Bronte Afternoon Tea at The Gilbert Scott

Experience the ultimate Yorkshire Afternoon Tea in this most fantastical of Victorian settings; The Gilbert Scott Restaurant at St Pancras.

Devised by General Manager and chef, Chantelle Nicholson and cult artist and creator of Visitoriana, Charlotte Cory, this traditional Yorkshire Victorian tea is a tribute to the famous writing sisters.

Charlotte Cory’s exhibition “Capturing the Brontes”, is an imaginative, witty and informative exploration of the family and the history of early photography, drawing on the Victorian craze for collecting cartes des visite – portraits once produced in their millions and now discarded. The exhibition has been in situ at the Bronte Parsonage Museum, Haworth in Yorkshire and will be available as an exclusive preview at The Gilbert Scott before it continues its journey to the Long & Ryle Gallery.

Teatime was a huge part of the lives of the Brontes, scribbling their famous novels in their secluded Parsonage. The Bronte themed tea will include Pontefract liquorice and chocolate cupcakes, Yorkshire Parkin (from an original recipe devised by the Bronte’s faithful servant Tabby), Wensleydale and pickle sandwiches in honour of the Bronte’s love of the Lake District, and Yorkshire puddings with mash and gravy as cooked by Emily Bronte, an ardent cook who would stir the puddings between penning paragraphs of Wuthering Heights.

The inaugural Bronte tea will launch on January 29th at 3pm with talks given by Charlotte and Bronte Society Executive Director Ann Sumner followed by the unveiling of the exhibition as it arrives in London.

Interesting and informative, irreverent and anachronistic but above all as delicious as anything you would expect from the superb Marcus Wareing restaurant, this tea will delight Bronte fans and Victorian buffs alike.

The Brontes themselves would have been fascinated by the setting at St Pancras Railway Station, they were wildly excited by the coming of the railways, the internet revolution of their times. Branwell, their little known brother, went to work on the railways, he was very proud of his job but spent too much time doodling and writing poetry. Emily Bronte famously traded shares in the railway and the last surviving sister, and only member of this brilliant Yorkshire family to enjoy literary fame in their life time, Charlotte Bronte took advantage of the new railway to come down to London to “enjoy life as a literary lioness”.

The exhibition and tea will run from the 29th of January until the 12th of February and booking is essential; for more details, to make a reservation or to book your place at the launch event please call 0207 278 3888 or email [email protected]. The Bronte Afternoon Tea, with access to the ‘Capturing The Brontes’ exhibition is £25 per person. The launch event is also £25 per person, which includes the Bronte Afternoon Tea, access to the exhibition and talks from Charlotte Cory and Ann Sumner.