in England, and my friends know that I will come to UK and study in here, they would tell me to taste the famous English afternoon tea. That is the reason why I

would choose to do this topic, I want to let more and more people know about English tea. Through more that a month, I collected a lot of information about tea’s culture and history, and visited five afternoon teas in Manchester, and choose three favourite tea rooms, it is Hilton Cloud 23, The Midland Hotel and Sugar Junction. Now, let us go to the afternoon journey!

HISTORY·AFTERNOON TEA

n addition to Chinese people love drink tea, the British also love the tea very much. In both countries, tea have its culture. In China, tea has a stress, however, tea has become a symbol of people enjoy their life in the UK. English afternoon tea is originated in Victorian era, because Anna Maria was started to feel hungry in the afternoon, so she let the servants take some small dessert to eating, and share with her friends, many people began to follow her practice, and let the tea become a ritual, that is also why I call this book as “Victorian”. At the same time, afternoon tea belongs to high society in Victorian era, the end of Victorian era did not end the English afternoon tea, and all kinds of tea rooms began to appear in the community. The tea rooms usually use three porcelains to contain the dessert, according to British & Irish Food Expert Elaine Lemm write in the About food website said that the afternoon tea including sandwiches, and then the scones with butter, jam or cream, cream cake, refreshments food is from high to heavy, from salty to sweet taste. Generally, people start from the bottom of the first layer. In addition to refreshments, the important thing in the afternoon tea is tea. There are so many types of tea, such as, Darjeeling tea, Ceylon Tea, Earl Grey, fruit tea and variety of unique tea from the tea rooms, and so on, some people will add sugar and milk in the tea. When I visit these tea rooms, I found that every tea rooms are very pay attention to the tea table decorations, dessert plate, tableware use, each tea rooms have its own feature. And the time of afternoon tea is start from 1:00pm to 5:00pm, and almost nobody come to tea rooms alone, they will go to the tea rooms with their family or friends.

THE MIDLAND HOTEL

idland Hotel is a hundred years old hotel, and it has welcomed the Queen and the Prime Minister, etc., Rolls-Royce also had founded the company and signing here in 1904. The Octagon Loung restaurant in the hotel's lobby will serves afternoon tea every day, the atmosphere here is not only particularly good, and the waiter's attitude is particularly particularly good! At first, I was not particularly looking forward to come here, to be honest, I do not like the British cake, it is very very sweet. However, when I follow the google map and find here, an old man wearing very neat help us to open the door, when I entered inside the hotel, which is traditional and vibrant decor attracts me. I still remember that day, I have carry a lot of bags, and goes in the restaurant, the waiter not only help me carry things, but also help me to hang up my coat. This service is simply superb! Moreover, the waiter always come to your table and ask you about food from time to time come. There is no doubt that I am sure the service of Midland Hotel is very good in the three tea rooms.

Afternoon tea is very popular in here, through online booking to make a appointment, it is very difficult to make an appointment to the position on weekends or holiday, or even people reservation the afternoon tea in advance a month. In the Midland Hotel, the traditional afternoon tea is 19.95 pounds per person, champagne afternoon tea is 25.95 pounds, tea appointment time is 1.00 pm to 4.30pm. The dessert are using floorstanding three-mahogany shelves of candy, with the rest of the afternoon snack tray is not the same. Moreover, it will change the afternoon tea dessert every month, and each time have been particularly tasty, it does not affect my good impression. I came to here for three times, and I found that almost the elderly come here to enjoy the afternoon tea, they chat while taste the refreshments, they look particularly happy. Usually come here, I would choose to Earl Grey, I have been taste Earl Grey in many shops, where the Earl Grey is the most appealing to me and my friends, it's not the same taste and elsewhere, there was a vegetal amber taste. My friend particularly like their Earl Grey, and even ask the waiter whether the purchase of their home tea. For the dessert here, I also quite satisfactory. The part of salty, it has salmon sandwiches, cucumber sandwiches, and the onion chicken sandwiches is make me impressed. The sweet part has lemon macaron, chocolate cake, toffee cake, and so on. I have eaten the sconce in the Patisserie Valerie, it is very hard to eat, so I have a shadow of eat Scone. However, the scone in here is very good, it would be cut in half, half painted strawberry jam, half painted cream, they will be stacked together, the time when I entrance it in my mouth, I feel particularly sweet. Here, eat one tea and a cake, it is sweet but not greasy, superb! The Midland Hotel, I recommended index of five stars.

CLOUD 23

hen you came out Deansgate train station, you will be able to see the whole of Manchester City's tallest building, it is the Hilton. And Cloud23 is located at the top in the Hilton, while you tasting the tea, you can also landscapes overlooking Manchester City, it can say that the most exclusive afternoon tea restaurant in Manchester City. When I entered the 23rd floor, ceiling windows is in front of my eyes. Luckily, we can sit side-ceiling windows. Cloud23 afternoon tea is also required to book online, traditional afternoon tea is 23 pounds per person, sandwiches and desserts cake will vary depending on the season. Compared with the Midland, the customer in Cloud23 are mostly young people, and a lot of people go there will come up with cell phone camera. Refreshments their home plate is stainless steel and glass-based circular structure, the same is divided into three plate, the first plate put the sconce, and the second plate is a ham sandwich, tuna sandwich, shallot tower, carrots tower and vegetable roll, and the third plate is the dessert, passion fruit mousse, sponge cake and almond tower. My favourite is the passion fruit mousse, it gives people a very particular taste, sweet, sour, and very delicate. If you do not like to eat sweet dessert, you can choose Cloud23, the dessert will not be particularly sweet. On this day, there are three customers come here to celebrate their birthday. It is a pleasure to enjoy afternoon tea in here, because the weather dark early now, you can look the morning time become night at Manchester City's day. If you like to eat and drink while watching the scenery side in afternoon tea time, Hilton recommended index of five stars.

SUGAR JUNCTION

ugar Junction has hiding in the northern quarter in Manchester, it is a retro-style tea shop in the British specialties, from the inside of the furnishings arranged to cup dishes and furniture decoration, the tea room is filled with Victorian style. I will choose the store because I see the online comments about this tea room is very good, and when I arrived there, and I did not see humpback waitresses dressed in the English countryside dress, and it made me very disappointed instantly. Moreover, comparison with the other two tea rooms, it did not like the traditional of Midland Hotel, and not like the top grade of Hilton. But when you sit down, and wait around, you will find that the feeling of the tea room decor is rustic but it will give you a very warm feel, wall clock, floral floor lamps, floral clock, retro furniture and old books and stool ceramic tableware, it really let me have a special feeling.

Sit here and enjoy afternoon tea, it will give people a very relaxed feeling, I really like this tea room, because it does not full as Midland Hotel, and it is not like Hilton give you a nervous feeling, on the contrary, it made me better able to integrate into here. At first, I thought here is not comparable with the other two afternoon teas, but when the waiter brought out a cake pan, it only proves the Chinese proverb: "Never judge people by their appearance", you can not be looked at individually to look for a kinds of stuff defined. This time I drank sugar junction tea, it is also a traditional afternoon tea. The pastry dish here only two plate, the first plate is a sandwiches, cream and jam, and the second plate is a chocolate cake, fresh scone, lemon mousse and white chocolate tower. Their tea sandwiches are different with other restaurants, the other afternoon tea with a slice of bread, they are similar in bread. This tea room can meet everyone's needs of different tastes, I can assure you, there's dessert is not lost the Midland Hotel and Hilton. But it is pity that the little space here, some customers come here need to wait for a seat, from the customer, the age of this tea room is all ages. If you are a tea lover, you must come to here. Recommended Index same is five stars.