Afternoon Tea at Slaley Hall

Booked afternoon tea at Slayley hall. On arrival shown to table set up in the main restaurant which was unfortunately very noisy due to amount of people in there. Asked if we could have it in one of the smaller rooms and we were shown to the whisky snug which was perfect for afternoon tea. Waiter who looked after us was amazing and we felt like nothing was too much trouble. He explained everything that was on the afternoon tea and options. The food was lovely and very fresh and the surroundings perfect for an afternoon tea.

Staff were great but food was just okay....a bit more savoury and less cakes would be better.Also one scone is more than sufficient for an afternoon tea.

I had a £50 voucher for tea for two and was a little disappointed, to be honest. We got three small finger sandwiches each, 2 scones each with clotted cream and jam and a brownie and bun. It just seemed a little measly for the money paid..however we did enjoy three pots of tea which was good. I've previously had afternoon tea at Slaley Hall and recall there were a lot more choice, it was also served in a smaller room which was a lot more ambient. Such a shame, I think, I just wanted it to feel a bit more special than it was.

Upon arriving we weren’t told where to go, so we had a wonder around and found the restaurant.When we arrived at the restaurant, we were greeted by a waiter, who was really scruffy looking, although wearing a black tie, his shirt was grey (supposed to be white) and hanging out of his trousers, could see his stomach. He was wearing a suit jacket, which later decided to take off as he stated, loudly to the other staff that he was sweating, the hung it over an unoccupied table chair. We were seen to quickly, had out tea brought out but has to ask for our milk, the tea had started to cool by this point. We asked for hot water and that was fine.The tables around us still had food and pots on them from previous guests. The music was ok, but then the doors were opened to allow air in and we could hear the outdoor cinema being played, so we had a mix of music and shrek!We were the only guests in the restaurant, when the staff decided to clear away the other tables, we felt really rushed, as if they wanted us to leave. We asked for a box to put the rest of our food in, left the restaurant and found the bar, where we paid for another tea and settled there nicely.

Visited for a birthday afternoon tea but the visit was distinctly underwhelming sadly. Service was slow, with the server being overly familiar, a little bah humbug and always with his shirt hanging out. We were given a standard afternoon tea but wanted the festive moet option but no-one asked us for anything other than tea or coffee. The sandwiches were tasty but the cakes were really disappointing. The scones looked like they came straight out of a tesco plastic packet and there were only four plain ones. The little fudge and victoria sponge cakes were rock hard and we didn't eat these. There was no festive music or any other ambiance. Wouldn't book again which is a shame as it has the potential to be fantastic.