Treat your dad like a gent this Sunday

Gentlemen's Afternoon Tea at Ben's Restaurant, Bury St Edmunds Picture: Ben's Restaurant (Image: Archant)

Ben's Restaurant, Bury St Edmunds

This place, run by super-enthusiastic young patron Ben, has a real ethos of field-to-fork eating (he's got the awards to prove it) so expect the majority, if not all, the ingredients on the restaurant's Gentlemen's Tea to be sourced very locally. The tea is priced at £23.50 per person and comes with half a pint of draught beer, ale or cider of your choice, or loose leaf tea. If you're not really a sandwich fan, this is the spot for you because the menu is light on traditional sarnies. You've got a pork Scotch egg, barbecue pulled pork slider, smoked mackerel pate, toasted crostini, bacon crisp, pigeon, lettuce and tomato sandwich, blue cheese and ham scone, and beetroot relish.

Swagger and Jacks Fathers Day Teas collaboration with the Assembly House, Norwich. Photo : Steve Adams (Image: Steve Adams 2019 07398 238853)

The Assembly House, Norwich

Richard Hughes and his executive pastry chef extraordinaire Mark Mitson, have teamed up with Norwich barbers Swagger & Jacks Gentlemen's Grooming to put together a very special afternoon tea for dads this June 16. And when you book a table, you'll be automatically entered into a competition to win a box full of Swagger & Jacks treats. The tea (£21.95 for one, £42 for two and £12.95 for children) includes sandwiches, savoury goodies including the restaurant's 'famous' cheese, Colman's mustard and chive scone and a range of Instagrammable cakes. These range from a chocolate and stout mousse, to barber shop pole gateau opera, a stacked burger macaron and red velvet moustache cake. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options can be arranged.

Gentleman's Afternoon Tea at Bedford Lodge Picture: Bedford Lodge (Image: Archant)

Bedford Lodge Hotel and Spa

In the running for a national afternoon tea award, the hotel holds its tradition for tea close to its heart and has a range of options to enjoy indoors or in the beautiful gardens - including its Gentlemen's Afternoon Tea. Start with a Bedford Lodge club sandwich before moving onto the savouries of Newmarket sausage roll with sage, honey and grain mustard, freshly baked beef, tarragon and wild mushroom pasty, and prawn and rosti potato shell with chilli mayonnaise. A scone with cream and jam makes it onto the menu too, accompanied by mini treacle tart, lemon loaf slice and chocolate tiffin. The tea is £20 per person or £23 with a pint of Peroni, Adnams Bitter or Aspall Cyder.

High Tea at Byfords, Holt Picture: Chris Taylor Photography (Image: Copyright christaylorphoto.co.uk)

Byfords, Holt

This place is part and parcel of Holt and anyone who's visited will know how delicious the cakes and savouries are. Every day between 3pm and 5pm you can book their High Tea to enjoy in the snug, café, restaurant or terrace overlooking Shirehall Plain. Just like the regular afternoon tea, this comes with freshly cut finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, a selection of cakes and tea or coffee. In addition you'll get a Scotch egg, deep-filled quiche and warm sausage roll. The tea is £24.50 for one or £43 for two.

Apple and cinnamon scones feature on the high tea menu at The Swan, Lavenham Picture: Nick Smith Photography (Image: ©nicksmithphotography.com)

The Swan, Lavenham

The Swan is known for its afternoon teas and dedicates part of the restaurant to them in the afternoons so diners can really make an occasion of it. Oozing history and class, with crisp linens and sparkling table settings, you know you're in for something special as soon as you sit down. Their High Tea is just the thing for discerning diners. Choose from a salmon Scotch egg with horseradish and lemon leeks, smoked salmon and chive omelette with Parmesan shavings and watercress, eggs Florentine, Adnams Welsh rarebit or Port-soaked blue cheese with salt baked beets. This first course is followed by raisin scones and apple and walnut scones with homemade preserves and clotted cream, and a range of individual cakes and pastries from the kitchen. To quench your thirst is a choice of Newby's of London teas or infusions - priced at £26.50 per person.

Gentlemen's Afternoon Tea at The Folly, Holt Picture: The Folly (Image: Archant)

The Folly Tearoom, Holt

All food at The Folly is homemade and prepared daily using local produce where possible. Their special Gentlemen's Afternoon Tea comprises freshly cut sandwiches, quiche and sausage rolls, finished with either fruit or cheese scones with preserves. Sandwich fillings range from smoked salmon and cream cheese to ham and chutney (made especially for the tearoom), while options for the quiche could include Lorraine, goats' cheese and asparagus, black pudding, pea, mint and feta or Mediterranean. To wash it down is a choice of 52 teas and infusions all blended in-house and unique to The Folly.

Harriets, Bury St Edmunds and Norwich

Two classy establishments where real thought has gone into not only the home-cooked food and cakes (oh the cakes) but also the tea list, which has been curated to include many exceptional blends. Their Savoury Afternoon Tea includes egg mayonnaise and coronation chicken finger sandwiches, freshly-baked rarebit cheese scones with cream cheese, a Scotch egg, sausage roll and chicken goujon - all made in house. The tea is £19.45 per person.

Riverside House Hotel, Mildenhall

Take tea overlooking the lovely gardens at this west Suffolk hotel. The filling Gents' Afternoon Tea promises steak and kidney pie, sausage roll, cheese and onion pasty, a cheese selection, pickles, salad, crusty bread and half a pint of beer, lager or cider for £15.23. Speciality coffees are an extra £1.50 per person, or add a glass of prosecco for £4.