The Secluded Tea Party

Review: Poppy's Tearoom Thaxted

2012-03-03T10:03:00.001-08:00

It's the first weekend in a very long time where I have had absolutely no plans whatsoever, other than to relax. And relax I did, it was well needed after my last few weeks of planned and privately booked Secluded Tea Parties and my first ever LIVE TV debut on BBC's “The One Show” on Friday 24th February alongside the Clandestine Cake Club feature - So exciting!

So, I was on a super sugar charged high over the weekend, with all the cake love being emailed to me thanks to this feature and my live airing and cake pointing from the mighty Chris Evans over my Tuck Shop cake that I was showing off there! (Well, Miss Sue Flays / Miss Soufflés Tuck Shop Cake ; )

On Sunday morning I was lazing around in bed watching Downton Abbey (I don’t know why I haven’t been hooked on this sooner, where on earth have I been?!) and feeling seriously jealous of all the afternoon tea that the Grantham ladies and their guests get to sit and enjoy throughout their day, that I decided I wanted to try somewhere new for a spot of afternoon tea myself. The mister didn't want to head to Ely for afternoon tea and I didn't want to go into Cambridge for a change as I couldn’t be doing with the potential traffic and crowds, so we agreed to head south and drive out the sunny Essex countryside in the search of a fabulous sounding tearoom called Poppy's Tea Room in Thaxted.

Thaxted, home of Dick Turpin, is in fact a pretty and very peaceful little town/village on the outskirts of Saffron Walden and it's the perfect distance for a little joy ride on a lazy Sunday Afternoon.

Passing all the chocolate box thatched cottages and water towers along these winding roads, it felt like a mini escape from Cambridgeand it was welcomed after a day in London 2 days prior... It seems more and more so, that am a countryside sort of girl through and through!We had pre-booked our table at this very quaint tea room and I am glad that we did, as you must note that this is an extremely popular afternoon tea spot and it's fairly small tea parlour would not have easily accommodated us if we had just turned up on this occasion. I am very polite British citizens and we always pre-book for afternoon tea as we appreciate just how fiddly it can be to prepare and this is only fair on our tea hosts. Good afternoon tea etiquette, of which I am sure my new friend, William Hanson will approve of in preparation for our joining of forces in September. We were warmly greeted and the waitresses throughout were smiley and helpful and couldn't do enough to make us feel comfortable and at home at our warm and cosy table, which was laid with a clean and pretty floral table cloth, with perfectly white china and gleaming silver cutlery beckoning to be used. I was in awe at how shiny the butter knives were, I am perhaps so easily pleased!

Our fabulous hostess talked us through the afternoon tea for two menu, of which is the minimum you can order, whilst offering us a varied selection of finger sandwiches, even a choice of scone from Plain, Fruit or Cheese. This is just fantastic, as usually I am either told on my menu what I will receive, or it is pot luck depending on which afternoon tea establishment you are visiting.
They also are very sure not to put Bicarb of Soda in their scones, so no horrible, tacky tasting scones here, something which happens in too many tearooms for my liking.

So, to be asked what we would like and proving their knowledge of the loose leaf tea blends on offer, we went with their own blend, which was a light and very addictive Ceylon tea of which we re-ordered when it came to more later on. It was the perfect accompaniment with our order and we couldn’t get enough of it.

We also had a choice of cake to go with our tier and whilst I went for an unusual choice for me (A very generous slice of Lemon Drizzle Cake which was so moist and light I couldn’t resist but get stuck into) the mister went for a nice strong and deep ginger infused loaf cake which was the perfect end to his afternoon tea feast. He absolutely loved this dose of double ginger and was chuffed to have stolen the very last piece before a larger group walked through the door. The delicate finger sandwiches that were served to us were a selection from Wild Red Salmon, Cucumber & Cream Cheese and Wiltshire Ham & mustard, all delicious and moreish, with us both arguing over the last salmon sandwich is rare for the mister, as he is not usually a big fan of salmon, but it was delicious.

Everything was homemade and it took a little time to be served to us, which was fine as it had been politely noted when our hostess took our order and we told her not to rush of which I think she was pleased to hear. This was welcomed, as again their friendly service is second to none here, they even told me over the phone to come no later than 3.30pm so that we could allow plenty of time to sit and enjoy our food and to not rush it before they closed their tearoom. That is the way afternoon tea should be taken and they do not push you out of the door as soon as you are finished, it’s just a wonderful place and I just wish I had found it sooner.

The only downside I would say and suggest to them is that the loose leaf tea could be served within a tea pyramid or removable strainer so that the tea does not turn bitter after a little while. But this is a minor query on an otherwise faultless feast of afternoon tea treats. It’s my favourite to date and I felt so pleased with myself to have found this perfect little Essex bolthole, as I have not yet ventured out to this part of the world, tut tut.

I think it would be the perfect place for a spot of tea on a rainy winter morning, or a sunny summer afternoon, it wouldn’t matter when you take a visit.

What made the afternoon even more perfect was a little wander up the beautiful cobbled paths to an old windmill with picturesque views of Thaxted and the rolling green countryside beyond it. It was such a lovely afternoon and we got to watch the sun set from this location which put smiles on our faces and ended the perfect weekend being lazy and, a feeling that is very rare for Miss Sue Flay, I didn’t feel guilty for it.

If you love afternoon tea as much as us, then I would suggest not wasting any more time (not that reading my lovely blog is a waste of time hehe ; ) and get yourself a table booked at Poppy’s Tea Room in Thaxted quick sharp and leave a comment below if you do take a visit.

Visit Poppy’s Tea Room at www.poppystearoom.co.uk

or call 01371 830453 to book a table for their wonderful afternoon tea.

Miss Sue Flay

Aylin’s Birthday Tea Party

2012-02-27T14:45:00.001-08:00

Recently, I helped the beautiful Aylin, currently studying at one of our very own famous Cambridge Colleges to celebrate her birthday at her home in Cambridge City Centre. She wanted to have her very own Secluded Tea Party in her fabulous Cambridge home with her wonderful friends and with that she hosted her very own Alice in Wonderland inspired Tea Party.

She even dressed as Alice for the afternoon tea and she looked brilliant, having sent me some of her own photos from the celebrations herself.

This was just the reason for me wanting to get involved after a quick chat with her a month or so before the event and I made the entire table of Afternoon Tea Cakes and Savouries for her birthday tea party whilst she rented a gorgeous & delicate mismatching china set to use alongside it. It was the perfect match and a very relaxing version of The Secluded Tea Party.

We love to help out with birthday celebrations and a birthday tea party is the perfect and most memorable way of sharing your festivities with your friends and family. We can even supply colourful candles, decorations and treats to make sure that you do not forget any of those tiny details you may need for your birthday party. We will help to take the stress out of it and allow you to actually enjoy the event as much as your guests, allowing it all to be a surprise for you as well! We can make the entire menu a surprise if you would prefer not to know and make it all that more exciting for you on the day itself, although if you have a favourite recipe or cake desire then let us know as it will appear at the tea party table should you wish. We can even make the venue a secret if you trust us whole heartedly and wish to leave your home for your afternoon tea event at one of our fab Cambridge Afternoon tea locations.

Miss Sue Flay loves surprises and helping to make a special day even more so.... Secrecy and tact is our middle name, so if you are wanting to celebrate or book an event without the whole world knowing about it, again, we are more than happy to not say a word.
We are called the Secluded tea Party for a reason... ; )

We now have a vintage girl guide-esque Bell Tent, complete with purpose built afternoon tea table, bunting and floor cushions for you to enjoy an al fresco tea party or afternoon tea picnic with the sides rolled up on a warm & sunny day.

You can even add a pamper session, live music, even paintballing, chocolate tasting and/or making, cake or cupcake decorating alongside your event, just ask and we will be more than happy to help you arrange a fun activity should you wish to keep yourselves busy and pampered over your afternoon tea. The list is always extending, so just ask & we can discuss what is on offer and we will be more than happy to oblige.

You can visit www.secludedteaparty.com for more information or simply
email: cake@secludedteaparty.com to discuss your desires.

The tea party menu that Aylin had chosen for her birthday tea party was as follows:

Delicate Fingers Sandwiches, with a selection of fillings

Cherry & Vanilla Scones, served with luxury strawberry preserves

Oreo & Chocolate Cheesecake Truffles

A Large Pea, Pancetta & Mint Tart, perfect served warm for her cold snowy day, but it also tastes superb chilled if you prefer

Miss Sue Flays’ Signature Chocolate & Malteaser Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Swirls and plenty of Birthday candles for the birthday tea party girl to blow out on her very special day

And not forgetting a good strong pack of a locally sourced Winter Spice Tea Blend to warm their cockles

It was a pleasure to be of help to the fabulous Aylin and her Cambridge ladies with this booking and if you would like your very own Secluded Tea Party, it would be equally so to help you too.

Miss Sue Flay

Afternoon Tea Etiquette With Miss Sue Flay & William Hanson

2012-02-24T06:10:00.001-08:00

The Secluded Tea Party is stupidly excited (If it is polite to be saying so!) to be offering a very unique and one off afternoon tea experience in Cambridge in partnership with the UK's leading expert and consultant in etiquette and protocol.

William Hanson, one of the world's youngest etiquette specialists, will be co-hosting this afternoon tea party with Miss Sue Flay to help guests to understand the importance of manners at one of our most beloved mealtimes and most English tradition.

William understands that good manners and etiquette, which are based on common sense, should be universal. He strives to incorporate their proper use in a 21st century context, helping everyone to become more aware of, and sensitive to, the ways in which they conduct their lives. When he’s not stretched out on his sofa relaxing in his toweling robe watching repeats of Lark Rise to Candleford, or tending his renowned terrace herb garden, William provides first-class training and is a trusted advisor to private households, business & cultural organisations and schools alike, and has worked for several VIPs.

As well as having recently broken a world record, of which if you ask him nicely, he will tell you all about when you come to meet us in September.

We will be hosting a sumptuous afternoon tea to include a selection of delicate finger sandwiches, cakes and sweet treats and copious amounts of top quality loose leaf tea at a very quirky and luxurious hotel in Cambridgeshire, location to be revealed to paying guests nearer the time to add to the curiousness of the event itself. It will not disappoint and will be the perfect place to enjoy a relaxed afternoon tea with the young king of manners and all things politely British.

Miss Sue Flay will be on hand throughout this very thought out afternoon to answer any questions on her local knowledge and information gained on Tea, Cake and everything afternoon tea related whilst William will talk you through how to both entertain politely as well as enjoy as a guest politely and will cover topics such as....

History of afternoon tea

Napkin etiquette

Scones - Jam then cream? Or cream then jam?

How to drink tea

Milk then tea or tea then milk?

Pastries

Hosting manners

Good guest etiquette

You will leave this event with a knowledge and genuine passion from your fabulous and motivational guest speaker and educator and William will help you to be both a fantastic afternoon tea host or hostess, as well as the best behaved afternoon tea guest or recipient.

And if you don't, these words coming from his very own lips, he will have you deported for being a completely useless and rude British resident ; )

The Secluded Tea Party with Etiquette at Afternoon Tea with William Hanson will be held on:

Saturday 15th September 2012

3pm - 5pm

At a secret & luxurious Cambridgeshire afternoon tea location.

Details will be disclosed to guests nearer to the event once tickets have been booked.

Limited tickets at £50

to include a full Luxurious Afternoon Tea and 2 Hour Etiquette lesson.

If you are in London or anywhere outside of Cambridge, come along for the day and make a day of it within our beautiful City of Cambridge, there is so much to see and do to make this day a much desired day out and Miss Sue Flay will be more than happy to be your Cambridge Tour Guide, should you need any advice on where to go and where to eat, drink, visit or see.

This will be the finishing school for afternoon tea and your manners will increase ten fold... Myself included here!

But don't take just my word for it, have a watch of this fabulous Video Blog from William Hanson himself, explaining why you should come along to The Secluded tea Party's Etiquette of Afternoon Tea event....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAM-Z5ocbgU

I may shortly follow suit and try to live up to this fabulous video blog, so watch this space and return shortly to see what I have to say about this event in my own words!

To book your tickets for this one off event, you will find 20 tickets only, available to book now through We Got Tickets HERE.

To see more about the lovely William, do visit www.williamhanson.co.uk

Any questions please do email cake@secludedteaparty.com

We hope to see you in September.

Miss Sue Flay

Clandestine Cake Club - New Cambridge Event & BBC One Show Live!

2012-02-23T07:41:00.004-08:00

** CAKEY UPDATE**

Click Here to see our Clandestine Cake Debut... I was live on the BBC One Show on Friday 24th Feb around 42 minutes in, take a look hehe....

As some of you may know by now, amongst my Afternoon Tea shenanigans with The Secluded Tea Party, I have also been the host of The Clandestine Cake Club in Cambridge for the last year nearly and it’s been so much fun! It's even the reason behind Miss Sue Flay's Tuck Shop Cake, which was the last cake I made for the Clandestine Cake Club and has gained a lot of love ever since hehe.

What on earth is The Clandestine Cake Club (?!) I can hear you muttering... It’s exactly how it sounds. It is a secret cake-based meet where you simply bake a cake, bring along a guest if you wish and meet at a pre-agreed location for a cuppa and a chance to dig in and try other cakes with your fellow bakers and cake eating guests. It’s such a simple idea, but it’s a fantastic one which doesn’t usually cost anything other than your cake ingredients and a cuppa or two from your venue and it’s a superb way to get chatting to other people and discuss this very popular passion. It gives the guests something in common to talk about from the very start of the event and allows you to sample cakes that you would not necessarily have tried or seen otherwise.

The Clandestine Cake Club is all about cake. No cupcakes, brownies, cheesecakes, cake pops, whoopee pies... none of that. Just cake. Pure and simply. Loaf cakes, layer cakes, sponge cakes, any type of large cake big enough to serve 8-12 people with ease.

You are usually set a theme or an ingredient guideline before the event to give you something fun to base your cake recipe around and each guest is asked to make their host aware of what they intend to make so that they can tell you if that cake type is already being made. This ensures a superb variety and that not everybody turns up with the very same lemon drizzle cake or a Victoria sponge : )

The simple idea of The Clandestine Cake Club is spreading like wildfire across the nation and is heading for global cake victory, thanks to the lovely Lynn Hill, also of The Secret Tea Room based in Leeds.

Lynn has been a huge help to me and The Secluded Tea Party since the beginning and helped me with advice when I got started last year on my own cakey adventures, so when we met up at a London Supperclub back in February 2011 and she started telling me about her plans for a new cake network, I naturally thought it was a fantastic idea and told her right away that when she was ready to grow it, I would happily set one up in Cambridge... And I thought nothing more of it for a while.

And so it happened, growing very quickly, Lynn agreed to spread the Clandestine Cake Club to Cambridge just 2 months later and I got to work on the Cambridge Cake Club... It’s scary how time flies and looking back, with our very first Clandestine Cake Club meet with 8 lovely & passionate guests over a cup of tea and a few slices of cake in a local cookery school kitchen, growing to a mighty 28 members attending on our second cake club meet in the summer at a
local Cambridgeshire coffee shop which was the perfect space for such an event.

There is always a lot of cake there and after a few slices and a cup of tea or coffee, guests will often sit and chat for a bit, attempt another slice or two if they feel up for the challenge (Apparently the winner is a gentleman at the Leeds Clandestine Cake Club who managed 11 slices before falling asleep on the sofa- blimey!) and then pick some of their fellow guests slices to take home with them for a second wind later on. It’s cake heaven!

And so, our third Clandestine Cake Club meet is coming to Cambridge, where will be joined by Lynn Hill herself for the event and 25 lucky cake makers and eaters will get to join us for a fantastic morning of, well... cake eating hehe.

Visit the link below and get yourself on the guest list now!.... All you need to do is bake a cake, bring a friend if you like and some pocket money for beverages at our secret venue, of which details will be passed on nearer the time.

We can’t wait to see you all there!

http://www.clandestinecakeclub.co.uk

http://clandestinecakeclub.co.uk/2012/02/23/cambridge-spectacular-show-stoppers/

Miss Sue Flay

PS -

You may also be excited to hear that Lynn and some of the Clandestine Cake Club members are going to be featured alongside the lovely Paul Hollywood on the Alan Titchmarsh Show in early March, as well as on the BBC One Show this Friday, 24^th February at 7pm... Do watch the One Show this Friday and you may see a very familiar face on their live show between 7pm and 8pm.... I will be there myself, alongside members from other clubs around the country, with one of my Cake Club creations for the lovely presenters and their guests to eat - Very nervous, so be kind! Haha

You can read more about why this is happening and what is being featured here:

http://clandestinecakeclub.co.uk/2012/02/16/leeds-the-one-show/

Twitter Basics Tea Parties

2012-02-20T06:03:00.000-08:00

This weekend saw my very first Twitter Basics Tea Party, which - you guessed it - was all about Twitter, the ever growing popular social media website.

The easiest way to tell non Tweeters what this social media site is all about it, is to liken it to Facebook and Tweets to Facebook status updates....and that's pretty much what Twitter is. No frills, games, pages, groups, advertising getting In the way. Just getting your word out, sharing links, photos and making new contacts.

It really is simple and once they get started, people kick themselves for not using it sooner, especially for their business and blogging for example.

I will most likely have so called "Twitter Gurus" and "Social Media Moguls" jumping on this and no doubt having their say on my opinions... By Twitter is meant to be fun, fantastic for networking and getting what you want to say out there. I don't care what people say, it's not tricky, it's not complicated and on the whole, it s fantastic tool for connecting with people.

I'm no social media expert...I mean, for goodness sake, what course or degree will actually qualify you to call yourself a Twitter Guru?? - if there is, then best of luck with the course!

There are huge arguments out there and debates on all of this and to be completely honest with you, I'm not interested in any of it.

I use Twitter for The Secluded Tea Party and for my new & upcoming Cambridge-based social group and it works wonders for my personal social life. That's plenty for me to know it works, once you get your head around the layout and de-Facebook your mind.

Twitter is there, as is Facebook and other such Social Media sites.. But one conversation that I have over and over again with my Secluded Tea Party guests is about them wishing they could get to grips with Twitter and not to be scared of it.

In my personal opinion, there is nothing much to it to get started and get to grips with the very basics. It just sometimes needs somebody who uses it to physically show you what to do. And this is where I have offered myself to my tea party guests to do just that.

So here I am, offering my personal thoughts and experience on Twitter. Alongside a fantastic cup of tea, some warm Cheese Scones with Chive Butter, a plate of melt in the mouth Rocky Road Chocolate bites and my signature Coffee & Walnut Layer Cake with A Mocha Buttercream. What more could you want to kick start your weekend?!

Joined by 5 lovely guests, at The Secluded Tea Party HQ no less, we tucked in and sipped away on Earl Grey Tea whilst chatting about our experiences of Twitter, Facebook and Blogging. The conversation brought the guests together strongly from the very start and by the end of the event, everybody had more inspiration, contact suggestions and business ideas than they knew what to do with. That was the aim 110%.

And that was just them talking between themselves. It was fantastic fun and great to see such helpful and kind guests helping each other and offering advice to one and another. This was before I even started to talk about the subject in hand or before I shared with them of some of my very favourite Tweeters and bloggers!

I'm personally sick of being told how I MUST Tweet or use Facebook, or how to blog.

Everybody has completely different requirements and needs for these things and there is no right or wrong way to Tweet in my personal opinion. You do what works for YOU and with the support of people Tweeting around you, you will soon learn how you Tweet best, what gets people responding and interacting with you and how many times a day you need or want to Tweet. I won't tell you if your last Tweet should have been a Direct Message rather than a public Tweet. I'm no teacher, expert or official, I'm just an addict and it works very well for me, so use my experience to ask questions and I will answer as best I can.

If I can't answer, I will find out for you. I'm 100% honest and will never boss my guests around on this subject. It's not in anybody's interest to do that.

One of my guests had paid good money a while back to gain the help of one of these so called "Social Media Gurus" and she had been made to feel like she was silly for not understanding or getting what she was being taught.

This makes my blood boil, especially as she had paid for their help and they hadn't done the job she had expected. She had been brave to admit this to us all and I really I hope I helped her with my hands on "show and tell" between my laptop, iPhone and iPad, which had various people confused as they all have slightly different layouts. I think this helped them all to see this is what we all find, depending on what we us to get online.

This "Guru" had set up her up on Tweetdeck without explaining Twitter or even how to start with the basics of what a Tweet actually was and how to do it. She had blown her mind with talk of Google Analytics and SEO and various other puzzling elements and had actually found our chat over afternoon tea and my physical helping of her sending out some Tweets on the day more helpful than this paid for session.

I'm glad I was able to help and never claim to be an expert. But what I can offer is a relaxed environment and my own experiences with Twitter, including how I can fill an entire table at The Secluded Tea Party just through the use of Social Media. Im proud of this and I'm happy to help where I can.

There are no secrets to Twitter in my eyes, just patience and knowing how to use it effectively.

I provided my tea party guests with some basic "How to" Guides before the event, to help them log on to Twitter and slide through the very basics, such as setting up their profiles, biographies, adding a photo and how to Tweet, as well as the terminology and the dreaded Hashtag, which was the topic of the event. By the time I had shown them all what it was all about, they were all smiling and have since been Tweeting and moving forward with their accounts, which was exactly the aim of the event.

In fact, this was one of my most favourite events to date, as we got to discuss our favourite Tweeters and follow some that we each recommended to one another. All of this helpful Twitter chat and advice over my home made afternoon tea in a warm and cosy kitchen on a cold Saturday morning.

As mentioned, I'm a hater of being told HOW or WHAT to Tweet, but I am more than happy to answer questions on getting started and help over a relaxed and informal cup of tea and a slice of something sweet. I don't claim to know absolutely everything, but I can point you in the right direction should we need to seek some further advice of suggestions... Thanks to Twitter ; )

There will be another Twitter Basics Tea Party in the future, so get in touch if you fancy joining.

Or if you would like to book a private picnic-based or afternoon tea chat on Twitter with me, I am more than happy to discuss this, either as a group or individually, just email me at: cake@secludedteaparty.com

Tweet Tweet

The Secluded (Tea Tasting) Tea Party - Booking Now!

2012-02-19T09:38:00.000-08:00

The Secluded Tea Party is extremely excited to be offering a real first... A fantastic opportunity to enjoy an Afternoon Tea Party in Cambridgeshire with Miss Sue Flay whilst sampling a huge selection of the finest loose leaf teas with local Peterborough- based tea supplier, Kandula Tea.

The Kandula Tea Company, run by the lovely duo Jane & Gail, has grown out of a passion for real tea and the fascinating country of Sri Lanka. As animal lovers, seeing the importance of elephants in Sri Lankan culture inspired them to dedicate their brand to these magnificent creatures.

They had noticed, amongst family and friends, a desire for better quality teas that offered them a healthy beverage as well as interesting choices for different moments. And so KandulaTea was created.

All Kandula Teas are picked, processed and packed in Sri Lanka, which contributes to the local community. And their selection of teas are growing and growing, having even won a Gold Star Award at The Great Taste Awards 2011. They are rising stars in the tea world and I personally check every tea shelf in independent shops on my travels as I think any tea selection is incomplete with their unique loose leaf blends. I'm a convert to loose leaf tea thanks to these passionate ladies.

Their Ceylon Pink Tea is a firm favourite at The Secluded Tea Party, being the first ever naturally pink tea, it's beautiful... and said to be the perfect romantic cuppa. It has been suggested to serve with an edible flower, enjoyed naked with a loved one.... However, please keep all clothes on whilst enjoying at our event... Hehe.

On Saturday 26th May 2012 at 2.30pm,

we will be enjoying a table of home made Afternoon Tea Treats to match their many sample cups of tea, so come with a hunger, as well as a thirst : )

Guests are invited to arrive alone or with friends and family, as The Secluded Tea Party offers a superb oppurtunity to meet lots of interesting and lovely new people over a cuppa and a slice of delicious cake.... You will leave with new friends and a smile on your face, it's a fact that makes Miss Sue Flay so happy at each of her events.

AFTERNOON TEA MENU:

A SELECTION OF FINGER SANDWICHES

& SAVOURY BITES

***

FRUIT & SPICE SCONES

WITH ALL THE TRIMMINGS

***

TBC

***

COFFEE & WALNUT SIGNATURE LAYER CAKE,

WITH MOCHA SWIRL BUTTERCREAM

***

SELECTION OF PETIT FOURS

***

Unlimited amounts of tea for every taste and favoured blend, prepare to be educated by the fabulous team at Kandula Tea.

The Afternoon Tea Menu will be designed to match the tea selection perfectly and will be confirmed nearer the time after secret cahoots between your tea hosts.

Book your ticket to The Secluded Tea Party to come along and enjoy the fun alongside copious amounts of tea as well as lots of tasty afternoon tea treats such as finger sandwiches, gorgeous cakes and fluffy scones all homemade by Miss Sue Flay herself.

So hopefully see you at the very next Secluded Tea Party table in May at a secret Cambridgeshire Countryside location for an educated afternoon of Tea & Cake.... It's going to be fantastic!

There will also be the opportunity to purchase your favourite tea blends throughout the event should you wish to do so, so do bring your pocket money along and treat yourself at tis very special and tailor made event.

Book your Tickets Here.

Visit Kandula Tea Here.

See you very soon!

Miss Sue Flay

"I Saw You Coming" Shops - A Rant

2012-02-08T14:16:00.000-08:00

I am not usually one to rant about these things, but after the Blogfest last year and some blog advice given to me on writing passionately for what you believe in and feel angry as well as happy about... so here it goes... Apologies in advance, but this has to be done.

In recent months, the term "I Saw You Coming" has been frequently used in the Flay household and it is now increasingly common to hear this phrase uttered from our lips at The Secluded Tea Party HQ...


On shopping or even just window shopping in any town or area populated with gift shops and tourist attractions of any kind, no matter where you go, there are always rows upon rows of these little gift shops that we seem to be magnetically drawn to. You know the ones... The shop window is covered in floral and paisley home ware, teacup candles, Cushions embroidered with "Home Sweet Home", useless metal & wooden scrolled words such as "Love" or "Indulgence" and wooden rocking chairs painted a dull shade of beige. Amongst other such useless utensils and gadgets that nobody will ever use. And don't get me started on the INSIDE of the shop. And yes, I feel I'm allowed to rant about these shops that suck us in, as they get me EVERY time! And I mean, Every time.

The last time was one of these shops with a soap and herbal section, where the very lovely lady (bless her, she was very sweet) sold me a bottle of herbal cough medicine for £11(!!!??).. Which I bought into, as her friend, Florence and her daughter Daisy swore by the stuff. I was SUCKERED in, well and truly. It didn't work- shocking.  

Once you are inside these shops, you end up tip toeing around, smiling politely at the shop keeper who is crammed into the far corner surrounded by fluffy pram toys and bath bombs disguised as cupcakes and unable to move from their post in fear of knocking these items flying if they do. The customers, myself included are shuffling around the shelves in a clockwise direction, as we Brits seem to automatically do SO well, whilst tutting at the slow mover in front of us holding up the ever expanding queue of fellow suckers who want to look at the useless "Vintage" tat adorning the glass shelves and beige bookcases furnishing the  tiny shop. Yes, those unique looking bath bombs in the shape of fricking cupcakes have

been spotted in Royston, Cambridge, Southwold, Ludlow and some "I Saw You Coming"

  shop in London....NO! They are not unique and handmade just for this lovely little shop,

  they are generically made to sucker us all in. Every time.  

I dread the moment that the mister has found something ludicrously expensive and tacky and shouts to show me, and the other hushed customers who can all hear your hilarious piss taking, and when you do turn around to look, you don't want to move too fast in fear of knocking something over with your handbag. It must happen though...These shopkeepers, I am sure, find it amusing to stack their ridiculously oversized teacups and saucers in a precarious manner so that if somebody does knock them over (it's a dead cert to happen to somebody, although I haven't managed to do it just yet myself!) they can then point to the tiny hand written sign that says "All breakages must be paid for".

Don't get me wrong, I do support local and independent shops and businesses I am sure, however it annoys the heck out of me that I can find a tiny metal sign with a humorous 1940's quip about women and their place in the kitchen for 99 pence in one shop, but the very same sign is sold for £11.99 in yet another "I Saw you coming" shop. 
Does anybody ever buy anything seriously in these shops? How do they decide that buying that hideous star-shaped & sparkly rainbow candle holder would look fabulous on their bedroom dresser or that generic vintage bird print bunting would look stunning in their kitchen?! 
I don't always know why I go into these shops myself, I must admit. I think I trick myself into believing that if I don't go in and have a look then I might miss out on a bargain or a new trinket for my tea party table. But do you know what?... I NEVER come out of these shops with anything. Well... rarely!
I just wonder if anybody else does exactly the same thing with these type of shops or do they actually buy these overpriced novelty items religiously? Do they buy these ridiculously overpriced Welsh Dressers and Bedside Cabinets for £600 each just because they have the word "Vintage" slapped on the label? 

Why do I call these type of shops "I Saw You Coming" shops? Just watch an episode of "Ruddy Hell! It’s Harry & Paul” with Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse.
And for an example of me uttering this phrase, without it even being scripted, visit my first ever and very recent video blog post on YouTube which does actually spill out of my mouth quite naturally - I’ve just noticed this phrase had slipped out without a thought of it haha. 

Does anybody else find these truly, eye-wateringly expensive shops both frustrating and amusing as well?... Or do you perhaps have a different story or opinion on these types of shops?
Miss Sue Flay
x

Tea Party Photo Shoot... With Liquidphoto.co.uk

2012-02-06T00:09:00.000-08:00

A few months back, I arranged with the lovely Tom Allen and Lina Orsino of Liquid Photo, a photographic duo based in Cambridge who not only offer fabulous wedding photos, but also photos for events, theaters, galleries and even promotional photos for local businesses and the like.

They are both extremely professional and made sure that they ran through exactly what we wanted before and during the shoot to ensure that they captured everything we wanted as well as photos they thought wold work for us, that we hadn't even considered.

It was just so much fun to work with these guys that it didn't feel like a chore at all, they were both super at helping to gain the trust and relaxing our younger cake-eating models for the day by running around the beautiful garden we were using with their camera joining in with their game of Pirates vs Fairies... Hehe a very surreal experience for a bleary-eyed Sunday morning ; )

Everything ran smoothly from start to finish and it didn't take any prompting from my part, the guests tucked into our afternoon tea spread and Tom & Lina worked their magic producing some of the most beautiful photos I have ever seen, I couldn't be more pleased and proud to use them for The Secluded Tea party.

Some of their pictures are now viewable on our brand new and beautiful website...

Which has literally just launched in the last week or so...

www.secludedteaparty.com

As well as being able to view the full gallery on our Facebook Page.

If you need a wedding photographer in Cambridge, or somebody happy to help create beautiful photos for your own event, look no further, Liquid Photo are superb!

But, here are a few sneaky snapshots to give you an idea of what fun and shenanigans we all got up to....

And don't forget, you can book your very own Family Tea Party and enjoy just as much fun and tasty treats as my friends and their beautiful children did on this sunny winter Sunday in Cambridge.

Just email: cake@secludedteaparty.com to discuss further : )

Miss Sue Flay

The Crap/Unwanted Xmas Gift Swap - Tea Party Write Up

2012-01-31T12:28:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday afternoon, had you walked through the door or peeped through the high-ledged windows at a very small and pretty village hall somewhere in the deepest Cambridge Countryside, you would have seen 16 very excitable and smiley guests playing what looked like, can only be described as, an extremely random & festive game of “pass the parcel” with lots and lots of Xmas presents around an afternoon tea table.

And guess what?

That is EXACTLY what we were up to : )

It was the unwanted (Or as I had nicknamed it, crap) Xmas Present Swap tea party, where my guests were invited along to join me for afternoon tea whilst wrapping up an unwanted or novelty Xmas present, labelled from Secret Santa of course.

The event was even picked up by The Express on Sunday, a National newspaper on news year day, which was very exciting for me indeed!

On arrival, guests were asked to place their gifts under (well in fact, around, as it was fairly small) the little Xmas tree placed on top of the piano at the top of the table of this fabulous tea party venue of mine.

Once everybody had arrived and settled in, ensuring that they had tucked into the refreshing cucumber and ham & garlic jam finger sandwiches on offer whilst slurping on a raspberry & rose sparkling drink in my beautiful little jam jars, I decided on the best ice breaker to get everybody chatting and giggling even more than they were already doing.

As my new gramophone has yet to be presented at The Secluded Tea Party, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to show it off. However, as I only have 2 records for it currently, I wasn’t going to have it on loop all day as I didn’t want to annoy my guests, so the airing of my Edith Piaf “La Vie En Rose” was very important indeed.

So, on it went and off we set playing a very large version of “Pass the parcel”, chucking our gifts around, the cheaters slowing down when they were holding a gift they had felt up and decided they wanted (tut tut tut) and we managed to keep them moving around the table throughout the entire song. Once the needle had lifted to stop the song, the gifts we were holding were ours to open & keep and laugh over just how unwanted they were!

Hehe it was amusing to say the very least. Some (un?)lucky guests were even holding 2 gifts when Madame Piaf had finished belting out her heartfelt song and the gifts included such delights such as a floating lily bath plug, an alien conspiracy book, a wicker heart (my gift from Santa which I actually love!), a mini panettone, a silk scarf, novelty greetings cards in a presentable box for our gentleman guest and a giant mug.

One of our guests received a novelty sewing kit which was going to be sent to a family in Krakow where she knew a little girl who would absolutely love it, so it was a nice feeling to know others will benefit from this swap : )

Guests came as friends and couples, as well as some who came alone, there was a real mix, which is what I just love love love about The Secluded Tea Party. Everybody nattered and circulated and some local networking and idea swapping went on over a warm scone and dollop of Forest Berry Jam and a slice of my conjured up Ferrero Rocher Cake which went down a storm. We didn’t need background music, as it was drowned out by the buzz around the table. A smile was permanently on my face for this very reason.

Conversation moved at a fast pace, from Chinese students and tours of Cambridge Colleges to afternoon tea-inspired jewellery right through to zombies and bleeding heart cupcakes (Yes, it has been done with The Secluded Tea Party!). It was varied to say the very least.

One of the highlights of the table this time around was the marbled Chocolate & Peanut Butter Cheesecake which was worth the 2 days of baking, setting and swirling without even a lick of the spoon to taste. The wait was worth it, for both myself and for my guests who had been teased with photos of on Facebook & Twitter beforehand. It was amazingly rich and naughty and worth every mouthful, with some guests demanding that they take some home for their partners as it was too good for them not to sample - Not that there was very much left at the end of the afternoon.

It was like a second Christmas and I had been excited about this for weeks after Xmas had in fact been and gone and once all of our presents had been open and the food had been consumed, we all had that very familiar post-Christmas feeling all over again. The only downside to the affair, but worth it, considering the fun and new friends we all made.

This idea worked so much better than I could ever imagine, I genuinely didn’t want it to end ...

And remember, save your crap and novelty Xmas gifts for The Secluded Tea Party... which will be brought back to Cambridge in 2013, along with our non-expensive New Years’ Eve tea party celebrations that won’t break your bank balance!

Watch this afternoon tea space!

Miss Sue Flay

FoodCycle Cambridge

2012-01-25T06:19:00.000-08:00

After a good old natter through Twitter and email with the lovely Jen at FoodCycle in Cambridge, I was intrigued and amazed by this organisation and the fantastic service it offers our own community, that I couldn't leap high enough when I was asked if I fancied joining the kitchen to help prepare a 3 course meal a couple of Saturday's ago.

FoodCycle is a project that is trying to tackle 3 things: Wasted Food, Food Poverty and Volunteering.

It's said that there is an estimated 400,000 tons of surplus food that can be reclaimed every year from the food and retail industry, which can be turned into a healthy meal. What did scare us was the fact that certain supermarkets cover their surplus food in blue dye so that it cannot be reclaimed. I cannot imagine how much food there is wasted with just that one company and I never thought I would feel so passionately about NOT using them as a customer, but I certainly have changed my mind slightly. I can see in one way that they are more than likely scared to be sued if somebody ate out of date food and then took legal action and I am guessing this is one of the main reasons, but still, this food could make a difference in certain areas that seem to be ignored by most and it has made me slightly angry.

The scary figure that FoodCycle mention in regards to people affected by food poverty in the UK alone is 4 million, and malnutrition is a huge problem, not only for the people affected, but this costs the NHS an estimated £13 billion every year. Which is why FoodCycle offer a passionate vegetarian service, ensuring that they help in some way, no matter how.

The situation is crap on several fronts at the moment and the team at FoodCycle are trying to do something about it. I didn't honestly feel as though I did much and I actually came away feeling a little guilty that I had enjoyed myself so much, as I helped my team for the morning dream and cook up a delicious 3 course vegetarian meal for the beneficieries for that day.

The food had come from several local food suppliers, supermarkets and outlets that regularly donate their food at the end of the week and we got to work at 9.30am ready to serve at 12.30pm.

There were 7 of us cooking on this particular day at St. Pauls Church Kitchen on Hills Road in Cambridge, including 2 of my fellow Cambridge Food Bloggers, Ivana at Miss Igs and Jo at Afternoon Tease. It was great to put faces to the names and finally get to meet and chat about food whilst doing what we are all so passionate about.

Jen had come up with the main dishes she wanted to make and we all adapted them as we fancied, leaving Jen to feel like a spare part and give her a well deserved break for a change. That was a nice feeling being able to do this, as she and her regular team work so well to do this week after week.

The menu consisted of a Carrot and Vegetable Soup for starters of which myself, Mister Flay and the lovely Berta were in charge of, talking about all things German as our co-chef was from a completely different part of the world, we had great fun getting to know each other as we chopped and boiled away in huge quantities.

Between the team, we also cooked a Vegetable Crumble with Cheese & Creamy Leeks as well as a gorgeous warm Banana & Caramel Upside Down cake or a Fresh Fruit Salad for dessert.

We were given the opportunity to chat as a group and learnt a lot in between courses and timing the food around each other, and we learnt a lot about the beneficiaries and how this weekly meal helps them. As well as being given the opportunity to sit and eat each course at the table and chat to the lovely guests there for lunch.

My youngest and most bossy customer was the cutest 8 year old lad who told me exactly what pieces of fruit he wanted in his fruit salad and wasn't happy until I made sure he got all the cherries and none of the orange slices. Hehe.

Once we had cooked and served every course, a second team arrived to help clear away and wash the dishes afterward, giving the chefs a chance to finish their own meal or head off. It's very well organised and relies on volunteers to help with each aspect of this service.

We really enjoyed ourselves, and as a result, have signed up to volunteer again shortly.

You can do so too, just take a visit and check out your nearest FoodCycle Hub, or even try visiting one of their Community Cafes, which they are currently trying out in London.

Miss Sue Flay

Review: A Nice Little Place - Brook Farm

2012-01-22T10:21:00.000-08:00

God bless Twitter, that's all I can say!

The mister and I need a pre- Xmas break away to a small part of the country the we hadnt yet experienced, and after a few independent reviews through some twitter friends, we had a booking made for 2 nights at Brook Farm In Shropshire. (Thank you so much Deepa and Karen for the recommendation!)

Before we had even left Cambridge, Sarah, the lovely owner of this gorgeous Bed and breakfast had tweeted me telling me that she would have hot crumpets by the fire waiting for us on arrival should we desire...oh my... This offer of little treats before we had even checked in was just a small insight into what we were gaining with this booking.

Driving through the Shropshire Countryside was noticeable right away and being a farm girl growing up, I felt right at home driving past all the beautiful green, sheep-filled fields and pretty chocolate box cottages and old farmhouses. The scenery was just stunning and it was so refreshing to be somewhere new and ready to be explored.

The satnav naturally took us around the houses, but we eventually found this huge and most welcoming bed and breakfast. Sarah and her 2 lovely dogs greeted us at the front gate, along with her brood of chickens (don't leave the front door open or they will cheekily let themselves in for a nosey hehe!) and 4 cats all curled up around the stunning fireplace in the entrance lounge area. Sarah told us that she had placed a couple of restaurant and pub table bookings for us in case we wanted to eat and if we didnt want them, no problem at all (wow, just so thoughtful) and she showed us around and then left us to go and tend to her two cheeky donkeys (who we fell in love with throughout our stay!)

The two lounges within Brook Farm both had real roaring fires and as we had the place to ourself this weekend, we had our own lounge to use and curl up, even given access to her personal library of books which covered an entire wall of the cottage. We were also provided with a beautiful tea and coffee station and various flavoured gins and whiskeys should we desire a tipple or two. How on earth could anybody resist in this truly beautiful cottage?
It's a home away from home.

Our bedroom was bigger than the entire first floor of our own house, and we had so much space we didn't know what to do with it hehe. The bed was bliss, the bed is the first thing I judge as its my very favourite place to be curled up and I can honestly say I didn't want to leave this one both mornings that I woke up in it. Sarah's thoughtfulness extended hour by hour, from offering us a cup of tea left outside our bedroom in the morning along with a gentle knock on the door for our alarm, and she even home baked our very first batch of mince pies and left them by the fire In a cake dome wrapped with ribbon. We were beyond lucky with her hospitality, we truly were.

The area was also filled with fantastic charity and antique shops and I spent my pennies and endless trips to the car unloading bags of teacups, saucers, teapots, teaspoons and even a gramophone and records for my Secluded Tea Parties! It was an aladins cave of afternoon tea treats for me and I was in tea party heaven!

The accommodation and hospitality was superb and the breakfast selection was huge and varied to say the least. We had a choice of freshly baked bread, crumpets, yoghurt and honey, fresh fruit, cereal and an array of cooked breakfast choices from porridge to a full English. You could easily fuel for the rest of the day on the offerings at Brook Farm and we certainly did just that, enjoying some lovely pub meals in the evening if and when we fancied it. This was by far the best choice we could have made for our much needed get away and we will be returning for some peace and quiet next time we need it!

Brook Farm Bed and Breakfast was most certainly a nice little place, in fact it was a wonderful little place and we will be returning one day very soon : )

http://brookfarmberrington.org

Miss Sue Flay

Review: Teacake At Shepreth

2012-01-11T14:32:00.000-08:00

Thanks to my ultra sensitive cake-sniffing nose and heightened sense of awareness when it comes to new tearoom openings, I couldn't resist but stop by and try out a brand new tearoom which has just opened up outside of Cambridge In the pretty little village of Shepreth.

Teacake.

This pretty little tearoom is situated in the old post office & village stores and since this has now closed down, along with the local pub now too, this has been a welcome addition to the village over the last couple of months. hosted within a grade 11 listed cottage, complete with thatched roof, it's my kind of typically British tearoom.

This quaint little shop is hosted by the ever so friendly and welcoming

Christine and Maurice Prove,

Who were both present on my visit and they were just so knowledgable and chatty when I mentioned my love of tearooms, I could have spent all day with them listening to their stories of how they restored the beautiful furniture and fittings left over from the post office and their plans for the stunning garden at the back later in the summer.

The menu is already pretty wide, offering a great selection of teas and coffee, sandwiches, cakes, scones and even some every day provisions such as freshly baked bread, milk and free range eggs to take home with you, which is very handy to note.

This time around, I went for a pot of Darjeeling along with a lovely slice of Fruit Tea Loaf from their ever changing cake selection, which came with a pretty little cake fork for a civilised nibble. I had great fun sipping from my mis-matching tea ware and watching the world go by whilst I did so.

This husband and wife team have had a lot to learn, it they are having a ball learning the ropes and what works for them and their customers. Their passion shows and it makes for a fun experience as a customer, as they couldn't be more welcoming if they tried.

Maurice told me that their coffee comes from a well known coffee supplier in London, where you can see queues out of the door for their coffee. Only the best for their new countryside tearoom.

And rightly so.

I would say the only downfall of Teacake is that there is very few tables currently. So if you are looking for afternoon tea for a larger group, please do be courteous and make the tearoom aware of your plans, and they will try to accommodate you the best they can.

They do, however have plans for the future, so fingers crossed this new

Cake-based adventure works for them : )

I urge you to make a trip to this very cute cottage for a spot of tea should you ever find yourself in need of a thirst quenching pit stop.

Afternoon tea in Cambridge has never been so much fun! There should be more of these little tearooms in the area, it's so refreshing to have a new country tea room in these parts.

Teacake, 8 Meldreth Road, Shepreth, Royston, SG8 6PS

Tel. 07565 567023

Miss Sue Flay

Recipe: Almond & Cranberry Streusel Cake

2012-01-09T06:08:00.000-08:00

I came across this beautiful recipe one day in 2010 whilst looking for a warming cake recipe to bake for my boyfriends' parents when they visited for a cuppa, and this was a jolly good find, of which I decided to dig out again for some friends who were popping over. I can't rate this recipe enough for a warm slice with a pot of tea served mid morning or mid afternoon for a wintery pick-me-up.

It also gave me an excuse to use my new food mixer for the second time in 24 hours hehe... naturally, the kitchen geekery for 2012 has already begun! The mister thought I was kidding when I got visibly excited about using it - simple things!

This delicious Cranberry & Almond cake has a vanilla essence, but unlike most sponges, this one is almost like a crumble with an almond streusel topping and dotted with fresh cranberries - dried cranberries just won't cut it for this particular recipe. (I buy them and freeze until needed, this is fine to do and works just as well as fresh from the shelf)

You can actually make this recipe as a Gluten Free Version, and the blogger who suggests this recipe (Apple & Spice) does in fact mention that uses Doves GF Flour, so you could try this should you need to try a new Gluten Free Cake recipe.

The fresh cranberries actually become really juicy and burst whilst in the oven creating little red and pink stains all over the cake, making it look so pretty & it smells amazing whilst baking away. Further more, it's such an easy recipe to follow, that it can't go wrong. Just note, it does take 60-70 Minutes to cook, so do allow for a slightly longer cooking time for this recipe.

The middle does seem to cave slightly during the baking process, so it's never turned out the oven completely perfect for me, so not the most photogenic cake at first glance, but once you cut this beauty open, the colourful slices are very enticing indeed. For best results, turn onto a plate, and serve 5-10 minutes after leaving the oven, dusted with a little icing sugar should you desire.

Cranberry & Almond Streusel

Cake Recipe:

Streusel Topping
65g flaked almonds
20g unsalted butter, melted
20g light soft brown sugar

Cranberry Cake
160g plain flour
¾ tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 eggs
300g caster sugar
100g butter, melted and cooled
¾ tsp vanilla extract
230g fresh cranberries

Method – Streusel
Heat the oven to 150C. Grease an 8inch round spring form pan.
Combine the butter, almonds and brown sugar in a medium bowl. Work the mixture between your fingers to form large crumbs. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Method – Cake
Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Combine the eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium high speed until the mixture is lightened and increased in volume, about 5 minutes.
With the mixer on low speed, add the butter in a slow stream. Turn the mixer to medium speed and beat for another 2 minutes. Stir in the vanilla.
Gently but thoroughly fold in the flour mixture, half a cup at a time. Then stir in the cranberries.
Scrape the butter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Sprinkle the streusel over the batter. Bake the cake until it is golden and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean, about 1 hour to 1hour 10minutes.Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Release the sides of the pan and use a large spatula to slide the cake from the pan bottom onto the wire rack. Cool completely before cutting into wedges and serving.

Store uneaten cake in a cake keeper or wrap in plastic and store at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Makes one 8 inch round cake

Miss Sue Flay

The Cambridge Cake Crawl - Full Write Up

2012-01-07T08:57:00.000-08:00

On Saturday 26th November, 9 guests and myself, Miss Sue Flay, walked the streets of Cambridge and went on a Cake Crawl (armed with Secluded Tea Party Goodie Bags to collect our cake-based treats as we went) and guided by my personal knowledge we visited of some of the best places for tea and cake in our very own beautiful city.

The day was a little damp and drizzly, but it didn't stop us from marching from venue to venue to spend 30 - 45 minutes at each one enjoying a good old chat and tasting some treats pre-ordered thanks to my very organised cake tasting skills ; )

We started at Hotel Du Vin on Trumpington Street and the lovely team allowed us to take over their Library to enjoy their delicious Red Velvet Cupcakes, a Fruit Tea Loaf and a Selection of teas... and that was just for starters.... They also sent us away with a cute little bag of treats including a gooey fudge brownie and they even treated us to a teacup full of G&T to fuel us before heading out the door. Bliss.

We then hopped over to the newly re-opened Fitzbillies, where Tim & Alison had the Chefs table waiting for us in the Bakery itself, what an honour it was too! We got to see them preparing their world famous Chelsea Buns, as well as enjoy them ourselves from the tier left for us to tuck into at our leisure alongside a good strong cuppa. They had even laid a beautiful vase of flowers in the middle of the table and Tim allowed one of our guests to take some professional photos of him whilst we were there. Great fun and a great stop to make on this quick stop cake tour.

We then skipped up to Kings Parade to stop opposite one of Cambridge's most famous landmarks, Kings College, which is very important to me personally as my Grandfather was once the Head Gardener here, so it always makes me smile when I pass this beautiful college. No matter how cold it was today, we stopped to have a scoop of Benets Homemade ice cream and we even braved the chill and sat on the wall outside Kings College to enjoy this refreshing treat. Some of us had a sorbet to cleanse the palette.

A quick sidestep onto the Cambridge Market Square to visit the ever so charming Thomas at T&S Foods, where we sampled some of their stunning Caribbean Carrot Cake and took some home with us to enjoy later when we had a need for a second cake fix. He nattered away to us all, mentioning that he in fact produces his food in Norfolk and runs 3 market stalls in the area every weekend. A local star who has been here for years and hopefully many many more to come!

A swift detour to Bill's Cafe on Green Street allowed my guests to enjoy the walk through the picturesque Rose Crescent, of which most of them had never seen or walked through before. This was an opportunity to show off my tour guide skills and show the cobbled streets of Cambridge. All this walking certainly helped to burn off a little of the cake-cals. We had a pre-booked table in the corner of this bustling cafe, where we were served a plate each of their fantastic warm scones, with Bill's Strawberry Conserve and Clotted Cream along with a few pots of English Breakfast Tea to warm the cockles. They also gave each guest a free pot of Jam to take home with them too, which was such a lovely touch to the afternoon.

We completed our Cake Crawl with a dessert inspired cocktail at 12a Cocktail Bar in the Market Square. This was mentioned to The Host a month or two prior to the event, thanks to his knowledge of my sweet tooth by this point, and the designing of many a dessert inspired cocktail previously shaken up for me. We were seated in a relaxing dark corner, surrounded by Jazz music on the jukebox and some beautifully ribbon-tied scrolls with a choice of cocktails from either Tiramisu, Lemon Meringue or a Cranberry Club. I went for the first option, and oh my goodness, it was sublime! And a refreshing way to end the Cambridge Cake Crawl - We all went off with very content tummies, believe me.

You can view some of the write ups from my fellow cake crawlers by clicking on the links below, and I am so pleased that they had as much fun as they did. This was a complete trial, but it worked so well and was a great way of getting to know lot's of lovely new faces and I can see them all tweeting and connecting through social media even now, so it's a great way to meet new people.

Ireena at Fastest Food Blog

Debbie Wallwork Photography

Needless to say,I cannot thank the venues enough for helping with this event and being so hospitable and of course, there will be another event similar to this for early 2012, so keep your eyes peeled.... Or email me at: info@secludedteaparty.com

to get your name on the waiting list for the next Cambridge Cake Crawl.

Miss Sue Flay

EVENT: Afternoon Tea With... Twitter Basics

2012-01-02T12:41:00.000-08:00

I am very excited to be announcing The Secluded Tea Party with a Twitter Basics Tutorial...

Hosted on Saturday 18th February 2012

10.30am until 12.30pm approximately

Just £12 Per Guest - Intro Ticket Price

I will be offering Afternoon Tea With... Twitter Basics - A chance for guests (limited to 6 for this afternoon tea) to sit and pick my brains about this newer form of Social Media for absolute beginners and I will offer my experience through Twitter to get you connecting with your friends, family or colleagues, follow your favourite celebrities or to promote your blog or business.

I will be on hand to help you get started by providing you with a fool-proof guide to getting signed up prior to the afternoon tea event, so that when you come along, you should have your account set up and ready to go from there. It really is simple to get started, sometimes it just takes an addict to give some advice on how it works and what it does for that person to help you get motivated... that is what I intend to do for my guests.

I'm no Twitter expert, however I use it every day, night & even in my sleep hehe. I have made contacts, customers and even friends through Twitter and its helped to make 2011 a FANTASTIC year. I make no promises to make you a Twitter Pro by the end of it, but I do promise to provide you with my own Bespoke basic Twitter guides and also my own suggestions on who are great Tweeters to follow, depending on your requirements - I follow all sorts of Tweeters from foodies to celebrities, local fruit suppliers to national motivational speakers.  


Through my experience, I have realised that I'm a fantastic networker, so if you are needing to gain some advice on how to network well through Twitter, again, I'm happy to share my thoughts and help the best I can.

I will, naturally, be providing my guests with some delicious cake and plenty of Loose Leaf Tea to keep them going, so if you have a special request or craving, let me know and I will try to accommodate for this particular event.

The secret location will be very relaxed and wifi will be available, so you are welcome to bring along your laptop and set up for the afternoon.

 To book, please contact me with what you would ideally love to achieve through this session and I will secure your place.

Email info@secludedteaparty.com to book now

You can also follow me on Twitter @thesecludedtea

Miss Sue Flay

Unwanted Xmas Gift Swap Tea Party - Book Now!

2011-12-31T13:29:00.000-08:00

I am guessing you are all aware of the concept of Secret Santa?

Well, the VERY first Secluded Tea Party of 2012 will indeed be kicking off with a twist on this very British Christmas tradition...

On Sunday 29th January 2012 at 2pm, we will be celebrating the anniversary of the very first Secluded Tea Party, which was held this time last year at Cambridge Cookery School with 12 strangers around the table. Some of whom I must say, have become very good friends of Miss Sue Flay and TSTP. It's been a fantastic first year, and 2012 is shaping up to be even better with the plans we have in store for our Afternoon Tea guests.

Guests are invited to the first Secluded Tea Party event of the year to rid themselves of any naff, rubbish, unwanted or just plain crap Xmas gifts they may have received over this upcoming festive season!

AFTERNOON TEA MENU:

A SELECTION OF FINGER SANDWICHES

***

FRUIT & SPICE SCONES

WITH ALL THE TRIMMINGS

***

PEANUT BUTTER SWIRL CHEESECAKE

***

MOIST COFFEE CAKE WITH A MOCHA BUTTERCREAM

***

SELECTION OF PETIT FOURS

INCLUDING SEA SALT CARAMEL BITES

***

Wrap up that hideous orange bottle of bath foam from your colleague - that you cant even use because you havent ever owned a bath, the pants Chick Flick or Christmas CD that your mum bought you after much thought (In the wrong direction!) or that itchy knitted cardigan that your auntie made for you & that you gritted your teeth and smiled at when she gave it to you.

Book your ticket to The Secluded Tea Party to come along and enjoy the fun alongside copious amounts of tea as well as lots of tasty afternoon tea treats such as finger sandwiches, cakes and scones all homemade by Miss Sue Flay.

Bring Your UNWANTED gift with you, simply labelled: "To ? , From Santa"

Queue hilarious fun, whilst opening a gift or two each after a fun swap around the table...

And if you receive more than one unrequired gift this Xmas, why not bring more along, there is no limit and no rules - within reason!

And if you don't receive any, just grab a fun or useless novelty item in the sales to bring along instead hehe.

So hopefully see you at the Tea Party table in the New Year for the Crap & Unwanted Xmas Gift Swap, but more importantly

I wish you all a very happy Christmas and a very happy New Year!

Lots of Love,

Miss Sue Flay

Review: Orange Blossom Water with Baking Mad

2011-12-30T06:23:00.000-08:00

If you haven't heard of Baking Mad before, then I can honestly say that is one of the most inspiring websites for baking and cooking ideas and inspiration, they even have the lovely Cake Boy AKA Eric Lanlard on board offering his recipes of the week amongst other features... what more could a baking lady need to convince her?! Hehe

I recently got the offer of a trial bottle of Nielsen Massey Orange Blossom Water which sounded really intriguing to me as its not a flavouring I have personally come across before and I fancied a little bit of a baking challenge, so I agreed to receive a bottle and I started planning and plotting some recipe ideas right away. The Great British Bake Off had well and truly inspired me to bake away and try making up my own recipe for a change, instead of stealing somebody elses hehe.

I settled on Mini Choux Buns filled with An Orange Blossom Cream, topped with a gorgeous dark Chocolate Ganache which just made this dessert perfect in every way. Sometimes you just crave something bitter and sweet and this was just the ticket.
Think Terry's Dark Chocolate Orange.... In profiteroles!

The flavouring smells lovely straight from the bottle, after a quick sniff as soon as it arrived with the lovely postman (Apprently it can be spritzed from an atomiser should you desire), and although it smells fairly strong, it doesn't actually taste too strong, and it did need a fair few splashes to get the taste in the cream filling. It is quite an unassuming flavour and the Chocolate Ganache may have darkened this a little, but it doesn't matter. Noted for the next time.

The Recipe *

100g butter
125g plain flour, sifted
4 eggs (free range if possible)

250ml double cream
1 - 2 tsp orange blossom essence (to your taste)
2 tbsp caster sugar

(Optional Ganache Topping)

100g dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids)
3 - 4 tbsp double cream

Preheat the oven to 200*C

Place the butter into a pan with 300ml/½pt water and heat gently until the butter has melted

Add the flour and beat with a wooden spoon until the mixture looks like roughly mashed potato

Add the eggs, one at a time, stirring well to combine each egg before adding the next, until the mixture becomes smooth and glossy

Spoon equal portions of the mixture (about one tablespoonful) onto baking trays lined with slightly damp baking parchment (or silicone sheet placed on a baking tray if you have one) and place into the oven to bake for 20 minutes, or until golden-brown and puffed up

Remove from oven, make an incision into the side of each profiterole to allow the steam to escape, then return to the oven for 1-2 minutes to let the profiteroles dry out and then place onto a wire rack to cool

For the filling, whip together the cream and orange blossom water until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed, then gently fold in the caster sugar. When the profiteroles are completely cold, pipe the cream into each profiterole with a piping bag and medium pointed nozzle, through the incision, and arrange on a serving dish or pretty plate

If you go for the Chocolate Ganache, place the chocolate & cream into a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Do not allow the bowl to touch the water. When the chocolate has melted, stir the sauce and pour gently all over the pile of profiteroles on the dish/plate and serve immediately

Miss Sue Flay x

* Recipe adapted from my most favourite Nigella Lawson Profiterole Recipe found here.

The Curiosity Project

2011-12-20T13:17:00.000-08:00

Another twitter adventure has arisen recently, in the form of The Curiosity Project, thanks to one of my fellow tweeters taking part in a exciting and new blog idea that's been taken by storm and it has been dreamt up by the lovely Tiffany Grant-Riley, a Wedding planner and stylist who has a hunger for getting people to get crafty and/or thoughtful and send a box of goodies to a complete stranger for the sheer fun of it.

What's not to love about that idea?!

It's a bit like Secret Santa, but you post a box of random gifts up to the value of £20 to your recipient, with no idea of what they might like to receive.... It's a little nerve wracking trying to decide what to put in that box, but so addictive getting involved.

If you love surprises or enjoy pampering other people with presents "Just because..."

then this blog is just the ticket for you.

You can sign up every couple of months, completing a form with your name and contact details and await further instruction.

The whole idea behind it is very British and traditional by taking the simple concept of chain letters that I think most of us attempted back in primary school and making this a little bigger and better than just a letter this time around.

Using the postman to deliver a parcel... by hand... I think most of you will agree, there is nothing more exciting than having the postman ring the doorbell with a parcel for you!

All that is asked of you is to put some thought into your curiosity box - Make your gifts, write a note or a poem, find a curious charity shop item or an antique, share a recipe, tell a story, decorate the box however you like and make it personal.

Remember, you will be getting one in return, so make it as you would want to receive it, it's so easy to get engrossed once you get started. Very addictive indeed.

Tiffany offers a few guidelines and even postage advice before you sign up, so you can check it all out before you commit to The Curiosity Project. It's very helpful and just irons out any queries you may have before getting involved, although its such a simple idea, why would you not want to?!

I am in the middle of preparing my first recipients' Curiosity Box as I type, however, I actually received my own curiosity box this weekend and it was stupidly exciting receiving it.

I hadn't expected it to arrive, so it was an added bonus when I saw it sitting in the hallway just waiting patiently to be opened when I got home from work. The box was small & delicately handmade with a pretty button and pattern on the top with very cute cake related sayings on the sides - MORE than appropriate for me hehe!

My Curiosity Project partner had sent me a beautifully handmade tea cosy and pretty mug warmer which both match in material. They had also put a couple of labels in there telling me that they were made by their own fair hands, which automatically made me jealous of their skills, as they are just stunning and I needed a new tea cosy for my afternoon tea parties, so it was an extremely welcome gift.

They had also found such a gorgeous miniature teapot with 2 matching teeny cups and saucers which would almost be small enough to put inside a dolls house.... So lovely and the set will be placed proudly alongside my antique tea set in my lounge at The Secluded Tea Party HQ.

Thank you so much, whoever you are, I love all of my gifts : )

- Mine is soon to be on it's way to my very own secret recipient, eek!

Such a thoughtful Curiosity Box.... And it makes it even better when somebody makes you a gift or two with such charm and warmth. It makes me realise just how great the world wide web is and what adventures there are for people to get involved in.

Why not get stuck into the next Curiosity Project yourself?....

DO leave a comment below if you have been involved, or indeed plan to in the future...

http://thecuriositybox.blogspot.com/

Miss Sue Flay

The High Tea Cast - Podcast Review

2011-12-13T06:04:00.000-08:00

Podcasting is something fairly new to me as a concept really. It came up a lot in conversation throughout the Secluded Tea Party's Blogfest back in November, with some guests having already delved into the world of podcasting, one or two of whom had already been doing it for sometime now, such as the lovely Anne Bramley at EatFeed.

Two other lovely ladies who have also jumped into this exciting and interactive way to get your voice heard (Quite literally) alongside their blog, are fellow Brits Leanne Rice and Sam Sparrow from The High Tea Cast.

These clever young ladies have all sat down and put a heck of a lot of thought and planning into each and every word that they broadcast, and as well as Anne, The High Tea Cast ladies do this in a very real approach, one that I can most certainly relate to myself.

These beautiful fashionistas don't pretend to be women they are not, they speak to you on the podcast as they would speak to their best friends down the pub. And that's what I like about them, they aren't scared to speak their own mind, try new things and occasionally admit when they have made fools out of themselves. Come on, we all do it, but how many admit it?!

And what tea and cake-based podcast wouldn't be complete without talk of, well, tea and cake?!

They review the best afternoon tea hotspots in London and tell you all about them each month.

They also enjoy a cheeky cocktail or two (who doesn't?!) and they are happy to share their favourite finds each time they broadcast. From independent tea shops to more civilised hotels and bars, there is a real mix and this makes for superb listening.

Not forgetting the humorous Simon Button, who's blog is Simply Simon, where he moans and groans about life and topics of the hour in what can only be suggested as a 1930's style radio voice. I sit there and imagine him to have slicked back hair, wearing a smart suit and sipping on a G&T whilst twiddling his perfectly shaped mustache between his thumb and forefinger.
I love him.

Discussion topics so far have been subjects close to us all such as fashion faux pas, rainy festival experiences, embarrassing ourselves in front of celebrities, body confidence, the London Underground, and so much more beyond. They also natter to interesting people with a story to tell and they give them the time they deserve to talk passionately about their projects.
It's been inspiring in just 4 episodes so far, from chat such as short girls packing a punch to making low budget films to name a few topics.

These ladies have helped me through some very dull day job-related tasks over the last few weeks and I am so glad to have crossed their paths and poured them into my lives, it makes the world seem fun again.... And it makes me want to go out and have cake-based fun too.
(Oh wait just a minute ... : )

I defy anybody to give them a listen, male or female, it's an education in many different ways and it will bring a smile to your face.

An added bonus is also to find out that these lovely ladies are going to be speaking at Cybher in May 2012, of which myself and fellow blogger, Feisty Tapas have bagged ourselves early birds to make sure we get our bums down to the big smoke for some blog inspiration - So excited!

I have fallen in and out and back in love with the idea of having a go at my very own podcast, and this has spurred me to finally start moving in the right direction... The microphone has been purchased this weekend and my ideas are jotted down... Now to make this into a real life project.

Ladies, I thank you for being such an inspiration and helping me to stop toying with an idea and just bloomin' well do it!

Listen to them now!

You can even hear them talking about Miss Sue Flay on Episode 6 (Approx 10 minutes from the end) talking about The Secluded Tea Party... Awww thank you so much lovely ladies! xxx

Miss Sue Flay

A Surprise Cupcake Decorating Tea Party - Anna's Birthday

2011-12-11T13:58:00.000-08:00

All I want For Xmas - My Christmas Wish List

2011-11-29T15:15:00.000-08:00

It’s that time of the year again my friends.... It’s the time when my friends and family keep asking me what I might like for Christmas, my mum tells me to write a Xmas List, My dad asks me what I would like, my man friend snaps a camera phone furiously behind me on my window shopping expedition and sends himself reminders of all the useless items I say I would love but can’t afford hehe.

And so goes the annual tradition of making that ridiculously long list for santa...I even wrote a letter to Father Christmas last year to see if he might write back, in order to check the story of him replying wasn’t just a myth. It’s true. The old boy really does write back, and I even got a personalised response hurrah : )

So this year, I am doing the same thing, but as technology has seemingly advanced slightly over the last 12 months, and social media is starting to work for me lately, I am writing my list to Santa Claus on my blog and hoping that he catches it whilst checking out my latest tea parties!... I am convinced Father Christmas is an Afternoon tea consumer!

Hi Santa, if you are reading this then this year I would like all of the following, although I wouldn’t want to come across as too greedy, so just some of the the below will be fine... Hehe... A Girl can dream eh?!

A pretty new cake stand to replace one of the 3 I threw up the stairs as I tripped last weekend and broke into tiny pieces - Oops!

BBC Good Food Magazine subscription, seeing as I keep forgetting to buy it every month!

A quirky teapot to add to my Secluded Tea Party table

And a cute Tea Cosy to keep it warm...

A Cooking Gorgeous HandTowel so that I can hang it on my oven and dry it quickly... what a brilliant invention, I must own one!

An easel for my cookbooks whilst baking... such a simple idea, yet I still struggle to balance a recipe book against my kitchen wall whilst baking ; )

A Spa break would be ideal, or a massage at the very least to help me unwind. Ragdale Hall would be great, but I won’t be too picky ; )

Afternoon Tier Necklace from Punky Allsorts
(I can't believe I do not own this beauty yet!)

A Chocoshells truffle selection... I can’t get those unusual Bayleaf Truffles out of my head, they were amazing. I want to try them all now hehe.

A new 2012 diary to start adding next years events... It’s that time of year!.. Something quirky like the Alice In Wonderland or Owl Design ones from the Cotton-Lily from the Made It fair would be awesome

To go with that, a new notebook and pen would be ideal for jotting down all my ideas... there are too many to keep in my head atm, so this could be very very handy!

Some new large round silicon cake moulds from Lakeland for making even more of my fabulous layer cakes!

A new experience too, if you could give me the opportunity to drive a VW Camper for a bit, or perhaps to be thrown down the hill in a zorbing ball... something to get the heart racing with excitement would be fab.

A Cupcake in a Jar... the original bad boy!... I am desperate to try one of their Christmas Fruitcake or Strawbubbly cupcakes!

Dolce & Gabbana Perfume - The One.

A tea Party Hostess has to sometimes smell of something other than of baked goods!

A Kitchenaid. Enough said ; )

Belle De Sucre Sugar Cubes... the list would be endless, but I am in love with the long thin coloured sugar cubes. They are beautiful and a must have for me I am afraid.

A selection of Macarons from the lovely Dr Kinnaird at Macarons & More... what can I say? - I am a sucker for the rose macarons, and don’t get me started on those Salted Caramel babies.

I would also love to be the proud owner of some Dupenny Housewives design plates. Eating cake from these beauties would turn a bad day upside down, so much fun!

The Butch Bakery Book... I want to make more manly cakes and feel this may be my new needed cake bible!

If you are still feeling generous after this lot, then an Ipad would not go amiss. It’s my new guilty desire and now I can’t get it out of my head. Yes I am officially a Mac-head and I can’t do without one to add to my collection. Surely?

Tea at The Ritz please. The Holy Grail of Afternoon Tea...

How about a French Patisserie class? If I can’t have a real french experience, then at least with a trained patissier here in Blighty.... A french god/(dess) offering me their baking skills is a dream I feel I need to ask for this year... If you don’t ask you don’t get eh? ; )

And of course, what Tea Party Hosts' book shelf wouldn't be complete without some books such as Ladurée: Sucré: The Recipes, Tea with Bea, Baked: New Frontiers In Baking, Tea & Cake London, Tea & Fortnum & Mason, Afternoon Tea Parties, Domestic Sluttery: Cheat your Way to the Perfect Lifestyle.

To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar. The best film with Patrick Swayze and Wesley snipes EVER. I love this one and would love to add to my collection!

The Zombie lover in me would very much like the first series of The Walking Dead on DVD. Naturally.

And of course, this is all for fun! I am just putting my dream list together in the vain hope that one or two of those items may appear in my stocking this Christmas. If you don't ask, then you may never get... A girl can but dream hehe!

Why not leave a comment below with your very own wishlist to help inspire others who have no idea what they may like for Xmas?...

Miss Sue Flay
x

The Secluded Tea Party Presents...Blogfest!

2011-11-21T14:37:00.000-08:00

On Saturday 19th November 2011, a secluded (and very secret) Cambridgeshire location, hosted an afternoon tea with a blogging event alongside it. This was an unusual event in Cambridge where guests stumbled upon breakfast muffins, Oreo Layer Cakes, Carrot cakes, Homemade Fruit & Spice Scones as well as tea and coffee in an informal conference style.

The Cambridge-based Golf & Leisure Club that we used was taken over for a few hours by 28 lovely bloggers who had all joined myself and my 4 guest speakers to get inspired and meet others with the same interests whilst eating cake and using the wifi to blog, tweet and facebook their inspiration as they gained it.

The guest speakers consisted of Mel Hollidge, ReeRee Rockette, Liz Fraser & Sian Townsend, happily answering any questions as they came up from my guests as they discussed their thoughts and ideas.

Each of these wonderful ladies spoke honestly and passionately about their favourite topics to help bloggers move forward in many different ways, depending on their blog style or topic. They also helpfully suggested their own favourite blogs, some of which we had never heard of, so it was helpful to jot down for a visit later on after the Blogfest.

Mel taught us a lot in the form of using Social Media to promote your blog and helped us through the basics of Twitter, Facebook and even using Google Analytics to monitor who is reading our blog and where in the world they might be amongst other facts and figures we can gain from this tool.

"Photos and pictures without Alt Text are no good!" - A great tip to note!

We also learnt that Wordpress has a high ranking on Google, so this may be a good blog format to go with if you are unsure, however there are different sites, such as Blogger of course.

Liz discussed her experiences as a mum, a journalist and a writer and inspired some of my guests to completely change their way of thinking when it comes to blogging, much to their own amazement. She really got us thinking about honesty (We promised not to quote her on her honesty, but it was greatly appreciated!) as well as life beyond blogging, telling us that yes, blogging is fun, it's great to escape with, but it is not your life - "Take a break, Switch off in the evening!"

ReeRee advised that you need to be good at one thing & do it really well. She has had over 100,000 hits on her blog post on how to tie a bandana and she is now an expert when it comes to this topic. She also suggests that you find a niche and use it. Admitting to not planning her blog posts, she sometimes posts up to 4 times a day and is happy with the way she blogs for her readers. This isn't for everybody of course, but she spoke for herself and gave us her personal advice on Twitter and Facebook from her own social experiences. "People will sit and read your blog all afternoon if it is easy and simple to follow"- Great advice.

Sian offered her ideas on how to write a great blog review, thanks to her experience as a journalist she is able to offer some very constructive feedback on what makes a good or bad review. She say's not to rush a blog post, and perhaps ask somebody else to read it to get their feedback before posting, getting the best out of your post that you possibly can. "Don't use words you need to look up, if you don't know what it means, don't write it". On the flip side, if your reader has to go and look up a word, they might not consider finishing the blog post and may well leave your blog.... so do consider this when using fancy words. She also asked us to consider writing just 100 words on what our blog was about, keeping it simple and to the point - A difficult task for some, myself included as a waffler!

I thoroughly enjoyed planning and plotting every element of this event, including the planning of each table within the room and naming them after my favourite places in Cambridge for Tea & Cake. These included By Jove, Peacocks Tearoom in Ely, Fitzbillies in Cambridge, Jocalatte and Hot Numbers. They were all worthy of a mention and helped to educate my guests in the best cake and afternoon tea in Cambridge.

The next Secluded Blogfest will be coming in 2012, so if you are keen to join us, please do email Miss Sue Flay at: cake@secludedteaparty.com to be put on the waiting list. More info to follow in the new year.

You can view blog posts from some of my lovely guests since this event, as follows:

ReeRee Rockette

Maria at Sudden Flashes of Inspiration

Aggie Redpath

Cherry Sorbet

Feisty Tapas

Miss Sue Flay

Afternoon Tea & Pamper Packages - Now Available

2011-11-03T12:12:00.000-07:00

You can now book your very own Secluded Tea Party... complete with pamper packages

thanks to our lovely friend, Anna at Nightingale Beauty in Cambourne who is offering Secluded Tea Party Bookings a special rate for her fabulous treatments.

Anna and her team of relax-inducing beauty therapists are on hand to offer you a variety of pamper and preening treatments before or after your Christmas parties... Or even just because you fancy a treat with your friends, family or Colleagues!...

What could be better - Afternoon Tea and a good old fashioned pampering?!

Cake-fueled Heaven.

Treatments to include Manicures, Shellac treatments, Facials & Indian Head Massage and a few more besides. You can even have the fantastic Heel Peel treatment which will help to promote foot confidence in your killer heels this Xmas!

With Treatment & Afternoon Tea Packages combined, you can pre-pay in advance and not have to worry about that boring side of it on the day.

We can come to your home, work or venue of your choice. Or you can come to one of our superb Secluded Tea Party Venues within Cambridgeshire to escape for an hour or two without the crazy spa prices that a city centre or hotel spa retreat would charge.

Not forgetting the delicious Afternoon Tea treats with or without a christmas twist... the choice is yours entirely. We can set up a menu to your cake-based desires.... And Loose Leaf tea is a must to help you unwind.

It's your party, so you can have whatever you want!.... Why should Office Xmas Parties be so boring and the same every single year?!.... They really shouldn't.

Afternoon Tea is the perfect way to relax, enjoy sweet and savoury treats and chat over a cup of tea.

It will beat the usual pub lunch with dry turkey and all the sloppy trimmings, rest assured!

We have availability from the 1st November, right through until 2012, so email us now to secure your very own Secluded Tea Party in Cambridge.

Cupcakes, Cakes, Scones, Locally sourced preserves, Traditional lemonade, Handmade truffles, Finger sandwiches, Loose leaf tea, Tarts & Tartlets... And much more on offer!

Food made to your fancy.

We are based in Cambridge, however, we can come to you, no matter how far away you are,

just ask!

For more information just email us at: thesecludedteaparty@live.co.uk

Miss Sue Flay