Marks and Spencer has launched a new afternoon tea service so we popped in to see exactly what it's like.
The famed high street retailer, which was founded in 1884, boasts an army of fans thanks to its impressive range of fashion and lifestyle products, as well as its ever popular food halls. On March 13, the beloved retailer launched its new afternoon tea deal in selected M&S Cafés.
Afternoon tea remains phenomenally popular, often booking up and selling out in record time. In a city with so many exciting options, we were keen to see if M&S could compete.
READ MORE: Liverpool city centre food venue among top five in UK
M&S Café's new service costs £12.50 per person, and includes a luxury sandwich selection; an all-butter scone with Cornish clotted cream, jam and fresh strawberries; a mini chocolate cupcake topped with buttercream; a French macaron; a cinnamon Palmier biscuit, and luxury Fairtrade tea. For those craving a bit of fizz, a mini bottle of Conte Priuli Oro Prosecco can be added for £5.
We popped in one weekday afternoon to sample the service for ourselves. The café was incredibly busy and it wasn't entirely clear whether the afternoon tea service was on. It can't be ordered in advance, and we had to do some digging to find out it can only be ordered after 2pm.
We queued and placed the order at the counter, and immediately ran into a few minor issues. There's no vegetarian afternoon tea option; the sandwiches include Marks and Spencer's classic selection, which is predominantly made up of meat options. Ideal for Emily, but not so great for me.
The M&S Café staff member put through an order of egg mayonnaise sandwiches for me instead, but given Marks and Spencer's excellent vegetarian and vegan options, I was surprised and disappointed this was all that was offered. There's also no option to edit the drinks and, granted, 'tea' is an integral part of afternoon tea, but there's usually the choice to swap it for something else if you'd prefer a soft drink, for example.
The ordering process is quite rigid and given how busy the café was, we didn't want to be a bother or cause any delays. I paid separately to add a Diet Coke to my order, but I do think the service and experience would benefit from more options.
The M&S Café afternoon tea sandwiches
Marks and Spencer's classic sandwich selection includes chicken salad, ham and mustard mayonnaise, egg mayonnaise, and an unexpected cheese, pickle and tomato sandwich. This surprised us, as we'd been told egg mayonnaise was the only vegetarian option available.
Of the meat sandwich selection, Emily Sleight said: "I'm a big fan of chicken sandwiches, but can sometimes be put off by how dry they are. There's nothing worse than taking a big bite into a sandwich and being left with a dry mouth, but luckily, that wasn't the case for the chicken sandwich at my M&S afternoon tea experience.
"The chicken was super juicy, and the crunchy cucumber really added to the sandwich. I'm not usually a big fan of cucumber, but on this sandwich it was really refreshing and light. I would've liked a bit more mayonnaise on the sandwich, but I am a bit of a mayo fiend. As a whole, the chicken salad sandwich was okay, but it definitely wasn't the nicest one I've ever had.
"I would've quite liked a bit more variety in the M&S afternoon tea sandwich selection in terms of meaty sandwiches, like a chicken and stuffing option, or a chicken and bacon. As a whole though, I was moderately impressed with the chicken salad sandwich.
"The ham and mustard mayonnaise sandwich was definitely my favourite, and I wished there was more to be had. I would've much preferred two of these sandwiches instead of the strong, overpowering egg mayonnaise.
"In terms of taste, the ham was deliciously smoky and light, and although it was quite thin in terms of consistency, it filled the sandwich up nicely. The mustard was delicious with a slight tang that really added to the sandwich.
"I do think the meat selection was lacking slightly, and would've preferred a few other different sandwiches, or maybe even some sausage rolls. For £12.50, I can't grumble too much, but another meaty addition would've been lovely."
I was disappointed to receive four mini egg mayonnaise sandwiches for my vegetarian version. It seems like no thought has been given to people with different dietary requirements, which is a bit of a shock given how extensive Marks and Spencer's Plant Kitchen range is. Muslim and Jewish people would also benefit from a vegetarian version, as they can't eat meat unless it's halal or kosher.
The classic sandwich selection does contain a cheese, pickle and tomato, so I feel there could have been two of those and two egg mayonnaise sandwiches as a vegetarian alternative. Though, vegans had no option with this afternoon tea at all.
The egg was pleasant enough, but there was far too much of it and no variety for me, which is one of the benefits of afternoon tea - lots of little flavours and tastes to choose from and experience.
M&S Café afternoon tea sweet options
The sweet options were far superior to the savoury options, with the most delicious scones either of us have eaten in a long time. The scones were complete and utter perfection, with a light, fluffy filling and a decadent, thick crust.
There were little cakes on offer that were sumptuous and sweet, without being too sickly. The product listing mentions a French macaron and a cinnamon Palmier biscuit, but we just got the cupcakes so perhaps this is subject to availability.
Still, everything we sampled was absolutely delicious and impossibly moreish. We both left very disappointed in ourselves for not visiting the Food Hall and purchasing some scones to take home.
Overall, M&S Café's afternoon tea is lovely with some very positive elements, but there's also a few minor issues that would make it so much better. It's really reasonably priced at £12.50 per person, but as a vegetarian, I'm not sure I'd go back unless they added some more variety. Emily also felt the same regarding a lack of variety with the meat options, too.
Still, the Café is a brilliant location in the centre of Liverpool so it's an ideal spot to pop in for a decent afternoon tea at an affordable price. You can find your nearest M&S store here.
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