Lorraine Kelly
Montcalm Mayfair is brewing the kettle for something special. Montcalm Mayfair has unveiled Into the Garden Afternoon Tea, a refined yet imaginative spread that treats Georgian gardens as a blueprint—not a museum piece.
Expect heritage with a pulse: time-honoured flavours, modern textures, and a setting at Lilli by Akira Back that feels like you’ve stepped into a painted greenhouse.
This new menu nods to Britain’s botanical past and the creative rule-breaking of Constance Spry—the florist, author and culinary disruptor who swapped fussy Victorian displays for hedgerow cuttings and everyday objects.
She’s also credited with inventing Coronation Chicken for Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation luncheon, so a respectful re-imagining of the classic sits at the heart of the offering.
The idea is simple: where food and flowers intertwine, stories follow. That’s the energy running through this tea—seasonal, sensory, and unashamedly British.
Honouring the social grit behind tea culture, the experience also tips its hat to Elizabeth Montagu and her Blue Stockings Society—18th-century salons where women dissected literature, politics, art and life over a steaming brew.
In 2025 terms: come for the cake, stay for the conversation. The menu keeps one foot in tradition and one in the wild, with highlights including a silky Matcha Opera slice, Dressed Crab Brioche Rolls, and that stately Coronation Chicken Sandwich—polished, precise, and revived by Head Chef Roger Hutchinson at Lilli by Akira Back.
It’s not just adults getting a look-in. A playful children’s menu—think petite sandwiches, sweet treats and fun sips—means younger guests are part of the ritual rather than parked on the sidelines. Good manners and crumb-strewn smiles are expected.
The backdrop does the heavy lifting. Set on land once belonging to the Great Forest of Middlesex, Montcalm Mayfair leans into London’s natural history with lush interiors, hand-painted murals and an art collection of 800+ pieces curated by Culture A—many commissioned for the hotel.
The result is a cocoon: leafy, cultured, and a world away from Oxford Street’s bustle. It’s exactly the kind of room where an afternoon tea can feel like an event rather than an obligation.
Tea matters, obviously. To get it right, Montcalm Mayfair has partnered with Camellia’s Tea House, known for hand-harvested loose-leaf blends and botanical seriousness. The pair have curated a bespoke selection to match the garden-first brief—fresh, layered, and built to flatter the savouries as much as the sweets.
Service runs daily from 12:00 noon to 4:00 pm, which neatly avoids the brunch crush and pre-theatre scramble. If you like your rituals rooted in history but plated for now, Into the Garden Afternoon Tea at Montcalm Mayfair lands the brief: considered, charming, and just irreverent enough to be memorable.
