Afternoon tea is perhaps one of the most quintessentially British institutions and Georgian mansion-hotel Storrs Hall has introduced a brand new menu to add a unique and exciting twist to the experience. 

The hotel, which is situated in sprawling and picturesque grounds overlooking the shore of Windermere, has brought in tea expert and afternoon tea specialist Judit Kovacs to revamp it.

 Judit, who originally moved from Slovakia 11 years ago to work as a model, has recently moved to the Lake District after working at another five-star hotel near Ascot. She is accredited by the UK Tea Council and she is passionate about tea. 

While training, Judit studied the different varieties and flavours of tea extensively and knows exactly which strain of tea leaf complements each different element of afternoon tea. 

For example, I am usually a traditional English breakfast tea girl, but Judit recommended that I try the Lapsang tea when eating smoked salmon or chicken sandwiches and the difference was really surprising. The Lapsang tea has an incredibly smokey flavour so Judit toned this down by mixing the leaves with some from her Earl Grey stores. 

The effect of the new tea meant that the sandwiches tasted much richer and the smokey flavour was more pronounced. 

The blend was perfect and it really was the ideal accompaniment to the savoury aspect of the afternoon tea. 

Judit shared some of her most important tea advice with me. 

She said: "I always refresh the tea pots every 10 minutes as if tea stews for too long it can taste bitter and that will be detrimental to its taste and characteristics. 

"It should be brewed for four minutes before pouring and then never left after that for more than 10. It is also important not to boil the water too much as tea leaves can burn and this creates a bitter edge to the taste."

Judit will be at Storrs Hall to advise people exactly what tea goes best with what food or which teas are better for different people. She will also be training other member of staff to advise clients in the same way. 

She said: "I really want people to come in and experience a tea master class. I'm happy to spend all afternoon looking after clients and teaching them about the essence of tea." 

Her training in five-star hotels means Judit has been given a lot of freedom to carry out her afternoon tea makeover at Storrs Hall. 

She said: "I even ordered new tea-pots and cakes and sandwhich stands. The tea pots are glass so that you can see the way the tea leaves or flowers expand and brew. I had the cake stands specially designed as I wanted them to be really beautiful. 

Tea has become very popular in the last few years, with the latest craze being for 'Boo-Tea', the 14-day 'celebrity teatox' which consists of a cup of green tea in the morning and evening for an energizing digestive detox.

However Judit recommends people stick to natural loose leaf tea, saying: "It's much healthier to work a natural tea into your lifestyle and routine. We serve a rosebud tea here and that is the best for a detox." 

Judit has introduced a range of traditional and exotic teas from the luxury brand Jing, who supply tea for over 50 Michelin Star hotels all over the world. 

She also enjoys using Tregothnan teas, which are home-grown on an estate in Cornwall which she has visited to expand on her knowledge and passion for tea. Her greatest dream is to travel to China and discover how tea is cut and prepared. 

She wants to get in the fields and learn from the experts exactly how much work goes into creating Britain's favourite drink. 

Judit's afternoon tea is something deliciously different and is the perfect way to spend a wintry Sunday afternoon in front of a roaring fire in the Lake District.