Wednesday 5 April 2017

Mothering Sunday at Browns

I decided to do something different for my mum on Mother's Day this year. Each time this day rolls around I buy her her favourite flowers (tulips and daffodils for those who wondered), a gift and possibly take her out for lunch to her favourite spot if our schedules allow. I frequently get told off if she feels I've gone overboard on the gift-giving (it's not possible to do so), but it's worth it to see her enjoy the day and be reminded of how much she is appreciated.

This year, I opted to treat her to that most quintessentially British experience - afternoon tea. Who doesn't love a good cup of tea accompanied by dainty sandwiches and indulgent cakes?! A wonderful friend of mine works at Browns and suggested I take her there. Luckily I got our booking in early, the closer the day came, the increasingly busy they were beginning to look. After an hour (or 2) of mooching around the shops, (and possibly indulging in the purchase of a hat or 3), we pootled into Browns for our lunch.

The first thing to know about Browns (Milton Keynes branch), is that the staff are lovely. Every single person we came across gave us a friendly greeting, checked that we were ok, and offered to fetch us anything we desired. They could not do enough.

We were seated and told the options available to us - traditional, champagne or a most unusual afternoon tea - and our drinks were brought to the table. This was my mum's first afternoon tea experience (I know, I don't understand how either), so she opted for the traditional option, as did I.

We were then served our food, and it was just gorgeous. Tiny brioche rolls filled with salmon, cream cheese, chicken and avocado were accompanied by mini profiteroles, black cherry mousse, opera cake and scones. Everything was delicious, and my mum adored it.
Just looking at this picture makes my mouth water!

The atmosphere in Browns adds to the experience. It was incredibly busy, but didn't feel crowded or overly loud. Buzzy and social, the staff were busy but never too busy to help if you needed it, you barely waited for your food, and never once felt rushed to finish. It's light and airy, comfortable and welcoming. We had a really lovely time, and my mum thoroughly appreciated her Mother's Day treat.

I even managed to score a photo of my friend Stu rocking one of my new hats. I did threaten to add it to this post, but seeing as he and his staff took such good care of us, I'll be kind and omit it!

Browns is a chain brasserie, so if you fancy treating yourself and a close one to the experience, you'll be able to do so with ease. All locations can be found here. Also make sure to check out their menus, there is some seriously delicious things in there!

So, a thank you to all at Browns who contributed to my mum's lovely afternoon, it was very much appreciated! We'll definitely be back!