Over the last year or so, we’ve all become used to recreating events at home. Some (birthday parties, family dinners, virtual schooling) simply don’t work as well at home as they do in real life. But a sophisticated afternoon tea, with sandwiches, scones and cakes, can be just as enjoyable in your living room as it would be in a café or restaurant. And with Mother’s Day coming up next weekend, you could consider getting one of these at-home afternoon teas delivered to your mum to make her day that bit more special.

The Herald: The Cakes d\'Licious Vintage Afternoon Tea  Photo: Olivia Brabbs

SugarFall Patisserie, Glasgow

£34 for afternoon tea for two

There isn’t exactly a shortage of posh bakeries in Glasgow’s west end. Yet Sugarfall Patisserie, on Byres Road, still manages to stand out from the crowd thanks to its range of immaculately presented sweet treats. It is run by Aiste Berlinskaite, a professional pastry chef, and Karolis Juskenas, a chocolatier, who make everything by hand while working by the motto that ‘creating desserts is an art’. And their food certainly is an art form, with picture-perfect petit-gateaux, colourful macarons and delicate tarts that look just as good as they taste.

Despite their incredibly high standards, SugarFall Patisserie offers a reasonably-priced afternoon tea for two, including three tea sandwiches per person, three scones and a selection of decadent pastries. Jam and cream are not included but free delivery is (within 12 miles of a G12 postcode), while you can also opt to pick up from the store if you prefer. Well worth the money.

www.sugarfall.co.uk/afternoon-tea

The Herald: Sugarfall Patisserie

Blossom Tree Café, Edinburgh

Regular afternoon tea is £13.50 per person (additional extras available)

Just because you are having afternoon tea at home, you still want it to feel like a special event. Fortunately, the striking presentation from Blossom Tree Café will make an undoubtable ‘occasion’ out of your high tea, with a custom-made cake stand included with every order. They also wrap their afternoon tea in cellophane and secure it with a ribbon- making it the perfect gift to hand over on Mother’s Day if you want to gain some brownie points. The Regular Blossom Tree afternoon tea includes seven finger sandwiches, home-made sausage rolls, miniature quiches, scones with condiments (clotted cream and jam) and a half dozen cakes each. Sandwich fillings vary but they usually always contain the classics - cream cheese and cucumber, ham with lettuce and a hint of honey mustard, peppered pastrami, tuna with mayonnaise- plus the option to change to gluten-free alternatives.

For Mother’s Day next weekend, they are even offering a special afternoon tea, costing £29.95 for two people with addition of some extra goodies (chicken satay nibbles, vol au vents, pork pies with relish). If all that wasn’t enough, you can offer your mum a bit of pizzaz by adding prosecco (large or small), a bouquet of florist flowers (£25) or a choice of two cocktails (for an additional £12). Phew. Delivery is available around the south of Edinburgh but you can also collect if preferred.

www.blossomtreecafe.co.uk

Pink Inc Café, Glasgow

Takeaway afternoon tea theme is £45 for two people

Pink Inc Café are specialists in afternoon tea. The café’s ‘instagramable’ flower-adorned walls and (unsurprisingly) pink interior makes it a bit of a mecca for those looking to have an extra-special afternoon tea, while the regularly changing Disney-themed cakes are a hit with adults and kids alike.

Fortunately, that same, uniquely ‘Pink Inc’ character is just as obvious in the takeaway version of their afternoon tea. For £45 for two people, you will be given a delicious selection of sandwiches, mini scones, chocolates and colourful cupcakes on a takeaway cake stand. If you order as part of their special Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea, the cupcakes are even adorned with quirky Chanel-themed decorations: making them the ideal gift for any fashionista mums. And if you hadn’t already guessed the colour of the cake stand? Pink, naturally.

www.pinkinc.cafe

 

The Boathouse Glencaple, Dumfries

£14.50 per person with optional add-ons for an extra fee

In non-Covid times, when it is open for visitors, the Boathouse is one of the most beautiful venues in Dumfries and Galloway. It is situated right on the banks of the River Nith and its glass-fronted building offers wonderful views of the water- which looks particularly lovely at this time of year.

But rather than mourn the fact that we can’t currently visit to enjoy a sit-in meal, the good news is that the Boathouse’s gourmet afternoon tea tastes just as good at home.

This year they are offering a Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea, delivered direct to your door, with a selection of sandwiches, mini savouries, mini sweet treats and a scone with jam and clotted cream.

This standard version costs £14.50 per person, but if you want to elevate your gift you can also add on the following extras: a mini metal ‘I love you’ sign (for £3.50), some Ferrero Rocher (an extra £4.50), two oil wax melts with a mini wax burner (an extra £4.50), a mini bottle of prosecco (an extra £7.50), a bottle of Braes o’ Gowrie sparkling elderflower (an extra £8.50), a Kindness & Co. candle (extra £12.50) or a large bottle of prosecco (an extra £13).

Orders can be placed by email (order@theboathouseglencaple.com) or phone (01387 770 673).

www.theboathouseglencaple.com

Kiltarlity Post Office, near Beauly, Highlands

£12 per person

When you close your eyes and picture the Post Office, a quality bakery that’s producing a deluxe afternoon tea probably isn’t what springs to mind. But that’s exactly what is on offer at the Kiltarlity Post Office, near Beauly, where a new ‘1st Class Cakes’ business is based. Throughout next weekend the team will be delivering a special Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea, across the Inverness area, for a very reasonable price of £12 per person.

That includes an egg mayo brioche roll, cheese and tomato brioche roll, BBQ chicken skewers, salad, lemon and white chocolate pots, vanilla and strawberry jam cupcakes, chocolate fruity bites, shortbread, tablet and a soft drink. Advance booking is essential, with delivery offered within the Inverness/Muir of Ord/Drumnadrochit areas.

Tudor Coffee House, Strathaven

Afternoon tea platter costs £25

Situated right in the middle of the Lanarkshire town of Strathaven, Tudor Coffee House is a much-loved local business that is popular for its coffee, cakes and cosy ambiance. Their takeaway afternoon tea is steadily building up a fanbase of its own, offering incredibly good value for money at £25 for a platter for two.

For their Mother’s Day version, this platter includes eight triangles of assorted sandwiches, two filled salad rolls, four chicken satay sticks, two sausage rolls, two strawberry tarts, two meringues, two ‘Tudor truffles’, two Mother’s Day cupcakes and two scones with jam and cream.

You can collect from the coffee shop itself or get it delivered if you live locally, with the option to add fresh flowers from nearby florist Lace Buds for an extra £25 if you want to make your mum feel really spoilt. Plus, you can be smug in the knowledge that you are supporting two local businesses at once…

www.tudorcoffeehouse.co.uk

Cup Tearoom, Glasgow

Prices vary depending on package chosen

Cup has become a bit of an expert in afternoon tea. With stylish venues in Renfield Street and Virginia Court in Glasgow, it is a popular choice for those who want to head out for a special high tea. But what about their at-home offering? The good news is that it is almost as extensive as the options that are available in-person: with a regular, vegetarian, gluten-free, vegan, signature, prosecco, champagne and children’s version.

There’s also a special Mother’s Day offering, available with a mini bottle of prosecco as standard, or an upgraded version that includes champagne or gin tasting.

Cup’s standard version, costing £29 for one or £49 for two, consists of four sandwiches (smoked ham hock and mustard mayonnaise, coronation chicken, egg mayonnaise and cress, cucumber and soft herb cream cheese) a smoked applewood cheddar and chive savoury tart, plain and cherry scones, a strawberry Eton mess cupcake, a rhubarb and custard tri¬fle lemon and lime meringue pie, a cranachan choux bun, chocolate brownies and chocolate-dipped strawberries. Phew!

You can collect from their Renfield Street branch in Glasgow or use Cup’s delivery service, available in the following postcodes: G1-G82 (excluding G63 and G65), PA1-PA11, ML1-ML9.

www.cuptearooms.co.uk/athome.php

Mrs Mitchell’s, Dundee

£18 per person

Unlike some of the other options on our list, Mrs Mitchell’s is a takeaway-only venue that does not have a physical presence or café. Yet that means they are experts in offering boxed-up afternoon tea to-go, with a choice of regular or vegetarian options that can serve between one and four people.

Collection is available free of charge from their kitchen in Dundee, while delivery is offered in Longforgan, Liff, Invergowrie, Birkhill, Strathmartine, Douglas, Broughty Ferry, Monifieth and Kingennie.

As well as treats, cakes, savouries, mini buttermilk scones, jam and cream, their take-home boxes also include English Breakfast tea and freshly ground coffee. Mrs Mitchell’s has specific menus for birthdays, or even Easter, but you can pick the option that best suits you and then add extras such as a birthday cake or some hot chocolate.

www.mrsmitchells.co.uk/product/afternoon-tea-for-two

Silver Spoons Tearoom, Troon

£12 per person for afternoon tea

Ordinarily one of the most popular cafes in Troon, Silver Spoons Tearoom has had to adapt to lockdown restrictions and offer an at-home version of its much-loved afternoon tea.

Free delivery is available to Troon, Barassie, Monkton, Prestwick, Symington and Dundonald- with the option to hire some fine bone china to make the day extra special.

There’s a ‘regular’ menu, featuring a selection of sandwiches (chicken lettuce and mango, egg mayonnaise, cream cheese and cucumber, ham and onion chutney), sausage rolls, scones (plain and fruit, served with jam and clotted cream) and an array of sponge cakes, traybakes, meringues and shortbread. But what if you don’t have a sweet tooth?

Fortunately, Silver Spoons has an alternative savoury afternoon tea menu, replacing the cakes with a fruit loaf and offering a pork pie and quiche to supplement the missing sugar. A favourite for all the family.

www.silverspoonstearoom.com

Three Sisters Bake, Glasgow

Starting from £14.95 for afternoon tea for one

Three Sisters Bake was, rather unsurprisingly, founded by three sisters with a love for baking. Nichola, Linsey and Gillian started their careers in office jobs but soon became disillusioned with corporate life and decided to open their own café in Quarrier’s Village in 2011. In 2019 the business was expanded to encompass a ‘Cake Bar’ on Great Western Road, near Kelvinbridge, which proved a hit with trendy westenders thanks to its colourful cakes, ice cream and Instagram-friendly neon sign. The Cake Bar is currently only open for takeaway due to Covid restrictions, but you still can enjoy the Three Sisters magic from the comfort of your own home.

They are offering a deluxe take-home afternoon tea, with collection available from both the Cake Bar and Quarrier’s Village bakery. It involves a selection of delightful sweet and savoury goodies, with vegetarian alternatives available for anyone who requires it.

www.threesistersbake.co.uk/cakes/afternoon-tea

Almondine, Aberdeen

Afternoon tea at home is £42 for two people

One of the best high-end bakeries in the north east, the beautifully presented products from Almondine Aberdeen, right, look almost too good to eat. Almost! The bakery started life by specialising in macarons, after the owners returned from several trips to Paris to find that macarons couldn’t be found on sale anywhere in Aberdeen.

After a year and a half of research they created their own unique recipe and decided to open a pop-up shop, before a permanent location followed on Thistle Street in Aberdeen. Last year they opened a chic patisserie in Chapel Street, but lockdown restrictions have forced Almondine to offer their deluxe afternoon tea on a delivery basis. Costing £42 for two people, it includes delivery within 17 miles of Aberdeen city centre, offering finger sandwiches, plain scones and five exquisite patisserie miniatures (petit gâteau).

The current menu, available for delivery at the end of this month and into next, includes a choux bun filled with rose and raspberry ganache, a delicate mousse with a mirror glaze and biscuit base, a banana, caramel and chocolate verrine, a vanilla and rum miniature canelé and, of course, a mini macaron, flavoured with coconut and lime.

www.almondine.co.uk/products/afternoon-tea-at-home

Molly and Flo’s Afternoon Tea, Alloa

(delivery offered across central Scotland)

Afternoon tea for two is £28

Baking in the heart of Clackmannanshire, using traditional recipes and the freshest of ingredients, Molly and Flo’s Afternoon Tea, above, aims to make an occasion out of any event.

The firm’s owner Lorraine gave up her day job to become a full-time baker, turning her passion for events into a profitable business.

Molly and Flo’s delivery afternoon tea includes a choice of sandwiches: ham, cheese, cheese and pickles, egg mayonnaise, tuna mayonnaise, roast beef rocket and horseradish, coronation chicken; an individual quiche Lorraine or mushroom quiche; homemade sausage roll and a selection of cakes. Gluten-free alternatives are available for a supplement of £3.

www.mollyandflo.com

All You Can Tea Bakery, Edinburgh

Afternoon tea starts from £13 for one person

A family business, based in Musselburgh, All You Can Tea specialises in only the most decadent of sweet treats. You can order grazing boxes, brunch boxes, brownie cakes, hot chocolate, cupcakes and more- all to be enjoyed in the comfort of your own home. But if it’s afternoon tea you’re after, All You Can Tea has both an individual version and a premium option that’s designed to feed two to three people.

The ‘premium’ version includes mini quiches, sausage rolls, finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream, and a selection of cakes and sweets. Mercifully -for those with allergies or intolerances- they also provide a vegetarian and ‘food allergy’ version.

Delivery is available for free to Musselburgh, Tranent, Prestonpans, Wallyford and Whitecraig, with a small fee for delivery to Edinburgh EH1–EH17 postcodes, Haddington, North Berwick, Dunbar and Midlothian.

www.allyoucantea.co.uk