Visit Derry: The Everglades Derry Girls Afternoon Tea -

One of our favourite things to do together as a family is have Afternoon Tea and so during our stay in Derry we were keen to try a very special version at the Everglades hotel. Whilst the Everglades offer a traditional afternoon tea with all of the tasty treats you’d expect, they also offer a Derry Girls alternative which as it turns out, was our favourite afternoon tea yet.

If you’re a fan of the hit Channel 4 & Netflix TV show, Derry Girls, and even if you’re not, you will love the Everglades afternoon tea with a Derry Girls twist. As we were seated at our table in a gorgeous luxury setting, we discovered that each diner gets an exclusive Hastings Derry Girls Duck to take home which was such a fun memento of our time both here at the Everglades and Derry itself.

The service was excellent with our drinks order being taken immediately and a choice of tea, coffee or soft drinks as well as requests for our cocktails which are included within the afternoon tea package. Eva loves a cup of tea and was happy to have a huge pot brought over with the offer of refills throughout our meal.

The cocktails were great and such a fun addition to the afternoon tea. Whilst the children’s cocktails appeared the same the waiter made sure to mention that the adults cocktails had a little alcohol in which was a nice surprise for a Tuesday afternoon!

When the food arrived we literally could not believe our luck, there was so much food and all of it looked incredible! With inspiration taken from the Derry girls you’ll find freshly baked scones, Tayto cheese & onion crisp sandwiches, cream horns as shared by Granda Joe, cones of chips in homage to the famous Chippy fiasco, the renowned Derry sausage roll baps, and a host of local tray bake favourites that would make Ma Mary proud.

The sausage roll baps were a huge hit with all of us and, having never had a sausage roll bap before, ignited a new favourite which we have since carried on at home! I loved the addition of more savoury items to the afternoon tea like the chips and the crisp sandwiches, often too many sweet treats can be over-bearing but this was the perfect balance especially for those who lack a sweet tooth.

It’s also the perfect afternoon for children who just want to get stuck in as opposed to fancy finger sandwiches and pretty pastries. That said you’ll still find lots of the classics on your plate with home made scones with jam and cream, macarons, shortbread rounds and a good old fashioned Bakewell tart.

Granda Joes cream horns went down a treat with the kids with buttery soft pastry and that gorgeous fresh filling. I don’t think we have ever been to an afternoon tea where you get quite so much food, I’d say we ended up having more than we would eating a three course meal. Looking at it like that, alongside the cocktail too, it’s amazing value for money!

Despite our best efforts we just couldn’t finish it all and so the waiter boxed up our leftover cakes at the end so we could take them home and enjoy them the following day. I literally cannot fault the food or the service, plus the hotel itself is just the most beautiful, luxurious setting. If you’re visiting Derry and would like to try a Derry Girl’s Afternoon Tea you can find out more via the website here.