A guide to: Cordis High Tea

With Mother's Day on the not-so-distant horizon, we suggest you brush up on your high tea etiquette and treat Mum to a truly decadent day out.

If there's one thing we love more than tea time here at Dish HQ, it's teeny, tiny portions of cheesecake, miniature egg sandwiches and pint-sized pot pies to devour alongside it.

During a recent visit to the new-look Cordis Hotel in Auckland, the Dish team devoured a decadent spread in style, with thanks to our knowledgeable tea sommelier, Som.

This May, Cordis will extend their annual offering that much further, with a special Mother's Day high tea fit for the Queen herself.  Treat Mum to an array of tasty savouries including Like Love – a flavoursome combination of cured venison on wild rocket panna cotta, Simply Love – a creamy goat’s cheese muffin and Happiness, oysters served with champagne jelly and olive caviar. Delight your sweet-tooth with a silky strawberry and peach dome with strawberry sable or indulge in a scrumptious honey crème brûlée with salted cashews and ruby grapefruit gel.

Take a trip down ‘Silk Road’ with an exotic Mother’s Day Champagne Cocktail, a unqiue blend of delicate silk road tea finished with champagne.

In a bid to ensure we're totally across the dos' and don'ts of traditional high tea etiquette before Mother's Day, we settle in for a decadent afternoon beneath the glittering Cordis chandelier –champagne flute at the ready. Here's what we learned:

1. Start at the bottom tier and work your way up
Unbeknown to some, a high tea is not a free-for-all. Start at the bottom tier and treat yourself to a scrumptious line-up of savoury delights, before working your way up to the sweeter offerings.

2. Not all tea is created equal
Take your time with the extensive tea menu and opt for a brew that best suits your palate. Thankfully, if tea isn't your forte, resident Cordis sommelier Som, is on-hand to share her wealth of tea knowledge. If in doubt, go for the Signature English Breakfast; a subtle and classic brew that'll delight the senses.

3. Save room for the freshly-baked scones...
Remember, high tea is a marathon, not a sprint. Beautifully baked scones will arrive after you've made a significant dent in your savoury and sweet treats, so be sure to save a little room and pace yourselves. Traditionally enjoyed with clotted cream and a generous schmear of strawberry jam, the Devon tradition is cream first with jam on top, while the Cornish do things in reverse, covering their scones with jam first and finishing with a dollop of clotted cream. Both traditions are welcome in Godszone.

4. Dunk your biscuits
The art of dunking (believe it or not) gets the royal nod of approval. So feel free to dunk em' – and don't be afraid to go back for seconds!

5. Let your tea steep
To achieve your desired strength, allow your tea of choice to steep as long as your heart desires. Cordis offer an incredible loose leaf tea menu, some of which taste that much better when allowed sufficient time to brew. Clear your afternoon, sit back, relax and enjoy.

To learn more about Cordis' high tea or make a booking, see their website right here.