2020 Park Life!

Becoming more creative!

The coronavirus pandemic has forced many of us to become more creative in the way that we socialise with our friends and family.  I love Afternoon Tea and dining frequently with friends but a lot of that came to a dramatic halt at the end of February this year!

Me and one of my closest friends Petrina plan lovely catch ups each month.  We often visit places of interest, try new restaurants, enjoy a West End show and like to escape the busy city life with a trip away.  During the lock down period we spoke about some of the things that we would like to do when it was a little safer for us to meet up and we decided that we would picnic but in style!

Afternoon tea picnic in style

Much of the inspiration for our picnic derived from our many experiences at Afternoon Teas. We wanted a picnic that was girly, fun and tasty!  The delicious Afternoon Cake Box was purchased from The Lavender House Café in Bromley for £14.95 per person.  Normally the cake boxes are packed individually but as we were picnicking together, I asked for both boxes to be combined. The cake box consisted of may sweet treats that we could share:

• Fruit scones with Cornish Clotted Cream and Strawberry Preserve
•  A slice of homemade Carrot cake
•  A slice of homemade Lemon cake
•  Fresh Macarons
• Meringue Kisses
• Brownie Bites
• Eclairs
• Chocolates and fresh strawberries.

   

The presentation of the cake box was really lovely  and the contents inside the box were absolutely delicious!  I’m a lover of scones but I have to say that my favourite item from this box has to be the carrot cake.  The texture of the carrot cake was soft and the icing was very moreish!  To compliment the cake box we added a bottle of prosecco, a can of elderflower and cherry cider,  sea salt flavoured crisps, salted caramel popcorn and some last minute grapes!

We had such a lovely time, the sun was shining, the conversation was great and the treats were yummy.

I would highly recommend the cake boxes from The Lavender House and score them a perfect 10!  Do click here  to find out more about deals at The Lavender House.

Follow me on Instagram @hazelsfoodandtravels

Until next time…

 

Hazel

x

It’s been a while…

I haven’t blogged in soooo long! I’ve posted pics on my insta page @hazelsfoodandtravels but time to get back on this!

It’s a new year and decade but I will be sharing some of the lovely places, restaurants and afternoon teas I visited in 2019.

Watch this space!

Hazel

x

UP and away in Amsterdam!

A’dam Look Out in Amsterdam

What an experiencet this was! I can’t quite believe that me and Petrina did this lol!

We both sat in our seats  anxiously waiting to be strapped in and ready for the ride to start. I remember the swing being lifted up higher and thinking  to myself ‘no turning back now.’

The ride lasted approximately  3 minutes but believe me,  it felt like we were up there for much longer! At one point an aeroplane flew by and I’m sure that the passengers on the flight could see our faces and how terrified we were.

I tried to put on a brave face, remain calm and smile throughout it whilst admiring the view of the city from up high.

The view was amazing and the experience was definitely  one to remember.

A lovely cool wine spritzer was needed after in the bar where we admired more stunning views of the city.

If you are visiting Amsterdam then A’dam look out is a must to be added to your list.

See more pictures of my Amsterdam trip on my Instagram page @hazelsfoodandttavel

until next time…

Hazel

More tea please!

I will never get bored of going for Afternoon Tea.  It’s such a relaxing way to catch up with friends whilst   Satisfying my sweet tooth!

This is my third time going to the Doubletree Hilton Hotel in Greenwich and it never disappoints.

Everything on the stand was absolutely delicious! Scones are my favourite thing about Afternoon Tea and I will always sacrifice having a few cakes so that I have enough space to enjoy them lol!

Some people enjoy eating scones plain but I love spreading the cream then putting a little bit of jam on top.

My Afternoon Tea experience at Double Tree Hilton was a groupon purchase (bargain) £27.95 for two people instead of £40!

Can anyone recommend any good places that offer lovely cream tea? Afternoon tea as a whole is great but I enjoy the large pot of tea and scones most!

Please feel free to comment on your favourite part of After on tea.

 

 

 

 

Life’s a beach 🏖

Alcudia Beach Majorca

As the season begins to change, I long to be lounging on a beach, wearing flip flops, treading through the soft white sand.

Alcudia beach in Majorca is like paradise. Soft, clean, white sand that stretches for miles. It’s also very peaceful (great for people like me who like to lounge and get into a good book)

This is definitely one of my most favourite beaches that I have been to.

Until next time…

Hazel xx

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheesecake Obsession!

Cheesecake doesn’t appeal to everyone but I absolutely love it! There’s just something about the lovely creamy  centre and crunchy base that I can’t get enough of.

The Cheesecake Factory in Miami

Whilst on holiday in Miami, my friend Dawn and I decided that our trip wouldn’t be complete with out checking out the Mall. (Every woman loves to shop right) It was after we stoped for lunch that we spotted The Cheesecake Factory. I thought to myself a restaurant dedicated to Cheesecake, I just have to try it!

It was 8pm (yes, an entire day spent at the mall), lunch was satisfying so we decided to head to The Cheesecake Factory for a sweet treat. I have never seen so many cheesecakes all under one roof!

The Atmosphere was buzzy and people were happily tucking into their food.( The menu does contain actual food but most people were eating cheesecake)

I love lemon cheesecake but the Oreo cheesecake caught my eye. I am  not a big chocolate fan but it just looked so appealing.

After the first bite, I was not disappointed. It was so creamy, oozing with chocolate and simply morish. The cream on the side was not needed but made the plate look pretty. I would score this Cheesecake a high 10/10 🙌🏾

Patisserie Valerie

Talk about a mountain of thick cream. Oh so delicious but a little too much! After four bites I decided that I had, had enough. I never thought I’d say this but it was too sweet!

My friends daughter who is 4 helped herself to a small slice and absolutely loved it. She wanted more and more but we didn’t fancy an afternoon with a hyped four year old.

I think that the cheesecake could have been half the size or even just a small square as the flavour was far too rich. Unfortunately this cheesecake scores a disappointing 4/10

Toscana Italian

What a pretty slice of cheesecake! Appearance isn’t everything but something well presented makes you just want to dive into it. This strawberry cheesecake was so enjoyable. It was full of flavour, had a large amount of cream and the most perfect biscuit base. The portion size was great and I ate every last bit of it lol.

This cheesecake scores a high 10/10🙌🏾

 

Qbar and Kitchen

This cheesecake was just what I needed after a stressful of teaching.

I remember browsing the dessert menu and reading ‘cheesecake of the day.’ I assumed it would just be lemon but thought I’d ask anyway. My face lit up with a massive smile  when the waiter said ‘Red Velvet.’ I  love red velvet cake but never before have I had a cheesecake version of it. As I waited anxiously for my dessert, I remember thinking ‘please be good and don’t ruin my love for red velvet cake.’

I was wowed after the first bite. It tasted just how it should but with a lovely crunchy biscuit base. I have a sweet tooth but did find this cheesecake a little too sweet. I think an accompliment of ice cream would have gone very well.

This cheesecake scores 9/10 😋

Cottons

I love passion fruit cocktails but never before had I eaten a passion fruit cheese cake, I was intrigued.

Presenttation wise I felt that there was too much going on  on my plate and that the plate was simply too big for this cheesecake. A long dish would have made it look more appealing.

Flavour wise, I couldn’t fault it. It was simply delicious and very filling. I couldn’t eat all of it due to its rich flavour but it did not disappoint.

This cheesecake sores an 8/10

Turkuaz

What a cheesecake! This was a passion fruit cheesecake with almond nuts on the top. I am not a fan of nuts, so I carefully picked them off.

This cheeaecake was not overwhelmingly sweet but was flavourful enough. The raspberry sauce complimented it well and the vanilla ice cream was very refreshing. Let’s not forget the creamy centre and boy was this good!

This cheesecake scores a 9/10 😊

 

 

I hope that you have enjoyed reading about some of the different cheesecakes that I have eaten.

Until next time…

Hazel xx

 

Afternoon tea treat at Voltaire

I can’t get enough of Afternoon Tea! It’s such a relaxing but fun way to catch up with friends without feeling like you have to rush.

I took one of my closest friends here, who at the time was heavily pregnant for a little pre baby treat.   She has a sweet tooth like me, so I knew that afternoon tea would be right up her street.

Away from the busy streets of London, hidden inside the Crown Plaza hotel was the Voltaire Bar. It was perfect, the atmosphere was calm and it wasn’t packed. We were given our own booth and felt like VIP, my friend was blown away.

We sat very comfortably in our booth as we were brought pots of tea and our wonderful stand of yummy treats. They had a wide selection of tea but of course being traditional I stuck with my usual English Breakfast.

The presentation was lovely and the food definitely lived up to my expectations. For me, scones are the best part of any afternoon tea and they didn’t disappoint. I spread mine with clotted cream and raspberry jam and munched away.  We stayed for about 3 hours and had a wonderful time.

I managed to get this deal on groupon. At the time it cost £26 for two people instead of £52 for us both. Now that’s a bargain!

Until next time…

Hazel

xx

Dinner at the Savoy London🍸

What an experience this was….

I remember opening an envelope on my 30th Birthday from one of my closest friends Petrina. Inside was a voucher for a  three course meal with a glass of champagne 🙌🏾 All I needed to do was book.

We both couldn’t contain our excitement as we stepped out of the taxi. The entrance was so grand! The interior is based on the twenties and thirties and is oh so elegant.

We arrived early enough to have a drink in the bar. We had our own little booth it was perfect! With a cocktail in our hands we toasted to the night ahead 🥂

The food was absolutely delicious and the standard so high that every little detail was noticible. Just look at the lovely dishes below! I haven’t eaten a better sticky toffee pudding since dining at kaspers!

We had such a great time and will definitely be returning to try out the afternoon tea.

Hazel

xx

 

 

 

A quick tea stop!

Every shopping trip needs a tea stop right? You reach that part of the day when you need a little pick me up, preferably in my case something sweet 😊

I came across B’s Bakery randomly whilst spending an afternoon browsing the shops in Covent Garden. From the outside it looked so inviting that we had to go in. Of course it was packed (the sign of a good tea and cake shop)

Nothing compares to a good pot of English breakfast tea! ( tea lovers will understand) I also enjoyed a rather large slice of sponge cake, covered in raspberry icing, filled with cream. It was simply divine! My mum had a vanilla cupcake which she too very much enjoyed.

B’s bakery provide sweet and savoury treats with a lovely French flare.  Check out the link below and get yourself there!

https://b-bakery.com

Hazel

xx