I love a good afternoon tea so when I had the opportunity to head over to Cafe Football and review their new Game of Two Halves afternoon I couldn’t resist. Cafe Football serves afternoon teas between 2pm and 5pm daily (apart from home games at Old Trafford) but you must book 48 hours in advance as you can’t just turn up for these special treats.
Their current Afternoon Tea selection is advertised as the GAme of Two Halves with two very different options for you to choose from. Both options look great and it really does depend if you prefer savoury or sweet items. Both afternoon tea options are accompanied by tea or coffee and cost £19.50 per person.
HOME GAME MENU
Mini fish & chips
Sausage roll swirl
Mini Yorkshire pudding with beef and gravy
A mini glass of Cafe Football beer (Seven Bro7hers)
Homemade scone with clotted cream and jam
Selection of rustic sandwiches: Chicken & mayo, Pastrami and sauerkraut and Cheese & pickle
As a big savoury fan, this was a dream come true for me. The mini glass of Cafe Football beer was delicious alongside the Yorkshire pudding stuffed full of pink beef and dripping in gravy. The Yorkshire pudding was crispy enough to keep the gravy inside yet was still light and fluffy and the beef was perfection. However, the Yorkshire pudding was not the best item on this afternoon tea. That title has to go to the thick-cut chips and deliciously battered piece of fish. I have eaten at Cafe Football a lot yet I have never opted for the fish before. If this small morsel is a nod at things to come then I will definitely be ordering this in the future. The mini sausage roll was nice but I would have preferred to not have the caramelised onion on top as it wasn’t really needed. The rustic sandwiches were delicious but I have never seen a cheese and pickle sandwich with such a large slice of gherkin in it. Although lovely it wasn’t very aesthetically pleasing and did put me off a little bit.
The scone with clotted cream and jam was the only sweet item on this afternoon tea but it finished it perfectly. The outside of the scone was crunchy yet inside it was light and fluffy, a perfect scone in my opinion although I know some people prefer them to be a little softer on the outside as well.
AWAY GAME MENU
Churros with chocolate sauce
Prosecco jelly
Lemon poppy seed cake
Cherry bakewell square
Homemade scone with clotted cream and jam
Selection of finger sandwiches: Salmon and dill cream cheese, Chicken mayo, Cucumber sandwich and Ham and mustard
The Away Game afternoon tea is the complete opposite to the Home game. Whether the home game delighted me with all things savoury the away game serves up a mouth-watering selection of sweet items that would satisfy even the sweetest tooth. The finger sandwiches consisted of traditional Afternoon Tea fillings with cucumber, ham, salmon and chicken. All of them were done well with the mustard in the ham just enough to get your nose tingling and the salmon lovely and fresh with a nice dill pickle. What the Away game lacks in savoury options it more than makes up for with the selection of sweet treats. With sugared churros and a chocolate dip, Prosecco jelly shots (which has sadly not set very well but were delicious all the same), soft fluffy lemon poppy seed cake and subtle cheery Bakewell squares the selection took you through a range of flavours without being too sickly. You then finish up with another Cafe Football homemade scone because is it really Afternoon Tea if there isn’t a scone?
My guests absolutely devoured the Away Game afternoon tea whilst I was happily swapping them for their savoury items this is definitely a menu that can split people into two teams. This is why it is recommended to order one of each, that way you can share and try a little bit of both.
We highly recommend both of them and found that they were great value for money. Just remember you do need to book 48 hours in advance or you will be disappointed. You can find out more about the menu and how to book on the Cafe Football website.