Among the many exceptional food experiences at Leonardslee Wine Estate, Afternoon Tea at the Wine Estate stands as one of the most popular. This quintessential English tradition couldn’t have found a more perfect home, surrounded by the rolling hills and vineyards of Leonardslee’s West Sussex vineyards.
Afternoon tea itself is hosted in The Vineyard Kitchen Restaurant - the Wine Estate’s signature restaurant. Interiors change with the seasons - in summer, you can sit out on the al fresco terrace and sip Champagne, and when the winter months roll in, expect crackling log fires to keep you warm.
The afternoon tea menu kicks off with a selection of finger sandwiches - chicken salad, smoked salmon, and cucumber with cream cheese - as well as a handful of other savoury treats, like sausage rolls and spinach, roasted pepper and cheese quiche.
No afternoon tea would be complete without scones, and The Vineyard Kitchen delivers scones still warm from the oven, alongside clotted cream and strawberry jam.
Finally, save a little bit of room for sweets - a selection of dainty cakes and pastries, made by Vineyard Kitchen’s talented pastry team. Little treats to finish the experience include miniature tarts, cakes, chocolates, and macarons. Guests can, of course, indulge in as much tea or coffee as they like, but there’s also the opportunity to upgrade with a bottle of fizz for a special occasion. If you’d like to add bubbles to the experience, Afternoon Tea at the Wine Estate is available alongside a bottle of Benguela Cove Cuvee 58, turning afternoon tea into a proper occasion.
Don’t forget - if you want to spend more time in the beautiful grounds, Leonardslee Wine Estate has nine gorgeous boutique rooms at The Vineyard Hotel for overnight stays, complete with breakfast in the morning.