Case Study: Halloween at Hamleys Bus Tour

In October 2024, we launched an exciting Halloween Afternoon Tea Bus Tour in partnership with Hamleys, the world’s best toy shop. This themed bus tour was created to provide families with a memorable experience that combined iconic London sightseeing with a fun Halloween-themed afternoon tea.

In keeping with our tradition of offering seasonal tours, this adventure captured the imagination of both children and adults, bringing the spirit of Halloween to life in the heart of the city.

A magical collaboration

Hamleys has been delighting children and families since its opening in 1760, solidifying its reputation as the ultimate destination for toys and entertaining experiences. Our collaboration with Hamleys reflects our commitment to create unique and memorable themed tours during special occasions.

The Halloween at Hamleys Bus Tour was designed for families with children aged five and older, providing a perfect opportunity to celebrate Halloween in the most fun and festive way - Brigit's Bakery style!

As with most of our seasonal tours, this collaboration lasted for a limited time - from 12th to 31st October 2024 . During these three weeks, our Halloween-themed Routemaster bus drove past some of London’s most iconic landmarks, such as The London Eye, Big Ben, and Westminster Abbey, all while passing the vibrant Regent Street store of Hamleys, where the Halloween spirit was alive and well.

The Halloween Hamleys Afternoon Tea Bus Tour in numbers

With three departure times a day, we hosted a total of 55 Halloween at Hamleys Bus Tours, welcoming 1,377 guests (943 adults and 434 children). Each tour immersed participants in a festive atmosphere with themed decorations and lively entertainment, creating lasting memories for all the families on board.

The bus tours travelled significant distances through London, showcasing landmarks while providing our young guests with an interactive and joyful experience.

Our hauntingly delicious Afternoon Tea Menu

As part of the experience, our experienced chefs curated an exclusive Halloween Afternoon Tea menu that was both playful and delicious. As part of our afternoon tea, we offered a range of treats to impress guests of all ages, featuring hauntingly delicious savoury treats, such as:

Witch’s Brew Mushroom Quiche.
Cursed Cucumber & Mint Spellbound on Basil Bread.
Phantom’s Feast Turkey Ham, Cheese & a Sinister Mayo Mustard on Tomato Bread.
Vampire’s Delight Feta, Tomato & Red Pepper Savoury Muffin.
Ghostly Salmon & Cucumber Pretzel with a Haunting Cream Cheese Filling.

We also had some sinister sweet treats, including:

Sinister Sweet Treats: Spooky Pumpkin Tart – A favourite of the Pumpkin Trickster!
Frightfully Spooky Halloween at Hamleys Cupcake.
Ghoulish Matcha Sable Straight from The Cauldron.
Frankenstein’s Monster Walnut Choux.
Ghostly Freshly Baked Plain Scone, served with Clotted Scream & Blood-Red Jam.

Alongside these treats, our guests enjoyed a selection of beverages to complement their spooky afternoon tea. As with all our tours, this included water, coffee, hot chocolate, and an assortment of fine teas.

The element of fun: onboard entertainment

What set the Halloween at Hamleys Bus Tour apart was the exciting onboard entertainment. On each tour, families were treated to lively interactions, quizzes, and Halloween-themed pranks, making sure we gave everyone a memorable experience. Elements of surprise—like hidden chattering teeth or whoopee cushions—added to the fun. Our job was to create an atmosphere full of laughter and joy, and we delivered!

Every child onboard received a small gift celebrating their adventure, including a Halloween at Hamleys travel cup to take home as a memento of their exciting day.

A Halloween at Hamleys Afternoon Tea Bus Tour review

Here's a wonderful review about the experience:

"The world’s oldest toyshop Hamleys and afternoon tea alchemists, Brigit’s Bakery have created a delicious monster in the shape of the Halloween at Hamleys Afternoon Tea Bus Tour. [...]

A slapstick Mad Scientist welcomes us onboard the bus, which is festooned with cobwebs, pumpkins and spiders and playing creepy hits. And we’re led to our table on the Upper Deck, which is set with two teetering tiers of cakes, sandwiches, pretzels, tarts, quiche and muffins.

We set off on our 90-minute tour, taking in landmarks like Royal Albert Hall and Marble Arch with some deliciously spooky facts - The Lanesborough was once a hospital and is London's most haunted hotel, and The Grenadier is haunted by the ghost of a solider.

Hot chocolates and coffees are delivered - in Hamleys Halloween travel cups to keep - while we work our way through the feast, marvelling at the acrobatics of friendly staff, pouring fizz and juggling lattes on a swerving bus.

Naturally, we pass Hamleys to see their gargantuan pumpkin display and get a glimpse of the free Halloween processions, spooky games and entertainment taking place inside.

[...] I am particularly impressed by the wide savoury offering. Stand outs on this tier include the mushroom quiche and the salmon and cucumber pretzel with cream cheese. [...] The children are eager to dive into the beautifully presented, sweet tier, decorated with edible bats and ghosts. The pumpkin tarts are the biggest hit with the children, alongside cupcakes, matcha sables and my personal favourite, the Frankenstein’s Monster Choux, filled with creamy walnut.

Warm scones with strawberry jam and clotted cream are brought around to close the experience and despite being stuffed, there is always room for an excellent scone.

While we eat, the comically bumbling scientist entertains diners with a Halloween quiz - the questions are easy enough for our six-year-old to enjoy - magic, trick or treat cauldrons and daft jokes. Thankfully, we are all provided boxes to take home left overs from the generous spread, as well as popping candy chocolates, while the children are also gifted Hamleys toy keyrings. It’s a spooktacular experience for all ages - the bus was mostly packed with excited adults - and bubbling with tricks and treats."

We literally couldn't have said it any better ourselves!

Reflecting on a successful seasonal tour

The Halloween at Hamleys Bus Tour demonstrated our commitment to creating themed experiences for families. Partnering with the beloved Hamleys brand allowed us to create an engaging celebration. We feel we captured the essence of Halloween and connected families through shared experiences and festive treats. The success of the tour reflects our goal to make special occasions unforgettable and bring smiles to our guests.

Looking back on the Halloween at Hamleys Bus Tour, we cherish the joy it brought to families in London. With imaginative decorations and a delightful afternoon tea, we made sure this tour was truly magical.

Stay tuned for our future seasonal offerings. And if there's anything you'd like to see, get in touch and let us know!