The best place for afternoon tea in London announced by The Tea Guild Various authorities provide differing guides on where you can sample London's best afternoon tea (in fact, here's the Telegraph's pick of London's 10 best afternoon teas) but one that is always taken seriously is that of The Tea Guild. Part of The UK Tea Council Ltd, which is a non-profit, independent organisation dedicated to raising the profile of tea in the UK, the guild names one venue as the purveyor of London's best afternoon tea each year; for 2013, the honour has been bestowed on The Goring Hotel. Now in its 28th year, The UK Tea Council's Tea Guild Awards are decided by a panel of judges who sample afternoon teas throughout the capital and country anonymously. Venues are judged for décor, crockery, standards of service, ambience and, most importantly, the quality of the tea itself and how it is served. The Goring Hotel by Buckingham Palace was singled out by judges after gaining a near perfect score, with the dexterity of the venue drawing particular praise - guests can enjoy tea by a fire in miserable weather, or dine al fresco should the sun shine. Praise was also given by the judges for the offering's "elegant surroundings, faultless presentation and friendly, efficient and knowledgeable staff." Previous winners of the accolade include The Athenaeum Hotel (2012) and Claridge's (2011). This year, The Tea Guild continues its tradition of awarding other impressive venues Awards of Excellence. Among those commended for their afternoon tea offerings this year were Brown's Hotel, Claridge's, Fortnum & Mason, InterContinental London Park Lane, The Ritz and The Wolseley. The guild will announce its choice for Top City & Country Hotel for Afternoon Tea and Top Tea Place in the UK later this week.