I found the best family-friendly afternoon tea at this Edinburgh hotel
It seems that Virgin Hotels Edinburgh didn’t get the memo about working with children or animals.
They’re doing both, when it comes to their family-friendly themed afternoon tea, which was created in collaboration with Edinburgh Zoo and inspired by Judith Kerr’s much-loved children’s book, The Tiger Who Came to Tea.
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Hide AdI went to the first of these events, The Tiger Who Came to (Afternoon) Tea. The next will be Jonty the Gentoo penguin themed, and will take place on Friday December 27.
Let’s hope they’ll eventually do one in tribute to the zoo resident, Haggis the pygmy hippo, who is currently becoming a celebrity to rival its Thai equivalent, internet sensation, Moo Deng.
While our experience was in the Oculus lounge, the Twixmas-time event will be in the hotel’s Greyfriars Hall.
I think that’s wise, as my nephew and nieces - 13, 11 and five - left a trail of destruction in the beautiful and immaculate cream-coloured lounge with its yellow tiled floor. There were broken crayons, half-coloured drawings and crumbs everywhere. It’s like the PG Tips chimpanzees had visited. Apologies to the staff, but at least the kids had a brilliant time.
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Hide AdIt was exciting, simply to be allowed in such a grand space for a fun twist on a meal that’s usually reserved for grown up occasions.
On arrival, there was a goodie bag waiting for each of the small people. These contained a plush tiger soft toy and a copy of the classic book. (There will be a similar treat at the forthcoming penguin-themed event, and rumour has it that it could involve a fluffy chick).
The 13-year-old pretended not to be interested in her new pet, until the 11-year-old decided that meant she could take two. No way. While they tussled over that, the five-year-old decided that he was going to call his new teddy Howie.
“You’re naming it after yourself?” we asked? “Yes.” He wasn’t going to budge on the issue.
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Hide AdAs the grown-ups picked at our selection of six savoury nibbles, including a peppery haggis sausage roll with honey mustard and crispy shallot; smoked chicken breast, Japanese mayo and kimchi wrap, and a block of focaccia with Cacklebean egg mayo, the kids worked their way through tiger-shaped biscuits, a milk chocolate panda, puffs of pink candyfloss, Nutella scones, as well as sandwiches with the crusts cut off.


I hoped that one of them would order the tiger-cinno to drink, but they all wanted chocolate milkshake.
However, the food came secondary for them, as they were so enrapt by the Edinburgh Zoo expert in attendance, Rebecca Parr. If she can wrangle big cats, she can certainly handle errant children.
She told us about their Sumatran tiger - seven-year-old Dharma. The kids got to touch a paw imprint, which was bigger than all their hands, hold a tiger skull and feel the texture of a big cat’s tongue, as well as play with some of the animal’s toys.
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Hide AdIn the adjoining suites, there were hide and seek games, an assault course, and crafts, and a ‘guess the poo’ game, which thankfully didn’t seem to affect anyone’s appetite.
Hopefully they won’t leave any of those props for the next hotel guests.
Anyway, the kids were distracted by this, so we could linger over our adult sweet stuff.
There were raspberry macarons, a hazelnut eclair, a custard cream and berry tart, and chocolate cremeaux in the shape of lips - in reference to the logo of The Rolling Stones, who were signed to Branson’s Virgin Records - as well as other goodies.
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Hide AdI went for Pekoe Tea’s Highland Whisky tea, and my sister had the Earl Grey Blue Flower. You can add a glass of Veuve Cliquot for £22, or Veuve Cliquot Brut Rose for £28.
And then there were little plain and fruit scones, along with the prerequisite jam and clotted cream. If we had been Kerr’s tiger, we would’ve licked this off the upmarket crockery.
At this point, the kids had all scattered, into different rooms, to pester Rebecca and burn off their sugar high.
There was peace. Thank you, tigers and Edinburgh Zoo. This is a fab family-friendly idea, and we’d love to come back if they do a Moo Deng-themed one.
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Hide AdWe’ll make sure to take Howie, and the furry new addition, Howie Jr.
The Afternoon Tea in collaboration with Edinburgh Zoo at Virgin Hotels Edinburgh (India Buildings, Victoria Street, Edinburgh, www.virginhotels.com) is £35pp for adults, £20 for children, for bookings, see www.eventbrite.co.uk
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