Afternoon tea at Gumption in Christchurch

The Distinction Hotel sits in a prominent position in Cathedral Square in central Christchurch. Despite being largely destroyed in the 2011 earthquake the square is gradually being rebuilt (including the restoration of the cathedral itself) and there are good plans for making this area the beating heart and soul of the city once again.

The hotel is an old building that undertook a lot of work to reopen pre covid as a 4-star hotel, the type that Christchurch City Centre was crying out for to be honest. As you enter the lobby area the space is vast with high ceilings and a curved staircase. There is a large central decoration piece behind which the hotel reception desk sits. Turn to your right and you come to the bar and lounge. The decoration here is sophistication and luxury spun into one. Large chairs decorated in indulgent gold and greens make a statement alongside large comfortable lounge pieces with big cushions and the same flowing colour scheme. It’s a place to make you feel good about yourself.

Gumption Restaurant at the Distinction Hotel

Gumption Restaurant is tucked away to the back with what eventually will be a great view across Cathedral Square. There are plans apparently by the hotel to have an open area in summertime where the large windows and doors can be pushed back to allow for outdoor dining in front of the restaurant. The restaurant now follows the same theme as the bar but with more practical seating. The greeting was super friendly on my arrival and despite being stupidly early for my booking (I confess I was starving) I was invited to take a seat, it wasn’t at all a problem. It was pretty quiet for a Saturday afternoon to be fair but that could be the time of year - it was very much out of season and Christchurch is not a busy city.

My visit was to try the new Afternoon Tea offering the hotel was promoting. A few places have begun to offer Afternoon Tea in the city and hopefully it will be a new successful addition to the ‘Garden City’.

I love a good Afternoon Tea and had heard good things about Gumption. Personally, I’m not usually a big fan of hotel restaurants but some are better than others and I reckoned on tea being a different category altogether.

After pondering the menu for a short while my waitress enquired as to what I would like to drink. The tea was promoted with a glass of Villa Maria Brut which I couldn’t resist. It was crisp and sparkly and the perfect accompliment. I opted to save the hot drink included with my tea for later after I’d sipped my sparkling.

Sharing 3 tiers of goodness at the Gumptions Afternoon Tea service

The tea arrived after a short while presented on three tiers and was loaded with mouthwatering deliciousness. My lovely waitress (honestly, I cannot fault the staff who were simply lovely and accommodating) went through each item on the plates for me with a description that I’ve no idea how she remembered. I had to consult the menu she kindly left me.

A choice of sandwiches with some tasty fillings

I began with savoury. My first bit of the smoked manuka beef with horseradish on dark rye was delicious and set my taste buds jingling for what came next. Mt Cook Salmon on a delicate pasty was followed by a chicken and sage, and of course, every Afternoon Tea should have an egg sandwich, this one had smoked cheese too. The buttermilk scones were served with lemon curd, mixed berry jam and cream. The dessert plate had a raspberry macron, delicate fruit tarts and matcha profiteroles. I’m not sure which exactly was my favourite but it all got demolished without complaint.