Bryn Williams St Brides Spa
Llangoed Hall
Afternoon Lowri Cooke travels the length and breadth of Wales to find the tip of the top afternoon tea experiences... For generations in Wales, ‘te’ was the third meal of the day, a light snack before dinner or ‘swper’ . What is more refreshing than a hit of Assam, to wash down the trials and tribulations of the day? Here are some of the top Afternoon Tea hot spots on offer across Wales:
Penceunant Isaf Tea House, Llanberis St Brides Spa Llangoed Hall
The next time you descend ‘Yr Wyddfa’, make your way to Penceunant Isaf. Ideally located on the Llanberis path, this popular farmhouse spot (which dates from 1790) is like a vision from St Fagans. As well as the classic Welsh Rarebit, Snowdon Pudding and Bara Brith, the menu promises ‘The Best Hot Chocolate in Britain’. Steffan Roberts, your charming host, is a splendid raconteur, and don’t forget to buy his Snowdon Café Cookbook! Penceunant Isaf, Snowdon Path, Llanberis, LL55 4UW - 01286 872 606
Bryn Williams Porth Eirias, Colwyn Bay For a contemporary take on ‘Afternoon Tea’, how about taking a wander to Porth Eirias, Colwyn Bay? The magnificent seafront location takes your breath away; what awaits inside is the Welsh version of The Wolseley. Bryn Williams Porth Eirias is the Denbigh-born chef ’s grand vision for Clwyd, following his success at Somerset House and Odette’s in London. A recent addition to the menu is the Afternoon Tea By The Sea,
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www.taste-blas.co.uk
which earned top marks from his Nain, who taught Bryn everything he knows about baking. Start at the bottom, with a selection of sarnies and brioche finger rolls, before reaching the top, to devour a chocolate éclair, lemon meringue tartlet and vanilla & almond financier The local teas are all provided by Seibiant tea shop in nearby Conwy; the name means ‘break’ or ‘respite’, in Welsh. May I personally suggest the rhubarb tea with the bara brith... and do stay for supper too! Bryn Williams Porth Eirias, Colwyn Bay Promenade, LL29 8HH, 01492 577525
Llangoed Hall, Llys-wen Now there’s Afternoon Tea, and then there’s Llangoed Hall’s ‘Laura Ashley Afternoon Tea’; the Radnorshire retreat was once the home of Bernard Ashley, widower of Welsh wonderwoman Laura Ashley. The domestic goddess from Dowlais put Welsh design on the map. To this day, the hall is home to many Laura Ashley touches, including a framed apron, her first ever creation. Chef Nick Brodie and team change the desserts every day; it can vary from a Rhubarb and Custard Tart and a Cherry Roulade, to an Opera Cake, and a Black Forest Gateaux. Perrenials on the menu are the home-made crisps and featherlight sandwich bread. When customers enquire whether they can buy a loaf of the bread, you can bet this is Afternoon Tea taken to the next degree. A recent partaker was none other than Arnold Schwarzenegger. You can guess his response... ‘I’ll be back’! Llangoed Hall, Llys-wen, Brecon LD3 0UP. Tel: 01874 754525
