A historical twist on afternoon tea

“We’re going to be serving grey squirrel pie,” enthuses Tim Denny (above), co-owner of Historical Dining Rooms. “It’s a superfood in the meat chain and utterly delicious.”

Tim is talking with gusto about the new afternoon tea menu which launches on Saturday at the Totterdown restaurant.

It’s afternoon tea but with a twist – the whole menu is based on historical recipes.

“There’s lots to be excited about in terms of historical food,” says Tim. “Even if we can encompass a percentage of what they achieved on a culinary level back in the day I’ll be happy.”

Historical Dining Rooms has been serving traditional British food from the 13th to the late 19th century since it opened above the Star & Dove last year.

There are evening meals, a Victorian breakfast and now afternoon tea, which Tim describes as a natural progression for the restaurant and one that encapsulates a very British tradition. 

Tim and his colleagues have worked tirelessly to ensure they use authentic recipes but reimagined for a modern audience.

It hasn’t always been easy as some foods including that squirrel pie were traditionally eaten by the illiterate lower classes who couldn’t write down their recipes. Other recipes were written phonetically or in languages such as Latin.

The Historical Dining Rooms chefs consulted food historians Ivan Day and Dr Annie Gray and visited countless historical palaces to ensure that not only the food, but the decor of the restaurant gives diners a flavour of the past.

Afternoon tea will be held in the Tudor library and the Regency dining room, both intimate and stylishly decorated spaces that provide an air of authenticity to proceedings.

Aside from squirrel pie, there’s a selection of decadent sweet and savoury options including mock crab, veal toasts and a lobster sandwich.

The stand-out dish, however, has to be “walking in the fields”. It’s an unusual moniker that pays homage to the Duchess of Bedford, the inventor of the afternoon tea who invited her friends to join her for tea, a light snack and “walking in the fields” in the mid-1800s.

The dish features fruity Eccles cakes paired with strong Goosnargh cheese, delicately positioned on a bed of edible grass, herbs and flowers that are sourced from the restaurant’s own rooftop garden. 

The owners are keen to use ingredients that are responsibly and locally sourced – with many ingredients coming from the garden, lobster sourced from Cornwall and squirrel from a butcher’s in Bath.

They’re not afraid of going further afield if it means finding the perfect ingredients though.

Afternoon tea is served with artisan teas that are sourced from around the world by the Rare Tea Co, a company whose teas are stocked by the likes of Chiltern Firehouse, The British Museum and Claridges.

There is also the option of trying out a few historical cold drinks, such as Mrs Beeton’s lemonade – a cloudy lemonade with rose water, sherry and egg white, in case you were wondering.

“Our aim is for customers to be able to taste the past, eat well and dine in absolute luxury,” says Tim.

In a city where you can try afternoon tea on every corner, Historical Dining Rooms really stands out. What they’re offering isn’t just afternoon tea; it’s a culinary adventure. 

Afternoon tea at Historical Dining Rooms costs £15.95 and will be served from midday until 3pm every Saturday from June 18. A champagne afternoon tea is also available for £19.95. For more information, visit www.historical-dining-rooms.co.uk/afternoontea.html

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