Most people will tell you that they have the best mum in the world. Well, those people are lying, because I am the owner of the best mum in the world. And she hasn’t paid me to say that. It’s just a fact. But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t still spoil your mother absolutely rotten this Mother’s Day (it’s on the 26th March, by the way. Do NOT forget!) so I’ve compiled a quick guide of foodie gifts and experiences to show your mum just how grateful you are for her putting up with your shit over the years.
Say it with cake!
My mum and I never pass up an opportunity for Afternoon Tea, no special occasion really necessary, but this is certainly one of the best ways to show your mum you love her – because what says “I appreciate everything you do for me” more than tea & cake?
Balthazar’s Bobbi Brown Afternoon Tea, from £27.50pp
If your mamma loves make-up, then you’re in luck with the second season of Balthazar’s Bobbi Brown inspired Afternoon Tea in Covent Garden. The delicious selection of cakes and treats include a Balthazar ‘Hollywood Red Lip Gloss’ kiss, blueberry & lemon ‘Smokey Eye Mascara’, pecan and jasmine ‘Long-Wear Cream Shadow’ macaroon, a rhubarb and ginger ‘Shimmer Brick’ and a coco-citrus ‘EXTRA Balm Rinse’ cheesecake. All those booked in for the afternoon tea are invited to experience a complimentary Makeup Lesson with one of Bobbi’s professional makeup artists at the Covent Garden Studio, just a stone’s throw away from the Balthazar, so you have two gifts in one!
The Berkeley’s Pret-a-Portea Fashion Tea – from £52pp
This is my mine and my mum’s favourite spot for Afternoon Tea, and we’ve been every season for the past 7 years! The Berkeley’s legendary designer afternoon tea, Prêt-à-Portea, is inspired by the themes and colours of the fashion world. The menu of mouth-watering delicacies with a fashionista twist is transformed every six months to follow the changing seasons in fashion. I have written a full review of their current season celebrating 10 years of this fashionable indulgence.
The B Bakery Afternoon Tea Bus tour – from £45 per adult
Combine an afternoon of cakes with a tour of London on the B Bakery Routemaster bus. High tea accompanied with an array of tasty sandwiches and delicious cakes and pastries. Your uniformed London bus driver will take you round The London Eye, Big Ben and The Houses of Parliament, past Nelson’s Column, Downing Street and more. Wonderful before an afternoon of shopping, theatre or more food!
Mad Hatter’s Afternoon Tea at The Sanderson Hotel from £58pp
The classic Sanderson’s Mad Hatter’s Afternoon Tea is getting a Mother’s Day makeover. From Saturday 25th until Tuesday 28 March, you can treat your mummy to delicious cakes, sandwiches and savouries in the Courtyard Garden for £58 per person, including a glass of Perrier-Jouët Champagne. You can read about my visit down the rabbit hole over here!
Tale As Old As Time Afternoon Tea at Townhouse Kensington from £35pp
This delightful Afternoon Tea comes complete with charming Mrs. Potts and Chip Potts dish-ware, and ensures the perfect family outing or fun afternoon with friends and loved ones. The various sweets and savouries featured in this whimsical afternoon tea are inspired by the characters and scenes of the film… But you’ll be lucky if you manage to get yourself a reservation because they’re actually booked up until November(!), but I thought you’d like to know about in in case you have the opportunity to bribe someone to give you their reservation!
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Ladies Who Lunch!
London is packed full of incredible places for lunch, but there are some places in particular that are really special, and the best way to thank your mum for all the amazing meals she has cooked you over the years!
With sparkling chandeliers, towering marble columns and soaring floor to ceiling windows overlooking the calm oasis of Green Park, the elegant Ritz Restaurant is widely considered to be one of the most beautiful dining rooms in the world. It was finally awarded a Michelin-star last year. You can enjoy a three course delectable lunch menu that offers a modern take on traditional French dishes and British delicacies, prepared using the finest seasonal ingredients. It’s a lunch she will never forget!
Thomas’ Burberry, Regent Street – main dishes from £9
Combine a spot of lunch with a spot of shopping in my favourite store in London; Burberry’s flagship on Regent Street! Thomas’s serves everything from lobster and oysters for a special treat, to seasonal dishes, light salads, brunch favourites and small bites to tide you over while you glance your eyes around the dining room which fitted with shelves displaying some of Burberry’s classic accessories. Perfect inspiration if you want to treat your mum to something else special for the day! I wrote about my own visit to Thomas’s here.
Bourne & Hollingsworth Buildings, set lunch menu from £15pp
With varied eating and drinking spaces, welcoming service and all-day flexibility, Bourne & Hollingsworth Buildings offers beautiful surroundings throughout the day for relaxed dining. Snuggle yourself down into one of their beautifully upholstered armchairs while you enjoy gorgeously fresh dishes from their lunch or a la carte menus. It’s the perfect space for a mother-daughter afternoon together.
Farm Girl, Notting Hill, all-day dishes from £4.50
If your mum doesn’t mind an early start or a bit of a queue, you must take her along for a breakfast, brunch or lunch trip to Farm Girl off Portobello Road. One of the prettiest menus in London, you can both enjoy a selection of innovative dishes that explore a holistic and healthy, yet have a comfortingly simple approach to Australian cafe culture in the heart of Notting Hill. There are no reservations taken and it is popular, but let me assure you this place is worth the wait. Grab some pancakes, a rose latte and enjoy some relaxed dining time with you mum.
Sea Container’s at The Mondrian, from £0!!
On Sunday 26th, when you enjoy lunch or dinner at Sea Containers, your mum’s meal and drinks are on the house! This incredibly river side restaurant is beautiful with a stunning menu. I dined here before Christmas and this is a wonderful space within which you can celebrate the main woman in your life. The offer is available for parties of four or more, so this would be great as a family outing. You should book this quickly if you like the idea of spoiling mum whilst saving money!
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Foodie Experiences
How about giving your mum a delicious experience that she can enjoy with you? There are so many exciting options in London that you could treat her to (and if you have to enjoy it to, then so be it!)
The Distillery Ginstitute, Portobello, £110pp
The Ginstitute began its life as London’s smallest museum, and now offers an in-depth journey through gin’s colourful and checkered past. Your ‘Ginstructor’ will guide you through to one of the Blending Rooms to nose your way through an eclectic range of pure botanical distillates to chose your favourites to create your own bespoke blend of gin. You’ll be lubricated by a multitude of our favourite gin cocktails along the way before leaving the session with a bottle of your own personal blend to take home and enjoy. Perfect for any gin lover.
Chocolate tasting & making course with Paul A. Young, £195pp
This course includes a mixture of tasting and hands practical sessions, beginning with a ganache master-class, the opportunity to try your hand at tempering, truffle shells, filling, rolling, coating and decorating and all the tricks of the trade to make your truffles stand out in the crowd from simple piping designs to artistic decorations. If your mum is a self confessed chocolate addict she will be over the moon with this exciting, delicious day!
Christabel’s Mad Hatters Mar-tea-ni Masterclass, £40pp
Christabel knows how to throw a magical evening of gastronomic delights; the perfect experience to share with your mum. Having been greeted with earl grey bubbles you will be introduced to the mad mixology table, scattered with copper cocktail shakers, golden tea pots filled with home brewed Tea Pigs syrups, Black Cow, and bowls of seasonal fruit. Whilst sipping on your welcome drink, Christabel’s mixologist will introduce you to all the elements on the table and will advise you on how to create the perfect cuppa! You will then get the chance to create two of your very own brews as you choose which ingredients to shake. To get an idea of what you might expect from one of Christabel’s events, check out what I thought of her Edible Playground supper club!
So you have 10 days to work out exactly how you’d like to show your mum just how much she means to you, and I hope this has given you a bit of inspiration. Remember, she didn’t drink alcohol for 9 months because of you, so you owe her something special!
Happy Mother’s Day to all the amazing mums out there. You’re all super heroes.
