AFTERNOON tea is a staple in the diet of any Brit.

The combination of tea, scones, sandwiches and cake is truly a joy to behold.

But with so many to choose from you have to do a lot to stand out.

Gemma Logan bought a bus ticket to flavour town for an afternoon tea with a difference.

THERE seems to be a national event for everything you can imagine nowadays, celebrating anything from friendship to hugging your cat.

But having a sweet tooth, I have to admit that Afternoon Tea Week, which began on 12 August, sounded very appealing.

To help mark the occasion, I headed to Pool Valley to hop on the Brighton Regency Routemaster for an afternoon tea bus tour.

After receiving a very warm welcome from Colin and his friendly team, I headed up the stairs to take my seat and was impressed with what I saw.

This Routemaster RML 2333 bus has been lovingly restored into a fine dining vehicle with vintage royal blue and gold décor fitting the rich history of this bus that was registered in December 1965 and operated routes all over London.

On the upper and lower decks, there are tables for two and four passengers.

Each of us was given a London transport ticket from an authentic ticket machine, a nice touch, before being served drinks.

There was an enormous amount of choice to wet your whistle.

I went for a deliciously refreshing and fruity passion fruit iced tea but other options included teas from Metrodeco in Kemp Town such as Chrysler Breakfast (English breakfast tea), Shades of Grey (a take on Earl grey), Terracotta Sunburst (rooibos with rhubarb and vanilla), Rockerfella Cleansing (peppermint and spearmint), The Devil is a Woman (green tea infused with chamomile and lemongrass) and Parisian Floral Calm (chamomile blend).

If you fancy something a little stronger, they also offer gin and Prosecco.

The bus then set off on an hour and a half tour, journeying around Brighton and Hove before heading along the coast passed Rottingdean and Saltdean.

An informative and entertaining commentary from Colin accompanied the drive, with facts ranging from the city’s secret underground tunnels to the plans for Brighton Marina.

It wasn’t non-stop talking though, giving everyone time to chat, there was even two birthdays celebrated during my journey.

Afternoon tea was served, and it didn’t disappoint with each couple presented with two tiers of homemade savoury and sweet treats.

The friendly waiter deserved a medal for not spilling or dropping a single thing throughout the tour as he gave each table their goodies and explained what was what.

Sandwiches had the crusts cut off and were feather light with a range of fillings including smoked salmon with lemon and caper butter, honey roast ham and mustard mayonnaise, chive cream cheese and cucumber, and mature cheddar and Caesar.

The top tier seemed to get the passengers most excited and featured rose and pistachio cakes, fruit filled éclairs, macaroons, chocolate orange slices and little pots of lemon meringue and tiramisu.

Finally, came the pièce de résistance – buttermilk fruit scones with clotted cream and strawberry scones that were seriously tasty and moist.

You might wonder how the drinks don’t spill as the bus moves and, while there were challenges, each table has a drink-sized hole to place your glass or cup in, an inspired idea.

There were times that lifting your drink to your lips was a risk, but the driver ensured as smooth a drive as possible.

We arrived back at Pool Valley on schedule but were told there was no rush to leave the bus which was a nice touch.

This laid-back tour was a great combination of city sightseeing, gorgeous coastal views and quality food but what really made it special was the staff.

Tours on the Brighton Regency Routemaster are available to book through Fizzbox.com, who offer a range of activities in the UK and Europe for stag, hen and birthday parties, team building and fun days out.

Until September 15 the tours run from Thursday to Sunday at 12.30pm and 3pm.

And from September 15 until December they run on Saturdays and Sundays at 2pm.