Review of Afternoon Tea at the Village Hotel, Dudley

Like millions of us across the globe, I love afternoon tea. Any excuse to fit another meal in between lunch and dinner, which is primarily made up of treats, is going to score massive brownie points. So I was delighted to be asked to write a review of afternoon tea at the Village Hotel, Dudley.

Since having my daughter over 2 years ago (no idea where the time has gone) afternoon tea has become even more of a treat. It’s a perfect excuse for a bit of me time where I can pretend I am sophisticated for a few hours, before heading home to throw on my comfy togs and get busy with the play-doh/glitter glue/building blocks/teddy bears picnic (or all of the above).

Afternoon tea with a celebrity

The afternoon tea at the Village Hotel has been introduced recently. It is a creation from Candice Brown of GBBO fame. With such a well-known baking superstar behind the menu, it would have been rude to turn it down.

Afternoon tea is available on Saturdays between 2pm and 5pm. I enlisted the help of my mum (it was a tough job, I’m sure) to come along and check out the new offering. You can choose to have tea or coffee, or go for something a bit more decadent (and boozy) with prosecco, G&T, Aperol Spritz or Pornstar Martini. With a toddler to put to bed later that evening I didn’t fancy falling asleep reading Mog books so I stuck to the tea. Admittedly we did have a sneaky glass of prosecco which we shared between us and it was very tasty. I would recommend it if you’re in the mood for something bubbly.

Impressive menu and food quality

The afternoon tea menu is certainly intriguing, and the food is impressive. The savouries include two different types of tarts. These are a smoked salmon and asparagus, and a roasted sweet potato, chorizo and red pepper. Both were delicious, although the latter had the edge. The sweet potato and chorizo were a divine combination, with a slight hint of spice balancing it out.

The prawn marie rose with avocado on a cracker was also a big hit. I think the cracker was rye or a similar dark grain and it worked really well with the toppings. There was an egg mayonnaise brioche roll too, and while it was pleasant, it wasn’t stand-out.

Moving onto the cakes (what else is afternoon tea for if not an excuse four cakes in a row) those with a sweet tooth would be in heaven. The chocolate and orange scones were a really good twist on the classic scone. I piled on the clotted cream and it was really decadent. I didn’t add jam as well, but it is included in the afternoon tea. Perfect if you fancy being full on traditional with your modern scone.

The peanut and chocolate brownie was stunning; it is like a snickers bar combined with a big slab of cakey goodness. Completing the line-up were rhubarb and custard profiterole, and a mini cornflake tart with lemon curd. Both were equally moreish.

Overall thoughts

Overall it was a top-notch afternoon tea. I can completely see why Candice won GBBO (confession – I have never watched a single episode of it, but obviously the hype around the show is unavoidable). I love it when places offer afternoon tea with a twist, but still leave enough of a link to its traditional roots.

Before our afternoon tea we had used the pool at the hotel. I won’t say too much about this as let’s be honest, this post is all about the food! But it was a nice size and the sauna was great. The spa pool (like a jacuzzi) was lovely and warm. There are a number of sunbeds along the back of the pool as well. So it is a nice place to chill out.

10/10 for afternoon tea at the Village Hotel Dudley. If you’re looking to treat yourself, celebrate, or want to buy a gift for a GBBO fan, I would highly recommend it. Prices start at £17.50pp and go upwards if you’re having alcohol. I think this is reasonable given the quality of the food. You can find out more about the hotel and book your afternoon tea online.

Where’s your favourite afternoon tea spot?

I was invited to try out afternoon tea at the Village Hotel in Dudley free of charge, for the purpose of this review. As always the provision of free products or meals does not influence my views. They remain entirely my own, and are always honest.