In anticipation of this year’s Afternoon Tea Week (12 – 18 August) I was invited to experience the 5 star Gainsborough Bath Spa’s new History and Heritage Afternoon Tea, served in the hotel’s stylish Gainsborough Brasserie. Combining an indulgent dining experience with a dose of history tailored to your interests, a knowledgeable guide from Strictly Jane Austen Tours is on hand to offer a fascinating insight into Georgian Bath and the characters, like Jane Austen herself, who established the city as a cultural and social hotspot outside London.
The welcoming Gainsborough Bath Spa, one of only a handful of 5 star hotels in the city, belongs to the prestigious international hotel group YTL and is also a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World. Although the hotel’s interiors are contemporary, with a state of the art Spa Village featuring three pools and thermal waters, the hotel is located in what was originally two townhouses built in the 1800s. Boasting original Georgian and Victorian facades, the Grade II listed property cuts a dash on a quiet side street in the heart of Bath, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is just a short stroll from important historical locations such as The Roman Baths.
The beloved English pastime of afternoon tea is the perfect respite for weary sightseers who, after a hectic schedule of museums and landmarks, are revived by our national drink and savoury and sweet treats prepared by The Gainsborough’s talented pastry chefs. Take a seat in the elegant Gainsborough Brasserie (or The Canvas Room lounge if you’re anything like me and require a sofa to gain the full benefits of this relaxing meal) and you’ll be full of energy again faster than you can say ‘Jane Austen’. Rather than having to discover the secrets of Georgian Bath on foot, is it not the icing on the cake to have a knowledgeable guide devoted to answering your every pertinent question? After all, tea and scandal are the best sweeteners of tea.
Alongside an elegant cake stand bearing finger sandwiches, scones with Devonshire clotted cream and strawberry jam, and crowned with a tempting selection of patisserie, is a steamer of savouries inspired by YTL Hotels’ Asian roots and including Malay curry puffs and sesame prawn toasts, a welcome addition to the traditional elements and particularly good accompanied by a glass of something bubbly. The hotel were extremely accommodating regarding my gluten allergy, adapting the menu with excellent gluten free bread and melt-in-the-mouth pastry, along with some of the best gluten free scones I’ve ever tasted. All too often I’m left eyeing the wheat-enriched treats offered to my companion, but not here!
The menu of loose leaf teas includes the signature Gainsborough Bath Spa blend; a full-bodied tea from Assam and Darjeeling offering rich malt notes and a fortifying finish, while the Earl Grey Blue Flower both myself and my companion opted for was a lighter take on the traditional blend, featuring Indian Nilgiri black tea infused with bergamot and dried cornflowers. Heaven. Although Jane Austen declared, “But indeed, I would rather have nothing but tea” in Mansfield Park, I for one was delighted to be offered a glass of chilled alcohol free Chardonnay as an alternative to Champagne. Here’s to you, Jane!
If you happen to be in Bath during the Jane Austen Festival (13-22 September 2024), organised by the Jane Austen Centre, you may think you stepped onto the set of a period drama. The highlight of the Festival is the Regency Costumed Promenade (14 September) which holds the Guinness World Record for the ‘Largest gathering of people dressed in Regency costumes’ and offers attendees and bystanders alike the chance to be transported to a more elegant time. From gentlemen in full military regalia to ladies in gowns and bonnets, it’s hard to imagine a city as devoted to the past or this heroine of English literature.
The Gainsborough Bath Spa’s partnership with Strictly Jane Austen continues with a series of celebratory events in 2025 to mark the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth. Two six-day programmes will take place on 7-12 April and 13-18 October, including expert talks and guided tours of the venues most associated with the writer during her time as a Bath resident. There will also be embroidery workshops, a Regency dance and a celebratory dinner offering an opportunity to toast the English writer.
History and Heritage Afternoon Tea at The Gainsborough Bath Spa is served from 3pm – 5pm seven days a week in the Gainsborough Brasserie, priced £40 pp/£75 for two, or £59 per person with Champagne and £65 with Rose Champagne. For more information and reservations please visit www.thegainsboroughbathspa.co.uk.
