Cowdray Park x Floris London Fragrant Afternoon Tea
History and fragrance combine in a celebration to indulge all your senses this summer, as Cowdray Park partner with Floris London to invite you to experience a Celest Scented Afternoon Tea in their stunning walled garden…
Suzy Nightingale reports
The Cowdray Park afternoon tea has been created to evoke Floris’s newest launch, Celest. PHOTOS: Milly Kenny-Ryder
What could be more quintessentially English than a summer’s day spent enjoying an afternoon tea in the garden? Well, Floris London have come together with Cowdray Park to create an elegantly olfactorially-themed tea that’s above and beyond any memories you have of ham sarnies and scones served on the back lawn. Picture, instead, one of the most beautiful Walled Gardens in the country, a menu perfectly paired with a stunning new scent from Floris, and an experience celebrating the very best of British: the perfect blend of picturesque scenery, home-grown produce and fine perfumery. And YOU can be there to experience it for yourself this summer!
Guests can enjoy award-winning Gusborne sparkling wine with their afternoon tea
‘The renowned countryside estate Cowdray in West Sussex has teamed up with storied fragrance house, Floris London, to introduce a unique new afternoon tea experience at its romantic Walled Garden. Inspired by the latest Eau de Parfum from Floris, Celest, each item is an edible translation of the unisex scent.
Having officially launched on 2 July 2026, and available to book on various dates throughout the summer, the exclusive Cowdray x Floris Fragrant Afternoon Tea is served within the enchanting surroundings of Cowdray’s Walled Garden – one of the South East’s most sought-after destinations for weddings and celebrations. The garden’s fragrant blooms, ancient brick walls and sweeping herbaceous borders provide a uniquely atmospheric setting for this sensory experience, inviting guests to immerse themselves in a world of scent, flavour, and floristry.
Inspired by the top, heart and base notes of Celest, the menu has been carefully designed by Cowdray Kitchen, using Cowdray produce and interpreting heritage recipes from Cowdray’s cookbook, Seasons, to mirror the structure of the fine fragrance, translating delicate botanicals and aromatic ingredients into refined savoury and sweet creations…
Guests will be served elegant “top notes”, featuring sandwiches filled with cucumber & bergamot cream cheese or roasted red pepper hummus, Cowdray lavender shortbread, and bergamot drizzle cakes infused with Earl Grey tea and poppy seeds.
Goat’s cheese, walnut & honey on toasted sourdough croutes and trout pâté blinis with dill & shaved radish, reflect the sharp, aromatic ‘base notes’, alongside, almond & raspberry layer gâteau and chamomile & passionfruit meringue tarts.
Rich and grounding “base notes” complete the experience with herb & moss sausage rolls flavoured with parsley, thyme and sage, Cowdray roast beef with horseradish cream and watercress, English honey & thyme cream panna cotta with chamomile jelly, and brown butter, honey & vanilla scones served with clotted cream and homemade balsamic strawberry jam.
For the traditional afternoon tea experience, guests can choose from an unlimited selection of teas or freshly brewed coffee. For an added touch of celebration, guests have the option to choose the sparkling afternoon tea experience, which includes an additional glass of Gusbourne English sparkling wine – pairing beautifully with the garden-inspired menu.’
The stunning Walled Garden of Cowdray [PHOTO: Milly Kenny-Ryder]
The perfect tablescape for the Floris x Cowdray Fragrant Afternoon Tea [PHOTO: Milly Kenny-Ryder]
Which fragrantly-themed delights would you indulge in first? [PHOTO: Milly Kenny-Ryder]
Combining ‘surroundings, home-grown produce, and refined artistry to create a distinctive interpretation of flavour, perfume and place,’ the Cowdray x Floris Fragrant Afternoon Tea is available to book on selected dates from July to the end of September 2026.
Tickets cost £45 per person and include a sample of Celest. English sparkling wine from Gusbourne is also available to add on, by the glass for £12.50 or by the bottle for £65. Tickets available to purchase via Cowdray’s website booking link, below.