Live Newcastle

According to legend, one of Queen Victoria's ladies-in-waiting, Anna Maria Stanhope, the Duchess of Bedford, is credited as the creator of afternoon teatime. Because the noon meal had become skimpier, the Duchess suffered from "a sinking feeling" at about four o'clock in the afternoon. At first the Duchess had her servants sneak her a pot of tea and a few breadstuffs. She then invited friends to join her for an additional afternoon meal of small cakes, bread and butter sandwiches, assorted sweets, and, of course, tea, at five o'clock in her rooms at Belvoir Castle. This summer practice proved so popular, the Duchess continued it when she returned to London, sending cards to her friends asking them to join her for "afternoon tea and a walk".

Freshly made sandwiches on home-baked bread
£4.95

• Hot smoked salmon with cream cheese, red onion and caper berries
• Fresh crab with dill cream fraiche and fresh lemon
• Chicken breast, roast peppers, rocket and fresh lemon
• Roast rare-breed beef with Mrs Clements mustard and caramelised onion
• Berwick Edge Cheese and cucumber with apple chutney
• Prawn mayonnaise
• Free-range egg mayonnaise with watercress
• Ploughman’s (Cheddar, pickle and apple)
• (All served with root vegetable crisps and Ross’s pickles)

Soup of the day
£4.25

• Served with home-baked bread

Afternoon Tea (Minimum of two people)
£10.50

• Home-baked pastries
• Fruit scones with strawberry preserve & double clotted cream
• Selection of sandwiches including:
• Hot smoked salmon sandwich with cream cheese, red onion and caper berries
• Roast rare-breed beef sandwich with Mrs Clements mustard and caramelised onion
• Cream cheese and cucumber sandwich with apple chutney
• Free-range egg mayonnaise sandwich with watercress
• Fresh crab sandwich with dill cream fraiche and fresh lemon
• Choice of tea including:
• Earl Grey
• English Breakfast
• Darjeeling
• Assam
• Jasmine
• or freshly ground coffee