- Oh!
- Repeat the correct version of the word scones or scones.
- Scones.
(bell)
- Yes.
- It's scones. - [ Rich] Three won.
It's 9:25 and we're off for afternoon tea.
Worth It, the show where we try three different foods
at drastically different price points
to determine which is the most...
- Worth it. - Worth it.
(cymbal crash)
We're going to the Cotswolds.
(machines running)
(orchestral music)
- This feels a little bit like middle earth.
There's even a beheading stock.
(evil laughter)
(cash register chimes)
- I'm Ana Bennett, proprietor alongside
my mum, Lucy's Tearoom.
It's been a tearoom almost 30 years.
Home baked scones and cakes,
all of the traditional English fare.
- You know anything of about like, the history
of afternoon tea?
- Wealthier English families,
they would fit in tea and cake mid-afternoon
when they had a bit of a lull.
- So they just squeezed in an extra meal?
- Just a bit greedy really.
Brie and cranberry. - Oh yeah.
- Egg and cress sandwiches served on fresh bread.
Scones with jam and cream.
- Notice she said scones.
- I think the Queen's English is scone.
- I'm not related to the Queen, I don't care.
- Homemade cakes on the top and a pot of tea of your choice.
So today you're gonna be eating
the Stow's Special Afternoon Tea.
(cash register chimes)
For two people, it's 21.50.
(staccato orchestral music))
- This is actually real life old-school England, isn't it?
- [Together] Cottage Life.
- Yeah.
- I hate to use this word, but it's very quaint.
- You know what, everyone wants a bit of glitz
and glam, but sometimes you just want to keep it chill.
- I love it.
(rattling)
(beeps)
- The savory plate's always my favorite plate.
- Look at the amount of brie in that.
(pouring liquids) (clinking cups)
- Cheers. (sighs)
- I can hear you swallowing.
I can hear it like.
(swallow)
(record scratching)
- In case you're wondering where Joe is,
he's on holiday, yeah.
Oh my god.
Simple classic sandwich.
It's to perfection.
- Crackin' on with a scone?
- I don't know what you're talking about Ada,
all I see are scones.
Meaty bad boy.
- It's like perfect.
- Can you hurry up?
- I'm trying to finesse this.
- Oh you've done a lot of jam.
- Yeah, I've gone overboard.
(clinking cups)
- I'm not kidding, I think that's the best scone
I've ever had in my life.
- You never go amiss with homemade jam.
- [Rich] Cake time.
- Look at the weight on that.
- You get caffeine in a coffee cake?
- I'd assume so.
- I'm gonna be wired.
They look like these big,
- Exactly.
- Stodgy cakes, but they're not.
It's all their - [Ada] Really hot.
light and fluffy. - [Ada] Really hot.
- There's a few almonds in them,
the apples are so soft,
there's obviously a bit of lemon drizzled in there.
Perfect mix.
- Well I loved every minute of this.
Tasted homemade, nothing pretentious,
it was so good.
- The cakes, they were beautiful.
- Works of art.
I kind of wish I was an old lady.
And I could just do this every afternoon.
(swish)
Afternoon tea joke.
(swish)
- No, I got nothing.
- What?
- Sorry guys, it's gonna be a somber trip.
(swish)
- [Rich] Afternoon tea fact.
(swish)
- Okay, here's a fact.
We're about to go have afternoon tea.
Fact. (bell chimes)
(cash register chimes)
(upbeat jazz music)
- My name's Ron Campbell, I'm the General Manager
here at the Sanderson Hotel.
- Coolest lifts in the world.
(swish)
- The hotel opened in 2000.
It was seen as one of the true
first lifestyle boutique hotels in London.
The afternoon tea started on the back of
Through the Looking Glass with Johnny Depp.
We actually hosted the premier party.
- Any celeb goss?
- No, we never kiss and tell. - Aw.
- Yeah.
When that party was here, the shift team here
decided to launch a Mad Hatter's afternoon tea.
We start off with a salmon and quail's egg scotch egg.
It has a small bit of sour cream and caviar on top.
The Mad Hatter's lost carrots,
an orange jelly on the inside.
Queen of hearts jammy dodger.
It's a strawberry jam infused with a bit of rose.
One of our most popular items, it's a vanilla macaroon
to replace the white chocolate disk one
with a puck of white (mumbles)
and it's one of those that gets
a lot of Instagram photos taking of.
(camera clicking repetitively)
We worked with our tea supplier
to create some bespoke teas.
We have a tea called Cheshire Cat,
which has a slightly orange taste to it.
The White Rabbit, which is made with silver leaf needles
- That White Rabbit sounds lush.
(record scratching)
- [Male Voice Off Screen] Scone or scone?
- Scone. (bell)
- (chuckles)
- We have this argument all the time.
Today you'll be having the Mad Hatter's Afternoon Tea,
available for 48 pounds per person.
- Were at the Mad Hatter's Tea Party.
(bells)
That's what she drinks to get small, right?
- [Ada] Yeah.
- And then you get this book, which has the menu in it.
- I'm gonna get some sugar from my.
- Aw.
- Music box.
- I feel really peaceful.
(music box music) (swish)
- We have a blue caterpillar, shrooms, pocket watch things.
- And the chess pieces, fantastic!
- Some foliage.
- (chuckles)
- Do you think this is edible?
No, it's not, it's awful.
- (laughs)
- Of course, we still have some scones.
- Love a scone.
(clink) (swish)
(clink)
- Scotch egg first.
- It's not your normal scotch egg, is it?
It's got caviar on top.
- This is as fancy as you can get.
So much flavor, such a powerful start.
- That is fantastic.
The Queen of Hearts, a.k.a., myself.
Look how thick that shortbread is.
And then an actually jammy dodger, I do think so.
- Really?
- 'Cause the jam is a lot softer.
It's fresh, that's what you get.
- What's the song?
She goes like
♪ You can learn a lot of things ♪
♪ From the flower-- ♪
- Who's singing that, Alice?
- The lady in Alice in Wonderland.
The flower lady.
(record scratch)
- The lady with the flow--
don't look at me like that!
- There's a flower lady in Oliver Twist.
- Oh - [Ada] You thinkin'
about that?
- The whole experience from the book to the tea choices
to the ballerina.
- It could have been crazy,
but it's like a tame, classier version of the tea party.
- You know we've gotta go somewhere else today.
Eatin' this again.
- I don't, I don't, I don't know if I can.
(swish)
- (laughs)
(swish) (beep)
- (clap)
- That was lovely.
- I cannot stop thinking about that scotch egg.
(choir)
It was beautiful.
- Next we're off to -- oh!
Sketch and Mayfair.
- Everyone has seen Sketch on Instagram.
- The thing we should state first is Sketch is stunning.
(cash register chimes)
(airy jazz music)
- Hi, I'm Richard Warr.
I'm the Restaurant Director at Sketch Gallery.
Opened in 2002, named Sketch as it's a masterpiece
that will never be finished.
- Oh, that's very cool.
- The Instagram of our toilets,
the creators of the place have actually made
the worst part about eating and dining out
into the best part.
Our afternoon tea stand here is slightly French-inspired,
but very English at heart.
Chef would send his special, an amuse-bouche,
which is a small cheese egg with cheese soldiers.
Mystery guest will appear, which is a small spoon of caviar.
Norfolk goose egg sandwiches,
blended that with some watercress.
Hazelnut and chocolate gateau,
which is everything about French cuisine.
It's very indulgent, very rich.
Strawberry tartlets, it's Mara Des Bois strawberries,
French strawberries, so in season and so to die for.
We always have a seasonal cheesecake available as apricot.
Signature Malabar marshmallow.
Malabar is a bubble gum brand famous in France.
- Just the dream, really.
- Scones, and the most famous part--
- Scones.
- Scones. (laughs).
- Scones or scones, isn't it? (bell)
- No, no, there's no or.
(swish)
- So this afternoon, you'll be enjoying
our full afternoon tea
with a glass of Pomme Brut Champagne.
(cash register chimes)
(orchestral music)
- I see a Wes Anderson film.
- Yeah, we're in the Grand Budapest Hotel.
- Yeah.
- [Ada] Bit of champers.
(clinking glasses)
- Ah, I love alcohol.
- (laughs)
- Cheers. (clinking glasses)
- (slurps)
- You're slurping again.
- We have these two cheesy breadsticks
that are goin' in this epic egg.
- [Ada] Nice dollop of caviar.
(record scratch)
- It's like 10 pounds worth of caviar.
Have some caviar and champagne to kick it off.
It's a bit unfair on the others, isn't it?
- Yeah, but you know, life's unfair.
(evil laughter)
- Wanna go for the one with the egg on top.
- [Ada] I'm gonna go for the salmon.
- The egg mayonnaise in the middle is a perfect mix,
and having that little perfect fried egg on top is like.
(bell rings three times)
- I'm not even too sure what those little eggs were.
Pops in your mouth and gave you another nice
little punch of the sea.
- The way he described those strawberries as well
- [Unknown Male Voice In The Background] How did
he describe the strawberries again?
- They're French, so they have to be good.
- Oh, biscuit on that is so thin.
I'm excited, I'm really excited.
I've not had strawberries like this.
- Really?
- They are juicy as.
- [Rich] It's like an upside down cheesecake, isn't it?
- Oh yeah.
- What is goin' on?
It's so good.
- The apricots are so sweet.
- Everything on steroids.
(evil laugh)
A bit of champagne to top it off.
I'm feeling pretty good.
(clinking glasses)
What's a line from a Wes Anderson film.
I feel like we should end it with like.
- I don't think I know any.
Maybe we should make this bit a bit grainy, zoom out.
- [Rich] All the places were amazing,
but which is the most worth it to you?
- Lucy's was really good,
but my Worth It winner is, for sure,
(cash register chimes)
the Sanderson hotel.
I can't get over that scotch egg, it changed my life.
- Oh yeah, I really liked Sketch, that was insane.
I've gotta go with Lucy's.
(cash register chimes) - [Ada] Really?
- Sweet, traditional, I like that it was a family-run place.
- [Ada] Yeah.
- Just felt like a little, content, old lady.
Just enjoyin' my afternoon tea at a tea shop.
Wait, who is quaint?
You pointin' at me for quaint?
- [Multiple Voices] You're quaint.
- (laughs) - [Liz] You don't like quaint?
- No, but for a person being described as quaint,
that's crap.
You're interesting, you're psychedelic, I'm quaint.
- I am interestin'.
(bell)
(upbeat rhythmic jazz music)
(swish)
(creaking hinges)