You’ve probably seen the double-decker tour buses that drive round London and other cities countless times. But have you ever seen one that’s a cake bus?
When I mentioned to people that I was going to London to go on a cake bus I got a few people disbelieving me. As though they thought something that good couldn’t possibly exist.
But believe me people, as exist it does!
The cake bus is an old Routemaster (they’re the traditional London buses where you can jump on and off at the back) which has had some seats removed and others turned around and the whole thing has been prettified with twinkly lights and swirls and lots of pink.
The bus tours around London for 90 minutes during which time you are served a traditional afternoon tea.
It has to be booked and you can choose your seats when you book. I was invited along by a friend who’d booked out the whole of the top deck for her 50th birthday. The top deck, of course, is where you get the best views.
We boarded close to Trafalgar Square and set off on our tour of London. As you go past some of the major sites there is a commentary which is enough to be interesting, but not overly intrusive. The rest of the time music was played and that was a little bit loud. As we were together for a celebration we wanted to chat and catch-up and so could have done with the music turned down a tad.
The afternoon tea was already set out when we arrived. I’d ordered vegetarian and this was laid out on the table right at the front. So I got to sit in the front seat and had fabulous views the whole time.
As afternoon teas include big cake stands and pots of hot tea, I’d wondered how they could do this on a moving vehicle without tea and cake sliding everywhere. Of course being central London, the bus never gets to go that fast for it to be a problem but, just in case, the cake stands and plates have little pieces of non-slip rubber underneath them and the drinks are served in lidded cups which sit in hollowed out drinks’ holders in the tables.
The cake stand was layered with a selection of sandwiches and small cakes. There was plenty and they were all pretty tasty. Towards the end, when we thought we’d finished, we were served with warm scones, jam and clotted cream.
The cake bus tours are the brainchild of B Bakery (also known as Brigit’s Bakery) in Covent Garden. Their website claims their bakers are all French pâtissiers. No wonder the cakes tasted so good!
As the tour came to an end we were given boxes to put our leftovers in so we could take them home and also told we could keep our mugs as a souvenir.
I really enjoyed my afternoon on the cake bus and think it’s so much better than doing one of the usual bus tours of London. A bus tour with afternoon tea is so much nicer than a bus tour that’s just a bus tour. And afternoon tea is so much nicer when you have a constantly changing view and get to see some of the main sights in London. And of course, if you’re short on time and wanting to do both a tour and have an afternoon tea then why not save yourself some time and combine them?
What do you think? Would you like to go on the cake bus? Have you discovered any other ‘alternative’ bus tours? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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A beautiful afternoon cream tea while cruising through London on board a sight-seeing bus – sounds absolutely lovely!
It really was lovely Elsa. And a great way to celebrate a special birthday!
Ha this looks amazing! I’d heard of it before but never really looked into it. May just have to add it to the list!
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You’re a bit far away at the moment Clazz, but definitely add it to your list for when you return to the UK!
It does look pretty wonderful indeed. I’m glad you got to keep everything safely on the plate and in the cup while driving around town. I’m wondering about how the warmed scones arrive at the end. Maybe they drive past the bakery, and someone passes a warm basket of goodies out to the bus?
Ha, good point. They seem to have a limited amount of ‘kitchen’ space on the lower deck which is where they also make the hot drinks. Most things they need are stored in boxes between and under the seats. And I think part of the reasoning behind letting you keep your cup is so they don’t have to wash them! So I’m guessing the scones are already on board and they have a microwave. I much prefer the idea of them being passed through a window as the bus goes past a bakery though.
That’s awesome!!! Definitely going to have to do this one day!!
It’s a good one to do if you have a special occasion or are showing friends around London for the first time. But you don’t really need an excuse. The fact that it’s a cake bus is a good enough reason in itself!
This is seriously so awesome. And so me. I have never been to London yet – which is crazy because everyone has been to London at some point, even my least-travelled friends – but I think that this should totally push me towards planning a trip! I love the whole idea, how genious it is to combine two such important features of London’s culture and identity – the double decker and afternoon tea! Seriously, hats off to the bakery that came up with this idea! It’s awesome!
Ah Eva, London really has a lot to offer. But then there are so many ‘must visit’ places I’ve not yet made it to either.
That looks like so much fun. I love afternoon tea, and the bus is such a unique place to do it!
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Really, whoever came up with the idea needs a medal (or at least a life-time supply of cake).
This looks like so much fun! How can you ever ride a regular (cake-less) bus again?
I think I’m going to avoid all buses in future unless they come with cake.
LOVE THIS! Pure genius. This tour is right up my alley. I am a huge foodie and actually a pastry cook too. So I would thoroughly enjoy this. Thank you for sharing.
Glad you liked it. Now you just have to try the real thing!
What a cute idea! I’ve never heard of this but it looks like a lot of fun!
It is fun, and a great way to combine 2 of the things to do in London 🙂
Oh my God, is this actually true? Looks really amazing.
Yes, and it’s as amazing as it looks. Much better than the usual bus tours!