Afternoon tea with the rich and famous at Reid’s Hotel in Madeira.

Afternoon tea on the terraces at Reid’s Hotel

A Matter of Taste with  Charlotte Malakoff

HOTEL Belmond Reid’s Palace, a 5-star resort set on a cliff top in Funchal, Madeira, overlooking the Atlantic ocean, bears some uncanny historical resemblances to Meikles Hotel in Harare. Reid’s Hotel, which opened on November 1 1891, was started by William Reid, the son of a Scottish crofter, who arrived in Madeira at the age of 14, from Kilmarnock in Scotland. Similarly, the Meikle family left Strathaven in Scotland for Africa, and opened Meikles Hotel on November 15, 1915.

Famous figures staying at Meikles Hotel include British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, who made his famous ‘winds of change speech’ while in the country, Charles, the Prince of Wales, Nelson Mandela, a former president of South Africa, Michael Jackson and hip-hop star Akon.

Reid’s Hotel has been a favourite destination over the years for film stars, politicians and celebrities, one of the most famous being Winston Churchill, who visited Funchal in 1950 to work on his war memoirs and to paint pictures at various beauty spots around the island. A portrait gallery in the hotel has a photograph of a former prime minister of Rhodesia, Ian Smith, who visited the hotel with his wife Janet in 1972.

While William Reid built his hotel for the elite, and it remains a destination for the rich and famous, best known for its afternoon teas on the terrace, served in the classic British tradition made popular by the English wealthy classes in the 1840s. At Euros 35.50 a head, this probably represents a big splurge to most tourists, but for lovers of tea and elegant service, afternoon tea at Reid’s Hotel in a must do for anyone visiting Madeira.

When I booked in advance for afternoon tea last Tuesday, the receptionist told me in fluent English that I could have the last table, and that the dress code was smart casual. No shorts or sandals, please. George and I arrived on time, and smiling waiters, formally dressed in black and white, escorted us to a table for two on the marbled terrace, overlooking the Bay of Funchal. We looked over the railings at the sub-tropical garden of bougainvilleas, orchids and palm trees, and beyond to the blue Atlantic ocean, as calm as a mill pond.

It took a while to study the tea selection for both black and green teas. Darjeeling Second Flush, originating from the Himalayan mountains, was recommended as ‘the ideal tea for the afternoon’, but I chose Reid’s Blend, ‘a light and satisfying cup of tea at any time of day’. George requested Assam Hazelbank, described as ‘stimulating and full-bodied’. Health conscious tea drinkers could have green teas such as China Gunpowder, China Wintersweet, or Japan Sencha, a light green infusion with low caffeine content. The blue and white bone china Wedgwood teapots were bottomless, and the waiters seemed to take pleasure in refilling them, bringing fresh tea cups with each new brew.

Finger sandwiches, possibly the best I’ve tasted, were finely cut from soft and delicious sandwich bread. The four different fillings included smoked salmon, cheese, prawn, and avocado and cucumber. No sooner had we munched our way through these, than the waiter offered to replenish them. And of course we accepted.

Next up were freshly baked fruit scones. I once thought I had tasted the best scones ever at the Maids of Honour tea room opposite Kew Gardens in London, but the scones we tasted at Reid’s Hotel, served with butter from Normandy, strawberry jam and fresh cream, were exceptional. Once again, our waiter offered second helpings of scones – ‘Not even a tiny one?’

A waiter explained to a foreign-sounding couple at a table behind us the way to eat a scone. ‘You cut it in half, spread it with butter, then jam, then cream. English style!’ A few minutes later the couple consulted Google on their mobile phone for an audio pronunciation of ‘scone’.

Finally it was time to try the ‘delicious home made pastries’. Apart from delectable pasteis de nata (custard tarts) originating in Lisbon, I’ve not tasted any particularly outstanding example of Portuguese patisserie, and sadly the selection at Reid’s was a disappointment. Other than a crisp puff pastry palmier dipped in chocolate, most of the pastries were over sweet. An eclair look alike filled with sweet creme patisserie was coloured pink, while a square of fruit jelly with a cream topping would have made an acceptable dessert.

Each sitting for afternoon tea at Reid’s Hotel is approximately one and a half hours long. As tables emptied, waiters spread clean cloths and put out fresh white linen napkins. Smartly dressed couples and groups of friends continued to beat a path to the terrace, and as late as 5 pm guests were still arriving. Of the many attractions for tourists in Funchal, afternoon tea at Belmond Reid’s Palace Hotel should top your list.

Belmond Reid’s Palace

Estrada Monumental 139, 9000-098 Funchal

Madeira

Portugal

Tel: +351 291 71 71 71

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