Bea’s of Bloomsbury
Afternoon tea is one of life’s little pleasures, the hefty price tag not so much. So, if like me, the Ritz is slightly out of your budget I’ll let you in on a secret – Bea’s of Bloomsbury offers all the indulgence of a luxury afternoon tea, but at a fraction of the cost.
Arriving at their St Paul’s venue we were greeted by a tempting cabinet of cakes, sadly these weren’t for our consumption, but as we begrudgingly made our way past the display we got a taste of what was in store and our saliva glands were sent into overdrive.
Once upstairs we made ourselves comfortable and enjoyed the views of St Paul’s. The atmosphere was laid back and the staff incredibly friendly. It may not have exuded extravagance, but what it lacked in opulent style it certainly made up for in substance.
The first round to arrive was a selection of mini sourdough baguettes filled with French cheeses, cured meats and sweet chutneys. These were a refreshing twist on the old (and tired) egg and cress or cucumber sandwiches popular in most traditional afternoon tea packages and I was relieved. The artisanal spread was much more to my liking and for the first time ever there wasn’t a sandwich left that any of the party didn’t like.
But before we’d finished devouring the savoury goods our attention (and all the remaining table space) was stolen by an incoming stand of 
intoxicating sweet treats. These ranged from customary scones and clotted cream to colourful cupcakes and the star of the show – Bea’s infamous chocolates brownies.
There were so many enticing offerings I wasn’t sure where to start, but I didn’t wait too long and took a bite out of one of the meringues, which was crisp and fluffy in equal measure. Next up was the red velvet cupcake – the frosting was so light and sweet I could only manage half, but I savoured every mouthful and washed it down with a sip of fruity tea (there are 12 varieties to choose from).
We saved the best for last and got stuck into the trio of brownies – a mini valrhona brownie, white chocolate blondie and the aforementioned killer brownie, which was the best brownie I have ever tasted. And believe me, I’ve tried a lot!
Now unable to move due to a seriously high blood sugar level, I vowed to lay off the deadly substance for a while, but not before I bought one more killer brownie for the road – I mean, can you blame me?
Reporter: Laura
Website: www.beasofbloomsbury.com
Instagram: /beasofbloomsbury/
