March and April are notorious for being changeable, weather-wise, which is jolly frustrating if you’re trying to plan outdoor tasks! Having endured one weekend of quixotic weather, The Man and I decided to see what the next one had in store as we’ve got a multitude of things to do. Nope, Mother Nature wasn’t going to do us any favours then, either, so there was only one thing for it: book in an Afternoon Tea.
As per usual [for a popular location], everybody and their granny was out in Buxton, so it was a scrum to find a parking space; find one we eventually did (on our third drive around the ‘block’, though it did only cost £2.90 for 3 hours), and head over to No.6 The Square. Not ‘just’ tearooms, this stunning, Regency Period House also boasts four stylish, double en-suite rooms, but we were invited over to sample the Afternoon Tea (£29 per person, with the option to add 175ml Prosecco or Rosé Prosecco for an extra £9.95pp).
We were greeted very warmly and shown through to our table, where we were asked if there were any dietary requirements or allergies that the team needed to be aware of. Included in the price of the Afternoon Tea is unlimited Tea or Coffee; I opted for loose-leaf Darjeeling, and His Nibs had Earl Grey – both from Suki Teas. Whilst we waited for our Afternoon Tea stand to be brought out, I looked around at the beautiful surroundings I was in.
The most exquisite, patterned tiles were laid to the entrance hallway floor, and both sides of the tearooms were painted in heritage colours: one in a cheery yellow hue, the other a dramatic, rich red/burgundy. The floors in the eating areas were polished wood, and the solid wood tables complemented them really nicely. In one corner of our room was a magnificent Copper ‘Vacuum Coffee Maker’, inspired by Eastern European/Middle Eastern Samovars. This wasn’t the only talking point in the space, though; there was also a striking feature fireplace and coat of arms to admire. When I popped out to use the lavatory, I also passed by a swoon-worthy, curved wooden staircase.
At this point, our Afternoon Tea came out, along with a platter of warm Quiche slices, so we tucked in. The pastry outer was nice enough in its own right, but the bounciness of the soft-set egg mixture was amazing! A generous filling of Bacon and Cheese was certainly very tasty on the palate, and the warmth of the Quiche ramped up its comfort factor sizeably. Both of us commented that it was really nice to have a warm element to the Afternoon Tea selection; you can’t beat a bit of sensory stimulation, can you?
On the bottom tier of the stand was a selection of crustless finger sandwiches that had been prepared using a mix of white and grained bread; some even had one layer of white and one layer of the grainy bread to encompass their filling – a nice touch, visually. The first sandwich we sampled was a rather scrummy Farmhouse Ham and Wholegrain Mustard number and, ooh, it hit the spot perfectly. The Ham itself was thickly sliced and had a pleasing ‘chew time’ to it, and the Mustard added a subtle pop of warmth rather than an overwhelming pungency. His Nibs is a bit touchy still when it comes to ‘fishy fish’ and found the Salmon a little too robust, so I got passed the other half of his sandwich – no complaints from me, that’s for sure! Personally, I love an amply filled Salmon sandwich, so I let the silky texture roil over my tongue at its leisure. Now, I don’t know why a Cucumber and Cream Cheese tea sandwich tastes as magical as it does; after all, it’s just slices of cool crisp vegetable (fruit?) with silky dairy. My goodness, though, it’s amazing; there’s a reason it’s a classic staple on any self-respecting Afternoon Tea stand.
Feeling rather chuffed with ourselves for polishing off the savoury selection, we sat back and sipped our hot drinks for a short while before deciding whether to go for the Fruited Scone or hit up the spread of cakes. After a bit of deliberation, we went for the fat, postcode-worthy Scones and the pots of Rodda’s Clotted Cream and miniature jars of Strawberry Jam. Call me a weirdo, but I love the irregularity in shape of proper home-made Scones; their random shapes allow you to happily divide the Scone up into more than the usual two halves, and in my mind, more surface area = more places to spread the cream and jam! The Man Bird loves to stir the pot when it comes to me – though I call it getting on my last nerve, as I’m sure many ladies out there can relate to.
Every time (and I do mean EVERY time!) we have Scones, does he start winding me up about whether the cream or jam goes on first. In all honesty, I don’t really give a fig; the only thing that matters to me is not ending up with a smudged, Raspberry Ripple effect. Certain melded foods give me the ick, and Cream and Jam is one of them; Egg Yolk and Baked Beans the other prime one – bleurgh. So, I cracked on with popping the lusciously thick Rodda’s Clotted Cream on first, watching as His Nibs deliberately spread his Strawberry jam on as the bottom layer on his Scone. The unctuous jam sat proudly on top of the Cream, not disturbing it at all, which made me smile with contentment…and I smiled even more when that glorious combination of buttery Scone, silky Cream and fruity Jam all swirled in my mouth.
The serving team kept a close eye on how we were progressing, and stepped in to offer more pots of Tea at this point, which we happily accepted. Perched on the uppermost tier of the Afternoon Tea stand were an assortment of cakes and fresh Blueberries, Blackberries, Raspberries and Strawberries; surely this counts as one of your 5-a-day? Well put it this way; in my mind, I was indulging in a guilt-free feast – not that I ever need an excuse!
His Nibs had spotted the squares of Chocolate Brownie straightaway, so that was the first ‘cake’ we tried, and what a great initial cake to kick off with. If you like your Brownies beyond chocolatey, impossibly rich in taste and with that gooey, stick-to-your-lips centre, then step right up because No.6 The Square has got you covered. There was absolutely zero shame as we licked our fingers to garner every last scrap of the Cocoa-heavy Brownie off them, before completely changing tack and going for the Lemon Drizzle Cake. This ‘pinging with citrus’ cake was sublime; the sponge had a cloud-like texture to it that melted instantly on the tongue, and the Lemon rang clearly on the palate.
The third cake we sampled was so, so pretty; pastel green buttercream covered its outer edge and centre, the outer being studded with the contrasting colour of freeze-dried Raspberry pieces. As with the Lemon Drizzle morsel, the sponge was feather-light in texture and intermittently punctuated with Raspberries that were gorgeously intense in flavour. This was a beautiful, balanced cake; surprisingly subtle and creamy in parts, with bursts of fruity intensity in others. Our final piece of the entire Afternoon Tea was a dark-toned Cupcake that was decorated with Oreo Cookie Icing and dinky eggs as a nod to the upcoming Easter season. Both of us enjoyed the crunch of these tiny chocolate eggs and the set chocolate that had held them in place atop the piped swirl of Oreo Buttercream. Normally, we don’t end on a chocolate note, but this one was lighter than the Brownie and pleasantly light on the tummy. Our initial reaction was that we couldn’t choose a favourite, though on reflection the award had to go to the Scone in the sweet selection and the Ham and Mustard sandwich in the savoury category.
If you haven’t visited No.6 The Square Tearooms in Buxton before, I can heartily recommend that you do. Hot Wings happily given here. The team ensured that we wanted for nothing and had been so friendly towards us. To book an Afternoon Tea, call 01298 213541, or visit www.no6tearooms.co.uk and hit the ‘book a table’ tab; if you fancy tucking up in one of their enchanting rooms, hit the ‘book a room’ button.
No.6 is open 7-days-a-week from 9am-5pm in the café, 9am-4pm in the kitchen. During the Buxton International Festival (9th-26th July 2026), opening times may be extended, so check with the venue and take advantage of this vibrant event.
You might also enjoy:
