Afternoon Tea at Fir Tree House in Penshurst, Kent

In the quaint village of Penshurst in the lush, green county of Kent, you will notice a cosy-looking cottage-like building, called the Fir Tree House Tea Rooms.

After parking up outside Fir Tree House Tea Rooms, we walked through the entrance towards the outdoor seating. After spending a short amount of time standing next to the ‘Please wait to be seated’ sign (enough for a quick picture of the delightful building exterior!) we were greeted by a lovely hostess, who prepared our table and had us sat with menus in no time.

They were completely Covid compliant, so we weren’t able to enjoy the cozy interior of the Fir Tree House to sit inside, however, the outdoor seating was well set up, with beautiful surroundings. The garden is well-maintained, with trees, plants, and flowers in bloom, bursting with colour. Purples, pinks, and oranges all around.

Although seating was available on the lawn of the garden, we decided to sit under the covered area just next to it, along with the other diners at their own tables, as it was a slightly rainy and windy day.

As you’d expect in a British village, nestled in the countryside, the patrons seemed polite and friendly. One young couple was accompanied by their friendly dog, Lucy. A middle-aged couple sat together, and knew a man at another table who attended alone and were chatting about the new book he was reading at the table on Quantum Astrophysics… Countryside friendliness with a twist! He also spoke with the waitress about the weather, whose father had predicted back at Christmas that this spring and summer would be very mild. It was a lovely, friendly environment to be sat in!

After ordering an afternoon tea with an extra sandwich, tea bread and cake, the tea and food came out swiftly. The egg mayo and smoked salmon sandwiches were tasty, the scones were light, the clotted cream was fluffy, the jam was rich, the coffee cake was wholesome, and the tea bread was the best we’ve ever had. The cinnamon taste was a real treat. The tea was aromatic and warming. The server delivered a jug of extra hot water so that we could top up our tea.

With full bellies and a nice sit-down, it was just what we needed. Coupled with a smooth drive down the nearby country lanes with some jazz coming through the speakers, it was a great afternoon out.