Review - The Scotsman Hotel Afternoon Tea...Gluten Free

As I've mentioned before, I am trying to cut down on the amount of gluten I eat. When I heard that The Scotsman Hotel in Edinburgh were now doing a gluten free afternoon tea, I was really excited!

I love cakes but usually after eating them I feel a bit yucky. So when the lovely team at The Scotsman gave me the opportunity to sample a complimentary gluten free afternoon tea, I jumped at the chance!

Head chef Paul Hart, has teamed up with Genius, who do a range of gluten free breads, to offer this delicious afternoon tea.

My husband and I were in Edinburgh for an overnight to celebrate our anniversary and decided to visit The Scotsman during our trip.

                               

The Scotsman itself, is a lovely hotel and The North Bridge Brasserie is equally as stunning. With rich wood panelling on the walls and small cosy tables, it's the perfect place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city for some yummy treats.

The attentive waiting staff showed us to a perfectly set table and we opted for the gluten free afternoon tea as well as a regular one for my husband.

On arrival, the stands were both filled with a fabulous selection of crustless sandwiches, cakes, scones, clotted cream and a choice of Wilkin & Sons preserves on the table.

I have tried gluten free products before and to be honest, have thought they were pretty dry and bland, so I wasn't sure what to expect. However, I wasn't to be disappointed.

On the bottom tier of the stand were a selection of sandwiches on both white and brown breads...cheddar cheese & pickle, honey roast Ayrshire ham & Arran mustard, egg mayonnaise with watercress and delicious smoked Scottish salmon with a herb cream cheese.

On the middle and top tiers a variety of mouth watering cakes...a moist strawberry & ginger cake decorated with a chocolate curl, a big slice of mocha & dark chocolate loaf, a delicate lemon curd meringue, a caramelised banana macaron, lemon & raisin pancakes and a fresh from the oven fruit scone. Strawberry and raspberry jams and a pot of clotted cream were the perfect accompaniments.

My husband too had the same selection of sandwiches on regular bread, as well as a fruit scone, lemon curd meringue, but also had lemon & poppyseed loaf, chocolate cupcake and a few others too. An absolute feast for both of us!

Under normal circumstances if I had eaten this amount of cakes and sandwiches, my stomach would be beginning to suffer, however after eating all of this (despite feeling I would have to roll out of the hotel) I felt great!

The afternoon teas are priced at £16.95 per person served with a selection of teas & coffees, however there is also the option of adding a glass of Prosecco or Champagne for an extra special treat.

It's great to see hotels and restaurants catering for those intolerant to gluten and we will definitely be returning to the Scotsman for another afternoon tea in the near future. My birthday is coming up at the end of October, so a perfect excuse!