This central London hotel is launching an ‘afternoon cheese’ experience

Earl Grey in a china cup, a plate of mini macarons and the inevitable debate over whether it’s pronounced scone or scone – what’s not to love about afternoon tea?

Well, for the savoury-toothed among us, quite a lot. If your taste swings more towards gruyère than jam, your afternoon tea options are often limited to a measly finger sandwich or two. That is, until now. 

Introducing the 'Afternoon Cheese’ at Brassiere Max, located just off Seven Dials in the Covent Garden Hotel. In an attempt to give umami-lovers something to salivate over, the hotel will be linking up with Neal’s Yard Dairy, located just around the corner, from May 1 to rework traditional afternoon tea with British cheeses as the centrepiece.

If you’re all for sticking to the classics, don’t worry, all the treats you would usually spot at an afternoon tea are included in the line up, just with a savoury twist. Cheddar scones are laden with goat’s curd, caramelised onion and chive oil in place of the traditional cream and jam. 

As for pastries, each one nods to an afternoon tea classic. expect to sink your teeth into a stilton eclair with pickled walnuts and chives, a macaron made with caramelised onion and soft mature goat’s cheese and a British brie-style cheese slathered onto a malt and prune loaf. There’s also a burnt cheese tart made with a raw milk cheese from Lincolnshire.

Plus, even the finger sandwiches have had a glow up. Forget soggy cucumber, because Brassiere Max is serving decadent Welsh rarebit stuffed doughnuts instead. 

To wash it all down, the hotel is sticking to home-grown produce, offering English wines from Kent producer Gusbourne. 

With prices starting at £56 per person, the ‘Afternoon Cheese’ will set you back slightly more than the Covent Garden Hotel’s traditional sweet version, which costs £45 per person. But it might be the only chance you’ll get for a savoury tea in London. For salty snack lovers, it can't get much feta than that.

The 'Afternoon Cheese' will be available at Covent Garden Hotel's Brassiere Max from May 1, Monday to Sunday, 2pm-6pm.

Did you see that this famous London private members’ club is opening to the public for the first time with a very fancy bakery?

Plus: three London bakeries are the best in Britain, according to the Telegraph.

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