Dilmah Tea Lounge

There's a new tea in town! In Glasgow anyway...

I was recently invited to The Hilton Hotel in Glasgow for the launch of their 'Tea Lounge by Dilmah', the first city in the UK to host the brand - alongside the likes of Dubai and Jakarta no less. My friend and I went along on a gorgeous sunny day and were treated with afternoon tea in the beautiful young just off the main atrium of the hotel. The lounge is modern and chic, decorated with different coloured velvets and photos of the tea farm at work. A lovely space for a bit of afternoon tea.

We were greeted by the lovely Oinoa (hope that's the right spelling!) who told us all about Dilmah, and how the brand came to be in Glasgow. Turns out the Sri Lankan tea company has been growing throughout the world, but has only now landed in the UK. It's worth checking out, since as well as the traditional teas you can have a tea cocktail (I wish I'd tried the 'G & Tea - it sounded delicious!) As well as innovative blends, the company is ethical, fair and family oriented. Gotta love a company that provides childcare for it's field workers. Thumbs up from me. 10% of all the company's profits also go to the MJF Charitable Foundation and Dilmah Conservation.

We then met our waiter, Lazarus, who was truly lovely and took the time to explain all the tea combinations and talk us through the afternoon tea experience. He showed us how the teas were brewed and advised us on what were most popular.

The tea menu was huge, and featured both hot brewed and iced teas. Given the fact that it was a roasting hot day, we both opted for an iced tea first. I opted for the 'Rose with French Vanilla' and my friend had 'Blueberry and Pomegranate'. They were so cool and refreshing...and soooo tasty. Once our food came out, we settled in for a proper chat, oohing and ahhing about all the options. The savoury food came out first on a lovely stand and was a total treat. Everything from sliders to sausage and haggis rolls were presented beautifully, and the staff were super accommodating to my pregnant friend who couldn't have some of the options. 

With our sweet treats we decided to try some of the hot brewed tea, and again were helped out by Lazarus who explained each of the flavours. I was torn between the 'Mango and Strawberry' and the 'Italian Almond Tea'. I had the first, but I'll definitely have to go back since almond tea sounds so interesting and Lazarus had said it was the most popular option. I was a little scared it would taste like a cross between marzipan and biscotti but apparently not! My friend had 'Natural Ceylon Ginger Tea' and was given the option of how strong she would like it. It's these little touches that make the experience so enjoyable. 

The cake trolley was more like a huge sideboard, and had so many options it was impossible to choose. We asked Lazarus for a selection he thought we would like and he truly came through for us. Everything from Earl Grey and Chocolate patisseries to delicious mousses with pineapple and mango were beautifully placed in front of us, along with some scones (can't have afternoon tea without scones). What we didn't manage to finish we were given to take home, and there was a lot of it! You definitely get your money's worth with this afternoon tea - we came out absolutely stuffed - and on a bit of a sugar high.

I couldn't recommend checking out the Dilmah Tea Lounge enough. Whether the Hilton is a stopover on a trip, whether you live locally, even if you have to go out of your way to get there. The lounge officially opened for business on 31st May, and I expect it will be super busy. We had the loveliest time, and met some of the loveliest staff who knew exactly what they were talking about. The lounge itself was stunning and the selection of teas were far too much for just one visit. I know for sure I'll be back - even if only for that G&Tea cocktail...