Afternoon Tea is becoming a little bit of a tradition when my Mum and I meet up, whether it is a fancy five-star hotel, a cute little tea room or just a cream tea while out shopping, it is such a lovely treat that fulfils our love of tea, gorgeous cakes, scones and clotted cream while catching up.

Last week, my Mum and I were in Manchester for a spot of shopping, a concert and an early birthday celebration **haven’t you heard it is my birthday on Sunday**, and we decided to check out the afternoon tea offering at The Lowry Hotel, a fancy five-star hotel overlooking the River Irwell.

We were hoping for a spot of sun so we could eat out on the terrace at the River Bar and Restaurant but no such luck, Manchester is known for its rain but last week was also a very windy affair, so we decided a booth inside would be more comfortable.

Priced from £22.50 per person, the hotel’s afternoon tea is very reasonable compared to London prices, and it doesn’t lack on the quality, choice, presentation or service. We went for the traditional afternoon tea which came presented on a gorgeous Art Deco-style three-tier stand, filled with warm apple and cinnamon scones, a delicious rhubarb fool, a pistachio macaroon, and a couple of chocolate treats. They were the perfect accompaniment to our egg and watercress, cucumber and cream cheese, and Lancashire cheese and chutney finger sandwiches.

As well as being a lover of the sweet treats I am a huge tea drinker and The Lowry Hotel offers a great range of Jing loose teas from the traditional earl grey and morning blend to fruit infusions and green tea, but we decided to go for the Afternoon Blend, a refreshing Assam and Darjeeling mix.

I have been to a number of afternoon tea’s recently from the novelty to the traditional and what I loved about The Lowry Hotel is that it has a modern twist on old traditions, with one of the highlights being the apple and cinnamon scones, which tasted heavenly topped with clotted cream and strawberry jam. I find that it isn’t just the great food and tea choice that makes a great afternoon tea but also the service, which was hands down amazing, the staff were well versed in their teas, described each cake to perfection, and were attentive to our needs for offering us more tea and clean plates. It made the whole afternoon relaxed and fun and allowed my Mum and I to catch-up.

I haven’t had afternoon tea or stayed in a Rocco Forte Hotels before but I most certainly will be checking out their other locations in the future after this wonderful experience and if you are looking for somewhere special in Manchester I would most certainly recommend it as the restaurant was fantastic. I have also heard great things about the hotel’s spa as well, which I have added to my list of things to do next time I go home to Manchester.

Are you a lover of afternoon tea? Do let me know in the comments field below your favourite spot for afternoon tea in the UK and I will try and check it out.