Holbeck Ghyll, Windermere

THE last time I went to Holbeck Ghyll it was for lunch with a bigamist (I didn't know that at the time, I hasten to add) who was shortly about to swap Michelin-starred menus for a more porridge-based dietary regime, courtesy of Her Majesty.

It was certainly a memorable lunch, if not quite for the reasons Holbeck Ghyll would have liked.

I went back last week for afternoon tea with my husband, who may have had a somewhat chequered marital history himself, but he has at least – unlike the bigamist – always taken the prudent precaution of making sure he was divorced from one spouse before galloping down the aisle with the next.

Holbeck Ghyll, one of the original and quintessential Lake District country house hotels, was most recently made famous for providing the setting for the first television series episode of The Trip , in which comic actors Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon toured the country – and more latterly, the continent – eating fine food in top quality restaurants and doing impressions of Mick Jagger, Michael Caine and various James Bond stars. Hard work, but someone's got to do it.

As someone – such as myself – has got to review the Holbeck Ghyll afternoon tea experience. We arrived for our 3pm slot, sweeping up the drive and parking in front of the house, which is an early 20th century elegant gentleman's residence with a spectacular view over Windermere and the Langdales.

We were shown through to the main lounge and settled in some fireside armchairs – but the configuration of chairs and small table didn't really lend itself to a relaxing afternoon tea experience, as a staff member soon realised, and we were asked if we would prefer to sit in the bar. We would.

This is a new addition to the hotel, opened at the start of the year. It's roomy and with great views of the terrace, gardens and lake. A slightly lost opportunity on the style front, I felt, as there was little wow factor to the room, but it was comfortable to be seated at a proper table for our tea.

What surprised me immediately was the earthenware crockery. For afternoon tea? As Margaret Thatcher famously said: "No. No. NO!" It has simply got to be China cups and I was disappointed with the rustic nature of the Holbeck Ghyll crockery.

Of course, afternoon tea has become such the rage, that different places are all determined to stamp their own mark on the ritual – Holbeck Ghyll have obviously decided that rustic gives it a quirky touch. It does, but not in a good way, in my opinion.

Tea was served in stainless tea pots – fine, but again lacking in elegance. A plate of sandwiches was the first part of our tea to arrive; and, again, it was just too rustic. Doorstep is the word that sprang to mind on seeing the sandwiches: huge, thick affairs. With crusts on! The Dowager Countess of Grantham would be reaching for the smelling salts if this were Downton Abbey – and Mrs Patmore would be packing her bags in disgrace and leaving without a reference.

That said, the bread was springily fresh and the fillings generous and delicious. Smoked salmon with cream cheese and pickled cucumber (big tick for tradition, there), cheese with a piquant chutney, and a club-style sandwich with ham, chicken, lettuce and tomato. All delicious, but finger food this was not. It was a two-handed job to eat them. Hardly genteel.

A two-tier tray of cakes and scones arrived next; and here the traditional afternoon tea experience was in full gear. Fruit and plain scones with clotted cream and raspberry or strawberry jam; delightful little carrot cakes in mini plant pots – complete with a bit of carrot sticking out of the top; posh Jaffa cakes, a scrumptious poppy seed cake and – the star of the show – glass jars filled with a truly luscious raspberry trifle. Superb.

If it's the sweet element of afternoon tea that is you bag, Holbeck Ghyll will not disappoint. More tea was offered along the way, and the staff were all very pleasant, friendly and professional throughout.

Our tea cost £25 per head – not cheap, but par for the course for a country house afternoon tea. It was high quality and delicious, but I would have preferred it to be more elegant. And, for me, the earthenware crockery is most definitely a quirk too far.

Louise Allonby

Ratings:

Food 4

Service 4

Atmosphere 3.5

Value 4

Pros:

Spectacular setting and views

Quality food Country house style

Cons:

No dainty sandwiches

New bar lacks atmosphere