BB Bakery Afternoon Tea Bus Tour

When my mam came to London recently, she came with my auntie and several other relatives, one of whom was celebrating her birthday, so the plan was to do something exciting. We ended up booking on a bus tour of London with a difference – a tour that includes afternoon tea.

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Our bus

The tours are run by BB Bakery, a traditional French bakery which is based in Covent Garden. We arrived at Victoria Coach Station on Sunday afternoon in plenty of time to board our bus, which was one of those awesome heritage Routemasters. We headed upstairs where our tables had been set out for us (we were a party of six, so we actually took up two tables).

The afternoon tea consists of sandwiches, scones and cakes, as well as orange juice and, of course, tea. They do cater for different dietary requirements: as a vegetarian this is very important to me, and I’m happy to report that my veggie selection was utterly delicious (the standard sandwiches were pretty nice too, according to the rest of my family). I enjoyed my scone, and the cakes in particular were incredible. If you get too full, you are given a little box to take any uneaten cake away with you.

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Yummy afternoon tea

I had been curious as to how you avoid spilling hot drinks all down yourself on a moving bus. Not to worry, you are actually given a solid takeaway-style cup with a lid which fits into a hollow on the table (you are able to take this cup home with you). The cake stand is fixed securely to the table, and the cutlery, while it looks metal, is actually plastic – all health and safety bases have been covered!

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Wearing my highly appropriate, London bus-themed, Tatty Devine “Not In Service” necklace

The bus takes a roundabout route through central London, passing Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square and other notable landmarks. It should be noted that you don’t get actual commentary, as you would with a “normal” tour bus. However, the staff – who are very friendly, helpful and chatty – do provide random commentary which is often quite funny. As a London resident, I didn’t feel the need for a proper commentary anyway, particularly as I was enjoying my food too much to care!

The tour takes a good hour and a half, so make sure you go to the loo before it starts! Tours cost from £45 for adults and £35 for children, which sounds pricey but it really is a fantastic experience and the food is yummy. I definitely recommend this for a special occasion, and I’ll be heading to Covent Garden to check out the bakery in the near future.