Who: The Miss Squiggles Team
Where: Park Plaza, Cardiff
Why: Pink Afternoon Tea, In support of Breast Cancer Month
What we had:
Assortment of Sandwiches:
Cucumber with Mint Crème Fraiche (v)
Free Range Egg mayonnaise with Shiso Cress (v)
Wye Valley Smokehouse Salmon with Cream Cheese
Welsh farmhouse Honey roast Ham with English Mustard
French Pastries and Cakes:
Strawberry Cupcakes
Champagne and Strawberry Jelly with pink cotton Candy
French Macaroons
Freshly Baked Warm Red Berry Vanilla infused Scones
Cornish Clotted Cream and Strawberry preserves
A glass of Mercier Champagne
My dress is blue, heels are on, lips are red…
Hair is up but sadly pearls are missing. I am wearing my grandmother’s rose scarf because a little touch of vintage glamour is not optional…not when you have been invited to the Plaza anyway…
Autumn has finally made its entrance, leaves turned to yellow and in the sky there’s a very shy hint of sun. It’s a quiet afternoon in Cardiff when we arrive at the Park Plaza for our Champagne Afternoon Tea.
From the sumptuous reception we’re kindly ushered to the multi- awarded restaurant Laguna Kitchen and Bar and showed to our pink table by Simone, our lovely waiter for the afternoon.
We have been invited to sample the exclusive Park Plaza’s Champagne Afternoon Tea as part of Breast Cancer Awareness month and we can hardly contain our joy and when I say we I mean me and my beautiful business partner who has dolled up for the occasion.
Simone very professionally brings us a perfect glass of champagne (Mercier if you’re wondering…) that instantly lifts up our spirit and fuels our expectations. Tea-choice follows our champagne and that’s when Simone, even known as the Italian Tom Cruise of tea (and if you have no idea what I am talking about, have a look at the Cocktail clip below) suggests we try two different types of tea and professionally recommend his favourite tea The Iron Goddess of Mercy which proves to have a delicate chestnut taste.
scones and tea
Miss Squiggles is a more of a coffee person so it’s nice to have someone to give her some interesting info about different tea leaves and temperature.
Simone arrives with our tea, Miss Squiggles has The Peach blossom while her business partner, who doesn’t like way too sweet flavoured teas, opts for Simone’s suggestion. We leave our teas in infusions for no more than three minutes and when we try them they’re absolutely blissful; they both are.
We’re still marvelling at our teas when the afternoon tea tower or should I probably say, afternoon tea queen arrives and now, well now we’re speechless. It’s absolutely beautiful. We diligently start with our sandwiches which are fresh, soft and a perfect salty start.
The queen of all afternoon teas
We progress to the second level and that’s when Miss Squiggles gets almost emotional. There’s nothing she loves more than scones and Park Plaza’s scones are most definitely the best she has ever had. The last level brings us a whole different cakes experience. The champagne raspberry jelly is faultless and so are the macaroons. Miss Squiggles is not a big fan of chocolate mint but even she has to admit that the chocolate mint cheesecake is gorgeous and a perfect way to end and polish her taste after so much sugar.
Miss Squiggles & her scarf, so good it got two selfies…
With our bellies full and our heart happy, we stay a bit longer refilling our tea cups and relaxing in the beautiful restaurant chatting about nothing and everything…spending a very pink afternoon…
I promised you a clip, didn’t I? If you want someone who looks just like Tom Cruise in Cocktail but with tea cups instead of cocktail glasses (obvs) you know where you have to go…
x
Miss Squiggles
Every year 2,400 people in Wales are diagnosed with Breast Cancer. For the third consecutive year the Laguna Kitchen & Bar will host their exclusive pink themed Traditional Afternoon Tea in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
A percentage of the proceeds from each Afternoon Tea purchased will be donated to Breast Cancer Care Cymru. The ‘Pretty in Pink’ Afternoon Tea in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Breast Cancer Care Cymru costs £22.95 per person. Please quote ‘Pink Afternoon Tea’ when booking as the traditional Afternoon Tea package will still be available. Call 02920 111 103 or email jlewis@parkplazahotels.co.uk for bookings.
