Family-friendly afternoon tea at London's Langham Hotel

Enter the Palm Court setting of the afternoon tea at The Langham Hotel, London and you hear the rippling notes of a pianist with dancing fingers; the tinkle of silver tea spoons stirring the best blends in the Capital, the whoosh as another laden tower of scones, the ooze of burrata in a savoury course, the crackle of chocolate patisserie as a fork slices through it. You don't expect to hear the gurgle of excited children in the mix.

But you do - and ours added to that hubbub because the Langham's new Children’s Afternoon Tea with Daunt Books (£29) both encourages kids' love of literature and gives them the chance to be chefs at their own table: a winning combination.

This is how it works: the staff are incredibly children-friendly, and swiftly bring a plate of jigsaw puzzle sandwiches (cheddar, jam, egg, any allergies or fussiness instantly taken care of) to un-piece and gobble up alongside their choice of drink (tiny man will, I'm sure, never forget his first Valhrona hot chocolate.. my kitchen version didn't really compare..).

Then for their next course, the waiter brings a cake broken up into various elements to let them create a dog-shaped delicacy - including a truffle for a nose, and a squeezy tube of caramel 'glue' - before devouring it. Then there are the scones to finish with, piles of jam and cream encouraged.

And then - when the children are sated and we were still embarking on the delicious festive afternoon tea for grown ups (including an amazing burrata mid-course and unlimited sandwiches and cakes)... the kids could tuck into a mini-library of reading options from Daunt Books, and pick one to take home. Our youngest lapped up a London flap book, and his bigger brother is still requesting 'Tidy', by Emily Gravett, every evening.

Meanwhile, we grown-ups were gasping at the little touches that the Langham does so well - the 'bowl' covering our cakes that turned out to be entirely edible, made of white chocolate; the fruit scones swiftly disappearing from our plates, and the fact we could enjoy it all in peace because the kids were engrossed in their new books as well as colouring a London map with the Langham's Regent Street surrounds - including Daunt - all in detail.