- Play Hard
- 30th Sep 2026
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The Grand York’s Wizarding Afternoon Tea is back for autumn
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If you’re after something a little more magical than your usual afternoon tea in York, The Grand York’s got you covered.
The award-winning hotel’s Wizarding Afternoon Tea is back and running until Thursday 12th November, and it’s exactly the kind of spellbinding treat you’d want before the nights draw in.
Set within one of York’s grandest railway hotels, the whole experience leans into a sense of old, quietly reawakened magic, with a menu that’s been dreamt up to match.
QUICK FACTS
Location: The Grand, York
Price: £42.50 per person
Running until: 12th November 2026
A MENU WORTH CASTING A SPELL FOR
The savoury spread doesn’t hold back on flavour. There’s a Yorkshire brie and celeriac quiche topped with port-compressed figs, a smoked salmon roulade layered with seaweed, lemon mascarpone and trout caviar, and a coronation chicken finger dressed in miso-maple butter with pickled heritage carrots.
A smoked beef brisket sandwich comes with wasabi mayo and plum chutney on tomato bread, while a black pudding sausage roll brings pork and mature cheddar together with a hit of fennel seed. It’s clear a lot of thought’s gone into balancing the familiar afternoon tea staples with something a bit more inventive.
The patisserie side is where the wizarding theme really comes to life. The Grand Talisman is a cinnamon doughnut finished with mascarpone-honey chantilly and a chocolate ring, and the Enchanted Broomstick pairs lemon and poppyseed cake with sea salt chocolate ganache and raspberries.
The cauldron brings pumpkin seed streusel and apricot chiboust together with a lemongrass and mint jelly, and the book of spells is a vanilla sponge layered with Horlicks buttercream and blackberry jam. Traditional scones with Cornish clotted cream and strawberry jam round the whole thing off, giving you that classic afternoon tea comfort alongside all the theatrics.
A CUP OF TEA (OR SOMETHING STRONGER) TO SUIT
There’s a lovely loose-leaf tea list to work through too, sourced from Newby Teas, with everything from a smoky lapsang souchong to delicate jasmine pearls and a citrusy Grand Blend created especially for the hotel.
If you’d rather add a bit of sparkle, the tea’s available as a Champagne afternoon tea from £55.50, or with a glass of Nyetimber’s Cuvée Chérie Demi-Sec for £57.50. There are non-alcoholic sparkling options too, so it’s easy to make the afternoon feel a little more celebratory, whatever you’re drinking.
PART OF A WIDER WIZARDING WORLD AT THE GRAND
This isn’t a one-off either. It’s part of a broader run of wizarding experiences at the hotel, so if this whets your appetite, there’s more to explore on the same theme, from the wider decor to other seasonal touches around the building.
BOOK IT BEFORE THE MAGIC RUNS OUT
With the tea only running until 12th November, it’s worth getting a date in the diary sooner rather than later, especially with half term likely to see tables go fast. There’s also a children’s version available for younger wizards and witches at £26.50, so it works well as a family day out too.
The Grand, Station Rise, York YO1 6GD
Rachael Ellis
Head of Content
After gaining a first in her BA Media and Journalism degree at Northumbria University, Rachael worked at Newcastle’s leading regional newspaper with her stories being picked up in national and global newspapers. She spent two very successful years giving a voice to those communities across the North East who otherwise…
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