Best London Afternoon Teas: Gin and Jam Afternoon Tea at Hush, Mayfair

‘Pink Rabbit’ welcome cocktail (Hush gin, lime, cranberry, vanilla, Wendy Brandon strawberry jam) served in a Tipsy Teacups martini glass…

My pal Danya and I headed to Hush in Mayfair last week for a Gin and Jam afternoon tea. Gin and Jam? I loved it already and I knew nothing about it…

Hush’s Gin & Jam Tea has been curated to feature Hush’s own brand of gin, exclusively created by Hush’s own Bar Director, Pedro Solorzano. The gin features in their amazing cocktails, which we merrily sipped while devouring elegant finger sandwiches, warm scones with clotted cream and jam, dainty macaroons and Earl Grey Crème Brûlée. All served alongside a selection of artisan loose leaf teas by H. R. Higgins of Mayfair. Dahhhhling.

The Silver Room provides an elegant surrounding for this quintessentially British Afternoon Tea experience.

The Silver Room was designed by Hush founder shareholder Evgeny Lebedev and menswear designer Jsen Wintle. It’s inspired by the glamour of 1930’s ocean liner dining rooms, with soft polished and burnished features, silk and wool fabrics on the chairs, pure silk blinds and to top it off, a blown Venetian chandelier… it’s all rather gorgeous.

Gin and Jam Afternoon Tea at Hush, Mayfair

Forman’s Smoked Salmon on Granary Brown, English Cucumber on White Bread,
Chicken and Tarragon Mayonnaise on Sourdough Bread, Egg Mayonnaise and Cress on Brown Bread

Distilled in London, Hush’s bespoke Mayfair Boutique Gin is the main feature of Hush’s Gin & Jam Tea cocktails, where it is paired with jams created exclusively for Hush by Wendy Brandon, who has been making handmade jams and preserves in the UK for over 30 years. And they are all seriously delicious.

Created by Hush Bar Director, Pedro Solorzano, this special gin has notes of Jasmine lotus, tonka beans and lavender alongside the typical gin elements of lemon peel, grapefruit and juniper.

And if you really love it (as I’m sure you will do) you can purchase a bottle for £35 and drink it at your leisure. In the bath, maybe. Or is that a bit Miss Hannigan?

Hush’s bespoke Mayfair Boutique Gin, Distilled in London

I love the names of their cocktails – you can choose from Paddington Bear, Violet Beauregarde, Tinkerbell or Pippi Longstocking… each with their own jammy twist. Danya had the Tinkerbell – an elixir of Hush Mayfair Boutique Gin, Grapefruit Juice, Honey, La Fée Absinthe and Blackberry Jam…. while I chose the Paddington Bear, which had just a dash of marmalade…

The Paddington Bear cocktail:
Hush Mayfair Boutique Gin, Amaretto, Orange Juice, Marmalade

Early Grey loose leaf tea, H.R Higgins of Mayfair

Warm Scones with Clotted Cream and a trio of jams
(Wendy Brandon’s Gooseberry, Blackberry and Rhubarb)

Selection of mini macaroons

Earl Grey Crème Brûlée

The gin and jam twist makes this tea really stand out amidst the many afternoon teas in London – it was completely delicious and in a gorgeous location too… next time you find yourself on South Molton Street after a day of exhausting shopping (!) head to the tranquillity of Hush Mayfair’s cobbled courtyard for a heavenly Gin & Jam Tea.

We left with a spring in our step (I blame the gin) and had a quick mooch around the labyrinth of tiny cobbled streets around the courtyard…