I recently took my mum to Wedgwood for afternoon tea, there was no special occasion, I just wanted to treat her and to spend some mother and daughter time together. Neither of us had been before and we weren’t sure what to expect, we most definitely did not leave disappointed.
The setting
The Wedgwood visitor centre is stunning. The large reception area features a huge plate mosaic of Josiah Wedgwood and a beautiful silk wisteria archway hangs above a front door scene. There is a park bench surrounded by silk flowers and foliage and then a sign post. The site features a large Wedgwood museum which looked brilliant, but we were there for the cake and bucks fizz.
We headed towards the tea emporium and were greeted by the most stunning displays, overflowing with vibrant silk flowers and quirky detailing, like the dragon made from plates. We took our time looking at all of the intricate and well thought out displays before perusing the shop. The tea emporium was set out like a stylish cocktail lounge, with sumptuous blue velvet stools and seats and even more eye catching silk floral arrangements. A selection of the Wedgwood signature tea blends were on display, showcased in glass tea pots allowing you to see the colours of each blended tea.
The Afternoon Tea
Our booking was for the dining hall, a luxurious room with statement floral wallpaper, velvet seating and opulent gold detailing. Our server was Karen, she was so friendly and welcoming and talked us through the afternoon tea menu and the tea blends which were available, there are over 50 in total. Bucks fizz was quickly brought to the table and we selected a delicious floral tea called Blue Pagoda, it was seriously good.
The table was laid with the most stylish Wedgwood dining set and the gold cutlery really caught my eye, it was beautiful. The food was served on one three tier cake stand, we had a selection of sandwiches, scones and cake. The sandwiches were a little cold which was a shame but the scones and cake were delicious. We weren’t able to finish all of the food so Karen boxed it up for us to take home.
The Shops
We had another look around the main shop which was full of the most beautiful dining sets. The Christmas decorations really caught my eye, in the traditional Wedgwood blue with white detailing, they were stunning. We then made our way over to the seconds shop where there was a really good selection of Wedgwood, Royal Doulton and Waterford Crystal, including some of the Christmas decorations. Next to the seconds shop was a café and the entire thing surrounded a water feature, well-kept grounds and tea cup sculptures.
The setting, experience and Afternoon Tea were all wonderful and I would definitely go back again in the future.
It looks like a great day out.