'Twas The Night Before Christmas Afternoon Tea

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through The House, no creature was stirring, not even the mousse mouse…The chandeliers glittered, the teacups were placed, and tiers full of wonder were ready to taste...

From November 9 to January 4, we’re inviting you to a fabulously festive Christmas afternoon tea inspired by the beloved Clement Clarke Moore poem. It’s a feast of festive storytelling, with edible nods to the Christmas Mouse, Father Christmas, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the dancing sugarplums, the Naughty and Nice list, and a sky full of sparkling stars.

We offer our wine partner Flint Vineyard's Charmat Rosé or Charmat White as a fizzy addition to Afternoon Tea. We are delighted to be working with such a wonderful local vineyard that produces such delicious wines and to be able to be offer such a great price – add a glass to an adult’s tea and pay £40 for tea and something sparkling!

This tea is available for the following diets – no allergens, intolerances or preferences (Classic), with 24-hours’ notice, vegetarian or dairy-free or vegan or gluten-free (menus below) and with 48 hours’ notice, vegetarian and gluten-free, vegetarian and dairy-free and dairy-free and gluten-free. For guests with multiple dietary requirements or who are nut-free, we now offer a non-themed allergen tea – please see here. Got a question about afternoon tea? It's probably answered here! All bookings are for one of our Georgian dining rooms, including the restaurant and Ivory Room. Please note: we no longer offer nut-free themed afternoon teas and cannot adapt themed teas to be nut-free.

  • A discretionary 10% service charge is added to all bills, all of which is distributed between all staff. Tea can be adapted for vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free diets, please mention when booking and to your server on arrival. We handle numerous allergens in our kitchens and due to the potential for cross contact, cannot guarantee our food is free from any allergens including tree nuts and gluten. We are no longer able to offer a nut-free or diabetic version of this afternoon tea. If you have an allergy, please let us know at least 24 hours before you visit and tell your server on the day of your visit so we can provide you with allergy information in relation to the 14 legally-defined allergens.


'Twas The Night Before Christmas Afternoon Tea Classic

£32.50 per person, £18.95 for under-12s

  • Verse one: sandwiches of;
  • Cheddar cheese and Bramley apple chutney
  • Local ham and mild grain mustard
  • Free-range egg and cress
  • Verse two: savouries of;
  • An Assembly House Festive Sausage Roll
  • Elf-Sized Cheese Toastie – mature Cheddar, Red Leicester and mozzarella toastie with smoked tomato chutney
  • Mark Mitson's Parmesan and pistachio shortbread
  • A soft finger roll of roasted Norfolk turkey, sage and onion stuffing, cranberry and watercress
  • A pastry fish of smoked salmon, prawn and Marie Rose cream cheese mousse, chives, flower petals
  • Avocado, dried apple and sun blush tomato in a herby pastry case
  • Verse three: Assembly House teatime scones;
  • Cheese, Colman’s Mustard and chive scone, butter
  • Fruit scone, strawberry jam and clotted cream
  • Verse four: delicate cakes and pastries;
  • The Christmas Eve Mouse – a white chocolate and clementine mousse mouse sitting on a sugar ‘cheese’ slice atop raspberry ripple cheesecake
  • A Carrot for Rudolph Cupcake – carrot cake with cream cheese icing
  • Father Christmas Macaron – jolly, red, filled with pineapple ganache and topped with coconut “new-fallen snow.”
  • Sugarplum Dreams Trifle – sponge, jelly, sugarplum jam, custard,Swiss meringue, hundreds and thousands and glitter
  • Night Sky Gâteau Opera – layers of Oreo sponge and frosting under a glittering sky of silver stars and a crescent moon
  • Gingerbread - decorated with candy canes and sweeties, each secretly marked Naughty or Nice. Have you behaved this year...?

Children’s ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas Afternoon Tea

£18.95 for children under the age of 12. Please ask for afternoon tea for your under-12 when you order: we never assume anyone’s age! This tea can be adapted to be gulten-free, vegan, vegetarian or dairy-free with 48-hours’ notice

  • Verse one:
  • A selection of finger sandwiches;
  • Strawberry jam
  • Honey-roasted ham
  • Mature Cheddar cheese
  • Verse two: savouries
  • The Assembly House Sausage Roll
  • Elfi-sized Three-cheese toastie with smoked tomato chutney
  • A soft finger roll of roasted Norfolk turkey, sage and onion stuffing and cranberry
  • Verse three: Assembly House teatime scones;
  • Cheese, Colman’s Mustard and chive scone
  • Fruit scone with Norfolk Strawberry jam and clotted cream
  • Verse four: delicate cakes and pastries
  • The Christmas Eve Mouse – a white chocolate and clementine mousse mouse sitting on a sugar ‘cheese’ slice atop raspberry ripple cheesecake.
  • Gingerbread - decorated with candy canes and sweeties, each secretly marked Naughty or Nice. Have you behaved this year...?
  • A Carrot for Rudolph Cupcake – carrot cake with cream cheese icing
  • Father Christmas Macaron – jolly, red, filled with pineapple ganache and topped with coconut “new-fallen snow.”

Vegetarian 'Twas The Night Before Christmas Afternoon Tea

£32.50 per person, £18.95 for under-12s

  • Verse one: sandwiches of;
  • Cheddar cheese and Bramley apple chutney
  • Cucumber, whipped cream cheese and chive
  • Free-range egg and cress
  • Verse two: savouries of;
  • An Assembly House Festive Squashage Roll
  • Elf-Sized Cheese Toastie – mature Cheddar, Red Leicester and mozzarella toastie with smoked tomato chutney
  • Mark Mitson's Vegetarian Parmesan and pistachio shortbread
  • Three cheese toastie with roasted tomato chutney
  • Bridge roll of truffled wild mushroom, stuffing crumble, cranberry, crispy onions
  • Avocado and sun blush tomato tart in a herby pastry case
  • Pastry spoon of beetroot, cream cheese mousse, chives and mild horseradish cream, flower petals
  • Verse three: Assembly House teatime scones;
  • Cheese, Colman’s Mustard and chive scone, butter
  • Fruit scone, strawberry jam and clotted cream
  • Verse four: delicate cakes and pastries;
  • The Christmas Eve Mouse – a white chocolate and clementine mousse mouse sitting on a sugar ‘cheese’ slice atop raspberry ripple cheesecake
  • A Carrot for Rudolph Cupcake – carrot cake with cream cheese icing
  • Father Christmas Macaron – jolly, red, filled with pineapple ganache and topped with coconut “new-fallen snow.”
  • Sugarplum Dreams Trifle – sponge, jelly, sugarplum jam, custard, whipped cream, hundreds and thousands and glitter
  • Night Sky Gâteau Opera – layers of Oreo sponge and frosting under a glittering sky of silver stars and a crescent moon
  • Gingerbread - decorated with candy canes and sweeties, each secretly marked Naughty or Nice. Have you behaved this year...?

Gluten-free 'Twas The Night Before Christmas Afternoon Tea

£32.50 per person, £18.95 for under-12s

  • Verse one: sandwiches of;
  • Cheddar cheese and Bramley apple chutney
  • Local ham and mild grain mustard
  • Cucumber, whipped cream cheese and chive
  • Verse two: gluten-free savouries of;
  • Roasted Norfolk turkey, gluten-free sage and onion stuffing and cranberry sandwich
  • A gluten-free Assembly House Sausage Roll
  • Mark Mitson's gluten-free Parmesan and pistachio shortbread
  • Gluten-free three-cheese toastie - mature Cheddar, Red Leicester and mozzarella toastie with smoked tomato chutney
  • Avocado and sun blush tomato tart in a herby pastry case
  • Pastry tart of smoked salmon cream cheese mousse, chives and flower petals
  • Verse three: Assembly House gluten-free teatime scones;
  • Cheese, Colman’s Mustard and chive scone, butter
  • Fruit scone, strawberry jam and clotted cream
  • Verse four: gluten-free cakes;
  • The Christmas Eve Mouse – a white chocolate and clementine mousse mouse sitting on a sugar ‘cheese’ slice atop a gluten-free raspberry ripple cheesecake
  • A Carrot for Rudolph Cupcake – gluten-free carrot cake with cream cheese icing
  • Father Christmas Macaron – jolly, red, filled with pineapple ganache and topped with coconut “new-fallen snow.”
  • Sugarplum Dreams Trifle – jelly, sugarplum jam, custard, whipped cream, hundreds and thousands and glitter
  • Night Sky Gâteau Opera – layers of gluten-free Oreo sponge and frosting under a glittering sky of silver stars and a crescent moon
  • Gingerbread - decorated with candy canes and sweeties, each secretly marked Naughty or Nice. Have you behaved this year...?

Vegan 'Twas The Night Before Christmas Afternoon Tea

£32.50 per person, £18.50 for guests under the age of 12. Please book at least 24 hours in advance

  • Verse one: sandwiches of;
  • Vegan cheese and Bramley chutney
  • Roasted red pepper pâté
  • Cucumber, pesto, lemon
  • Verse two: vegan savouries of;
  • Mark Mitson’s vegan cheese and pistachio shortbread
  • Vegan cheese toastie with roasted tomato chutney
  • Bridge roll of truffled wild mushroom, stuffing crumble, cranberry, crispy onions
  • Avocado and sun blush tomato tart in a herby vegan pastry case
  • Beetroot tart, vegan cream cheese mousse, chives and mild horseradish vegan cream, flower petals
  • Verse three: Assembly House vegan teatime scones;
  • Fruit scone with Norfolk strawberry jam, whipped vanilla ‘cream’ and Flora
  • Vegan cheese, Colman’s Mustard and chive scone with Flora
  • Verse four: vegan cakes and pastries;
  • The Christmas Eve Mouse – a dark chocolate and clementine mousse mouse sitting on a sugar ‘cheese’ slice atop a vegan raspberry and vanilla dairy-free sponge
  • A Carrot for Rudolph Cupcake – vegan carrot cake with vegan vanilla frosting
  • Father Christmas Vegan Macaron – jolly, red, filled with pineapple frosting and topped with coconut “new-fallen snow.”
  • Sugarplum Dreams Trifle – vegan trifle sponge, vegan jelly, sugarplum jam, vegan custard, vegan meringue, hundreds and thousands and glitter
  • Night Sky Gâteau Opera – layers of vegan Oreo sponge and frosting under a glittering sky of silver stars and a crescent moon
  • Gingerbread - decorated with candy canes and sweeties, each secretly marked Naughty or Nice. Have you behaved this year...?

Dairy-free free 'Twas The Night Before Christmas Afternoon Tea

£32.50 per person, £18.50 for guests under the age of 12. Please book at least 24 hours in advance

  • Verse one: sandwiches of;
  • Dairy-free cheese and Bramley chutney
  • Ham and grain mustard
  • Egg dairy-free mayonnaise and cress
  • Verse two: dairy-free savouries of;
  • A soft finger roll of roasted Norfolk turkey, sage and onion stuffing and cranberry
  • An Assembly House Sausage Roll
  • Mark Mitson’s dairy-free cheese and pistachio shortbread
  • Dairy-free cheese toastie with roasted tomato chutney
  • Avocado and sun blush tomato tart in a herby pastry case
  • Pastry tart of beetroot, cream cheese mousse, chives and mild horseradish cream, flower petals
  • Verse three: dairy-free Assembly House teatime scones;
  • Fruit scones with Norfolk strawberry jam, whipped vanilla ‘cream’, Flora
  • Dairy-free cheese, Colman’s Mustard and chive scone with Flora
  • Verse four: dairy-free cakes and pastries;
  • The Christmas Eve Mouse – a dark chocolate and clementine mousse mouse sitting on a sugar ‘cheese’ slice atop a dairy-free raspberry and vanilla sponge
  • A Carrot for Rudolph Cupcake – dairy-free carrot cake with dairy-free vanilla frosting
  • Father Christmas Dairy-free Macaron – jolly, red, filled with pineapple frosting and topped with coconut “new-fallen snow.”
  • Sugarplum Dreams Trifle – dairy-free trifle sponge, dairy-free jelly, sugarplum jam, dairy-free custard, meringue, hundreds and thousands and glitter
  • Night Sky Gâteau Opera – layers of dairy-free Oreo sponge and frosting under a glittering sky of silver stars and a crescent moon
  • Gingerbread - decorated with candy canes and sweeties, each secretly marked Naughty or Nice. Have you behaved this year...?

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