Afternoon Tea by the Sea at The Marine Court Hotel!
Thursday, July 10, 2014
If there is one thing I love it's eating out, and as all my followers on Instagram will know, I try to eat out whenever possible! Of course one of the most indulgent treats for us girls has to be Afternoon Tea, and I was really pleased when I received an invite to attend the launch of the Marine Court Hotel's new Afternoon Teas!
Having been to the hotel previously for lunch I was looking forward to seeing how the hotel would stage their afternoon teas, and as it turned out we were treated to a somewhat vintage, "quirky and different" afternoon tea experience in their grand ballroom!
Myself arriving at the launch of the Marine Court Hotel's Afternoon Teas!
Photograph by Brandan Gallagher.
These days we are all well used to the concept of the standard "Afternoon Tea" experience, however the Marine Court Hotel strived to do something a little different, focusing on good old fashioned customer service and creating a homely and vintage style afternoon tea, with tasty delights one would remember fondly from their childhood!
Freshly cut flowers and refreshing glasses of Pimms!
Served on vintage china with traditional linen table clothes and freshly cut flowers you felt transported back to a bygone era, whilst being entertained by local musican's playing the kind of music I remember from my Granny's record collection! The focus was in creating a welcoming and warm feel, serving instantly recognisable tasty treats we all remember from our childhoods! I especially loved the miniature lemon meringue pies and blueberry muffins! So dainty and cute, and extremely delicious!
I loved their eclectic vintage china (in fact I even recognised one of the floral plates as a design that currently resides in my Mother's china collection), and the cute and quirky hand knitted tea cosies, which kept our teapots filled with the Marine Court's own "house tea" blend cosy warm! While refreshing glasses of Pimm's served on arrival made for a nice change from the usual bubbly served at afternoon teas!
Some delicious sweet treats served on china with the same floral pattern as my mother's!
However the highlight of the afternoon had to be our delicious Crepe Suzette's!! Deliciously sweet and somewhat "alcohol laden" we were able to watch our attentive waiting staff actually make them right by our table which added a lovely theatrical element! The Marine Court Hotel now prides itself in being one of the only, if not only, hotels in the whole of Northern Ireland offering this experience as part of their Afternoon Tea service!
This famous dessert really does hark back to the good old days, when good customer service and attention to detail was the hallmark of every fashionable and high class restaurant!
The event was hosted by model and presenter Katie Larmour, and it was lovely to get the opportunity to catch up once again with Katie over the hotel's delicious treats! Star guest of the day was musical legend Peter Corry, who sang throughout the afternoon!
It was lovely to be amongst the first in NI to attend the Marine Court's Afternoon Teas, and it marks the first of many exciting new customer experiences that newly appointed General Manager Adrian McAleese will bring to the hotel over the coming months! Adrian will bring all of his experience of serving Presidents, Prime Ministers, The Rich and Famous and Royalty such as the Queen, Duke of Edinburgh and Prince Andrew to the Marine Court, ensuring that all the hotel's guests are treated with the same high level of service!
Speaking at the launch of their Afternoon Tea Adrian McAleese said: ‘We were absolutely delighted by the turnout, it was a great success and we hope the first of many more Afternoon Teas to come.’
The Marine Court Hotel is also committed to supporting and playing an active role within the local community. In future weeks they will be working closely with local performers giving them ‘a stage’ on which to showcase their musical talent by hosting special ‘Charity Afternoon Teas’ to help local charities raise their profile as well as much needed funds.
As for what I chose to wear for the occasion, well at the moment I'm obsessed with zingy neon hues and girly summer chic, so my neon floral skater dress perfectly encapsulated both trends! I love the cute and feminine look a skater dress creates, and with it's vibrant neon floral print, this dress is a modern take on a classic style! Accessorise wise I opted for my new multi link leather cuff from French Connection, and one of my favourite summer handbags, my white double tassel handbag from Karen Millen! Shoe wise I do love my exotic leather and my metallic green snakeskin platform sandals were the perfect finishing touch to my ensemble!
Neon floral skater style dress by Topshop Petite, French Connection Multi link and leather bracelet, Karen Millen Tassel white mini bag (GL222), Metallic green snakeskin "Gable D" platform sandals from Dune.
Photograph by Brendan Gallagher.
So if you are looking for something a little different, harking back to a bygone era where first class customer service is paramount then why not visit the Marine Court Hotel to experience their Afternoon Tea for yourself? The teas will run every Sunday in the hotel’s fabulous grand ballroom between 1-4pm.
A very big thank you to Adrian NcAleese and the Marine Court Hotel for their kind invitation to attend the launch of their Afternoon Teas! (If only I could enjoy one of your delicious crepe suzette's every day!!!).
