The Swan Hotel, Wells

"Underwhelming afternoon tea "

We were very much looking forward to my mum’s birthday afternoon tea at The Swan, having had a lovely family birthday meal here not long ago. The surroundings were lovely, as always. There didn’t seem to be enough staff on duty, so the service we did receive was rushed and curt - a contrast to last time we were here. Whilst I was waiting to settle the bill a chap waiting at the bar left, because he’d been waiting to be served so long. The food was also below average and looked like it had been rushed - slices of cake chucked onto a platter. The only mini cakes, rather than slices of cake, were mini eclairs, which is a bit disappointing for afternoon tea rather than just buying tea and cake. Nothing was Christmas themed! The sandwiches were okay - although we couldn’t tell what they all were - the scones were okay, probably from the freezer. There was one small pot of jam between two people and way too much cream. We had some different dietary needs, including someone who’s celiac, and it didn’t feel like enough care/time was taken to make sure the food was right.
All in all a disappointing tea, saved by the pleasant surroundings and company. In hindsight, I would’ve asked to remove the 10% service charge, which I’ve only ever done once before.

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