Tipsy Tea at 97 & Social, Jesmond

We all know that I am the self confessed queen of afternoon tea and am on a bit of a mission to sample as many as I can in the North East.  One that's had my interest for a while is the Tipsy Tea at 97 & Social in Jesmond so when my friend Katie asked me if I'd like to try it out with her she didn't need to ask me twice!

Tipsy Tea is different to any of the other afternoon teas I've had, it's quirky, colourful and boozy - absolutely perfect for a catch up with one of my best friends.  Served on Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoon I recommend taking a leaf out of my book and booking a table with one of your favourite people - just make sure you clear your diary for the afternoon as things may get a little fuzzy.

Tipsy Tea takes you on a unique trip around the world, all from the comfort of your cosy booth at 97 & Social.

Our experience began with a look through the atlas of  teapot cocktails.  It was a tough decision deciding where to go.  Maybe India for "the Limited Darjeeling", Down Under for an Aussie Iced Tea or possibly a trip to China for the "China Dynasty" (the lychee and rhubarb bitters in that one made it very tempting!). 

In celebration of Katie's recent return from the Caribbean we opted for "It's a Jamaica 'Ting".

It's a Jamaica 'Ting was the perfect boozy teapot for us, a classic Jamaican combination of Appleton white rum, Velvet Falernum, sorrel squash and a sparkling can of Ting finished off with a little drizzle of pomegranate syrup.

As our teapot arrived we were told how to make our cocktails but in all honesty I was barely listening as I was so excited about how beautiful it looked.  This resulted in me pouring way too much cocktail into our teacups! Oooops!  When you go yourselves make sure you leave enough room in the top of the cup to top it up with some Ting or things will get a little bit tispy far earlier than anticipated.

Each tipsy tea comes with the all important cake stand, and this one is dressed to impress with plenty of sandwiches, colourful cakes, macarons and a few hidden surprises.

We were really happy to be asked what sandwich fillings we wanted on our stands. There were plenty to choose from and it was great to have the opportunity to pick out what we wanted.  I've had a lot of afternoon teas with fussy eaters which usually results in complicated sandwich swaps so it was great to be able to pick out our favourite fillings.  I decided on Salmon and Cream Cheese (always one of my favourite sandwiches on an afternoon tea) and Katie opted for Cheese and Pickle. 

After sandwiches comes scones and we enjoyed perfect fluffy scones with a choice of strawberry or raspberry jam and a silly amount of cream.

Being a nut allergy sufferer the guys at 97 & Social were great at accommodating me and I got my very own plate of cakes to enjoy.  One of the perks of having a nut allergy is definitely not having to share with someone, does anyone else get stressed at the idea of someone pinching one of your cakes when you're sharing a stand?

The cakes were so colourful and the presentation was just stunning.  You'll be pleased to know that they tasted just as good as they looked and we stuffed ourselves full of chocolaty brownies, fresh fruit, cream filled éclairs and multi coloured macarons before having to admit defeat.

Tipsy Tea is a great alternative treat and gave this afternoon tea expert plenty to smile about!  If you fancy trying it for yourself, Tipsy Tea for one is £9.95, Tipsy Tea for two is £15.95 and if you're having a Tipsy Tea Party for four it's £29.95.

I'll definitely be back for another try, after all I have 5 more teapots to work my way through!