Fanhams Hall

The building is beautiful, and the staff were friendly and helpful, but the tea itself felt very average for £38 per person. The sandwiches were okay, and you can ask for more without paying extra. The scones, though, were rubbery and really unpleasant, and I’d strongly guess the cakes were mass-produced rather than homemade. We normally go to Hanbury Manor, which is much better. I’d sooner pay the extra £12 each to go there.

The price felt far too high for this afternoon tea, and the sandwiches had no taste. We were all squeezed onto a sofa around a tiny table, so it was crowded enough that our Champagne had to sit on the floor. The waitress even asked us to put the teapot on the windowsill because there was nowhere else for it. For this kind of money, I’d look somewhere else for afternoon tea. Kind regards, Ana

There weren’t many sandwiches, and the filled rolls weren’t coronation chicken as quoted. Also watch out for the £5 per person service charge: the quoted £37.50 actually comes to £42.50 each, which doesn’t feel cost-effective.

The staff were really friendly, but that was the main positive. The cakes were tiny, disgusting and not fresh at all; if they were homemade, the price might make a bit more sense. We paid £160 for four adults and got one crustless sandwich, two miniature scones, four horrible little cakes, unlimited tea and a glass of Prosecco. How much tea can you drink? I felt robbed. I don’t get this whole tea and sandwiches in a fancy house thing. With weddings, the hotel, afternoon tea and Sunday lunch bringing in money for fanhams, you’d think they’d pay staff more than minimum wage.