Photo credit: Bowood
Bowood Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort has introduced a new luxurious afternoon tea in its Shelburne Restaurant. The menu includes a seasonal menu of sandwiches, scones, and pastries, shaped by ingredients grown in Bowood Estate’s Walled Garden together with tea grown and refined in Cornwall by tea producer Tregothnan. A bespoke fine bone china collection, created with British manufacturer Duchess China 1888, completes the Bowood Afternoon Tea experience. The light and airy restaurant overlooking the spacious grounds of Bowood add to the occasion.
Rupert Taylor, Executive Head Chef at Bowood Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort, said: “The Bowood Afternoon Tea is all about renewing a much-loved tradition with care, while strengthening our connection to Bowood’s Walled Garden. It allows us to shape the menu around what is growing here on-site. Ingredients come straight from the garden into the kitchen, which brings a level of seasonality and freshness that is difficult to replicate. Ingredients such as strawberries and rose petals are grown on the estate and used to create Bowood’s own strawberry and rose petal jam, reinforcing a zero-mile, field-to-fork approach. Each element reflects a wider picture of both the estate and the time of year.”
The tea selection served at Bowood Afternoon Tea has been developed with Tregothnan, the UK’s first tea plantation and the first in England to have created a range of black tea, green tea, and herbal infusions home grown on British soil. A large selection of Tregothnan teas is on offer.
Jonathon Jones OBE, Managing Director at Tregothnan, commented: “Tea itself is the reason fine bone China found its place in Britain. Afternoon tea, at its best, is an expression of place as much as tradition; the ritual shaped not only what we drink, but how it is served and carried across continents. To see the first British-grown tea presented alongside such carefully considered craftsmanship at Bowood feels entirely fitting.
“Bowood Afternoon Tea is a thoughtful renewal that respects heritage while allowing the concept to evolve with quiet confidence, pairing a sense of tradition with a willingness to pioneer. The partnership reflects provenance, care, and a shared commitment to doing things properly.”
Afternoon tea originated in the 19th century as a social ritual designed to bridge the gap between lunch and dinner. Historians say that Anna Maria Russell, the 7th Duchess of Bedford, invented afternoon tea and it is incredibly likely that the Lansdowne family residing at Bowood would have participated in a Bedford afternoon tea. Given the Lansdowne family’s important role in British society, they also would have regularly held afternoon teas at Bowood, emphasising the timeless nature of the tradition.
Matthew Voyle, General Manager of Bowood Hotel, Spa and Golf Resort comments: “We are incredibly proud to present the renewed Bowood Afternoon Tea. It has been important to us that the relaunch honours the timeless tradition of afternoon tea, while ensuring it feels relevant today. Working with partners such as Duchess China 1888 and Tregothnan, both of whom share our values around heritage, quality, and British craftsmanship, has been a privilege.”
Bowood Afternoon Tea is served in the Shelburne Restaurant at Bowood Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort from 22nd May 2026, priced at £37.50 per person. It is available from 1-4pm on Monday to Saturday and 2-4pm on Sunday. Tables can be reserved via Bowood’s website click here. Gift vouchers can also be purchased
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