Last Sunday I took the kids along to East Sussex National to sample their Sunday roast inspired afternoon tea in the Pavilion restaurant.
The cake stand was loaded with lovely treats as promised in the promo email I received below and the chef explained each tier.
The savoury options were lovely, I really liked the chicken liver parfait in the little brioche bun with caramelised onion chutney on top, the ratios were perfect with plenty of pâté and just enough tangy chutney without being overpowering.
The prawn cocktail had a clever presentation wrapped in a lettuce parcel so you could just pick it up and eat it easily. The salmon rilletes on melba toast were lovely but could have used some seasoning. Unfortunately the main roast themed item, the mini Yorkshire with beef, contained mince with horseradish instead of roast beef like in the email image which was a bit disappointing.
As for the sweet options, the scones were light and really tasty - both fruit & plain for each person and served warm. Most importantly, as far as I'm concerned, they came with proper clotted cream - an absolute must in my opinion - I like to layer it on thick with a thin slick of jam on top (the Devon method apparently). When the stand came out, the twins both chose the scones first and absolutely loved them.
The other sweet items were all good too, the mousse & honeycomb was a great mix of sweet & tart with the addition of that slightly bitter burnt sugar taste from the honeycomb. The brownies were as I like them, dark and richly chocolatey with a crispy top and gooey centre. The Bakewell tart was really good too with a juicy cherry in the middle of the frangipane and not too sweet.
I think the kids and I all liked the lemon meringue pie the best which was unexpected as it's not my usual favourite. It was SO delicious, perfectly tangy with a thin crumbly pastry and caramelised meringue on top, it looked lovely and tasted even better. Priya especially was impressed!
As for drinks, the twins had a babyccino each which were massive and I had a frothy hot chocolate. When I finished it I was asked if I'd like another but opted for tea as I decided it would be more refreshing with all the cakes. I received a lovely big pot with a large jug of milk which meant the twins could top up their drinks too.
Overall it was a lovely afternoon tea with plenty of delicious cakes and really good scones, we had a fab time! I liked the range of ingredients and the interesting savouries instead of the usual sandwiches. At £49 for two it is quite expensive so would be good for a special treat.
We weren't sure where to go when we arrived at the bar area but once we found someone to help and were taken through to the restaurant the staff were lovely and very attentive, ensuring we had enough to drink and were happy. They were very good with the kids and they have great facilities including a changing table in the disabled toilet and we were offered high chairs.
The ambience was a bit lacking as we were there quite early at 12pm, which suits the twins pre-nap, so the staff were busy setting up tables around us and we were pretty much the only customers in the restaurant. Nik and I have eaten in there before and enjoyed it in the evening. There's a nice view out to the golf course with windows all along one wall so it's a pleasant place to sit but I think the atmosphere entirely depends when you go. It did get better when our waitress asked us if we'd like some music on in the room.
To book afternoon tea at East Sussex National, call 01825 880088 or email reservations@eastsussexnational.co.uk. Bookings must be made in advance. The Sunday roast themed afternoon tea is served every Sunday from 12pm - 3pm until 25th February.
The cake stand was loaded with lovely treats as promised in the promo email I received below and the chef explained each tier.
The savoury options were lovely, I really liked the chicken liver parfait in the little brioche bun with caramelised onion chutney on top, the ratios were perfect with plenty of pâté and just enough tangy chutney without being overpowering.
The prawn cocktail had a clever presentation wrapped in a lettuce parcel so you could just pick it up and eat it easily. The salmon rilletes on melba toast were lovely but could have used some seasoning. Unfortunately the main roast themed item, the mini Yorkshire with beef, contained mince with horseradish instead of roast beef like in the email image which was a bit disappointing.
As for the sweet options, the scones were light and really tasty - both fruit & plain for each person and served warm. Most importantly, as far as I'm concerned, they came with proper clotted cream - an absolute must in my opinion - I like to layer it on thick with a thin slick of jam on top (the Devon method apparently). When the stand came out, the twins both chose the scones first and absolutely loved them.
The other sweet items were all good too, the mousse & honeycomb was a great mix of sweet & tart with the addition of that slightly bitter burnt sugar taste from the honeycomb. The brownies were as I like them, dark and richly chocolatey with a crispy top and gooey centre. The Bakewell tart was really good too with a juicy cherry in the middle of the frangipane and not too sweet.
I think the kids and I all liked the lemon meringue pie the best which was unexpected as it's not my usual favourite. It was SO delicious, perfectly tangy with a thin crumbly pastry and caramelised meringue on top, it looked lovely and tasted even better. Priya especially was impressed!
As for drinks, the twins had a babyccino each which were massive and I had a frothy hot chocolate. When I finished it I was asked if I'd like another but opted for tea as I decided it would be more refreshing with all the cakes. I received a lovely big pot with a large jug of milk which meant the twins could top up their drinks too.
Overall it was a lovely afternoon tea with plenty of delicious cakes and really good scones, we had a fab time! I liked the range of ingredients and the interesting savouries instead of the usual sandwiches. At £49 for two it is quite expensive so would be good for a special treat.
We weren't sure where to go when we arrived at the bar area but once we found someone to help and were taken through to the restaurant the staff were lovely and very attentive, ensuring we had enough to drink and were happy. They were very good with the kids and they have great facilities including a changing table in the disabled toilet and we were offered high chairs.
The ambience was a bit lacking as we were there quite early at 12pm, which suits the twins pre-nap, so the staff were busy setting up tables around us and we were pretty much the only customers in the restaurant. Nik and I have eaten in there before and enjoyed it in the evening. There's a nice view out to the golf course with windows all along one wall so it's a pleasant place to sit but I think the atmosphere entirely depends when you go. It did get better when our waitress asked us if we'd like some music on in the room.
Olive Dragonfly Rating - Afternoon Tea at East Sussex National, Uckfield
Food & Drink - 7/10
Atmosphere - 6/10
Service - 8/10
Value - 6/10
Overall - 7/10
To book afternoon tea at East Sussex National, call 01825 880088 or email reservations@eastsussexnational.co.uk. Bookings must be made in advance. The Sunday roast themed afternoon tea is served every Sunday from 12pm - 3pm until 25th February.
We received a complimentary afternoon tea for two in return for this review. As always, my reviews are honest and opinions are my own.
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