As soon as I heard a hotel only five minutes away from my house had a new, doggy afternoon tea I just knew I had to treat my dog to one.

The Inn on the Lake, in Shorne, near Gravesend, launched the quirky idea in May after noticing customers were bringing their pets out for lunch and passing food under the table.

Hotel manager Laura White said it seemed like the next logical step was to provide some culinary delights specifically for their four-legged visitors.

Since the new feature launched, Laura said they have been fully booked most weekends with some people even reserving solely for their dogs.

I didn’t fancy sitting there empty-handed while my border terrier, Defa, had all the fun so I booked an afternoon tea for one dog and two humans in what was probably the most bizarre request I’ve made when calling a restaurant.

Despite hearing about its popularity, I was slightly worried when we arrived that we would be the only ones accompanied by their pet but soon a few other tables filled up with dogs and their owners.

The doggy afternoon teas were set up outside on the hotel’s terrace which is surrounded by lakes and woodlands and you easily forget you’re sat on the edge of the A2.

As we had booked in advance, the table was already set up and once we were settled the waitress came over with a bowl of water for Defa, a pot of tea and the food.

The “normal” afternoon tea included a selection of sandwiches filled with tuna, cheese and pickle, egg mayo, cucumber and cream cheese, chicken and sweetcorn, two types of scones with cream and jam and slices of carrot cake, Victoria sponge and a chocolate eclair.

But before we could tuck in Defa’s lunch was on its way and it looked surprisingly appetising considering it was for animals.

It included an apple and bacon cupcake with potato frosting, pork, lamb and vegetable meatloaf, a peanut butter and banana biscuit, ice cream and a dairy-free ”puppuccino”.

You also get a free tennis ball and 10% of proceeds go to the non-profit organisation South East Dog Rescue, based in Greenhithe.

The waitress said most dogs leap at it before she has even put it down and gobble it up equally as fast.

I knew that wouldn’t be the case for my 13-year-old terrier who has slowed down in his old age and would need me to break up some of the treats into smaller bites.

However, I was proved slightly wrong as he quickly licked up the “puppuccino” and biscuit almost immediately. The rest took a little longer but by the end of the two-hour reservation had been wiped clean.

You might be thinking “he’s a dog he will eat anything”.

But in his old age, Defa has become a picky eater and won’t touch certain foods so to finish most of it was the highest compliment he could give.

Now onto the “normal” afternoon tea for humans. We first thought it might not be enough for two people but I was again proved wrong.

The sandwiches were decently filled and there was enough variety and the cakes were nice and the perfect size to finish the meal.

I loved that I had both a plain and fruit scone with my own tub of clotted cream and the pot of jar was filled to the brim so we could have as much as we liked.

Overall it is a quirky, fun afternoon out and as more places become dog-friendly, I think it only makes sense to have something on the menu specifically for them.

Out of five:

Food: The afternoon tea was filling with a lot of variety and Defa certainly seemed to like his meal ****

Drink: There is unlimited tea, coffee and water included which was regularly filled up ***

Decor: Sitting outside on the terrace surrounded by the lakes and woodlands was a lovely setting ****

Staff: Everyone was friendly and happy to help *****

Price: Per person, it costs £23 and £9.50 for a dog. I think it is what you expect to pay for an afternoon tea which is always more on the expensive side ***