Afternoon Tea and Cocktails at Little Nan’s

Two of my very favourite things to do are visiting historic houses and drinking cocktails. Up until now the two have never been combined. This was until I received an invitation to try out the Little Nan’s pop-up at Sutton House, a National Trust property in Hackney. I was familiar with the concept of Little Nan’s as I know someone who used to work there. This fantastic pop up bar, has done the rounds in London bringing it’s kitsch and quirky teapot cocktails to several different locations. The bar which recreates your gran’s living room and serves all it’s drinks in vintage china has won a host of awards and I couldn’t wait to give it a try.

Little Nan’s is now offering a boozy afternoon tea at Sutton House on Sundays from 10th July, which includes their infamous tea pot cocktails, along with a classic British afternoon tea. I went along with Rob for an afternoon date and we enjoyed every minute of it.

On arrival we were given a fascinating tour of the house from an absolutely lovely elderly volunteer. Her knowledge of the house and surrounding area was absolutely amazing and we both enjoyed listening to her insights and anecdotes on the history of the house. The house is originally tudor with many later alterations. You can see it’s diverse past in the different bricks and windows which make up it’s beautiful structure. I would love to go back and look round the house again. It was a great visit and right in the heart of Hackney.

On to the afternoon tea, which was in a pretty room at the front of the house. The table were decked out in Nan’s best linen tablecloths with carnations in a vase and lovely mismatched tea cups.

The selection of cocktails was great and all laced with some of my favourite ingredients. Unfortunately I was committed to driving my daughter somewhere later that day, so they mixed me up a tasty mocktail instead. Rob had a King Henry 8th, which I had a little taste of and it was absolutely delicious. The teapot it came in was huge and you certainly get a lot of alcohol for your money! Rob got quite a few tea cups out of his pot.

The afternoon tea consisted of a great selection of finger sandwiches along with scones and two types of home made cake. These were all absolutely delicious and beautifully presented on a vintage cake-stand.

The tea was served by little mum, who is the mother of the owner Tristan. She was an absolutely delight and definitely made the whole experience even nicer.

After the tea we were offered yet more cake, there was a choice of carrot cake or Victoria sponge. By this point after all the jam and cake and the sweet cocktails, I didn’t think I could handle any more sugar! But I gave it a go. I chose the carrot cake and it really was lovely.

We left on a bit of a sugar high, with Rob more than a little tipsy.  We had an absolutely lovely afternoon together. This would be perfect for a date or a nice afternoon out with friends. I loved the combination of the culture of the house, the sophistication of the afternoon tea and the naughtiness of cocktails in the afternoon.

The afternoon tea costs £20 and £30 with a cocktail. This includes a viewing of Sutton House. 

The tea will be running on Sundays from 10th July – 25th September. The tea runs from 2-4pm.

Find Sutton House at – 2-4 Homerton High Street, Hackney, London, E9 6JQ The nearest Station is Hackney Central.