Britain's top tea rooms
Enjoying afternoon tea is becoming increasingly popular. Sophie Morris reveals five of the best tea rooms in Britain.
I’d wager that most of us drink a few cups of tea every day. But have you noticed that tea has gone a bit la-di-dah of late? You can’t get away with slurping back a mugful of builders’ unless you’re in your own kitchen. Elsewhere, tea, and its attendant cake, calls for a bit of ceremony.
Taking some time out for a proper afternoon tea is fast becoming one of the UK’s favourite pastimes. Because of the revival, there are thousands of places to take tea up and down the country, and a wealth of regional specialities to choose from.
Thanks to The Tea Guild, we have a window onto the best tearooms. Each year the guild of experts makes Awards of Excellence – 44 to date – to their favourite places.
1. Rocke Cottage Tearooms, Shropshire
2011’s Top Tea Place award went to the Rocke Cottage Tearooms. Rocke Cottage has a beautiful setting in Shropshire’s Clun Valley and is a cosy and traditional setting for afternoon tea with its exposed timbers and daintily laid tables.
The Tea Guild judges praised the variety of sandwiches, crumpets, cakes and scones on offer, as well as the range of teas, and the waiting staff’s expertise on everything available.
The menu is reasonably priced, too – a classic cream tea with two scones and a pot of tea is £5.90.
2. The Angel, Abergavenny, South Wales
If you are looking for a grander afternoon tea experience, a smart country hotel should suit. The Tea Guild gave its gong for Top City and Country Hotel 2011 to The Angel Hotel in Abergavenny, set in Monmouthshire’s stunning Black Mountains.
Afternoon tea at The Angel, from £14.80, includes scones, cakes and pastries from a local specialist baker, served on silver cake stands and bone china.
The Angel is keen to promote local food, so in addition to the bread and cakes from Abergavenny artisan baker Sally Lane, you’ll find Black Mountain smoked salmon in the sandwiches.
3. The Corn Dolly, South Molton, Devon
Another region famous for its localised take on the traditional afternoon tea is Devon and Cornwall. In fact, without clotted cream, we wouldn’t have our beloved cream teas at all.
The Corn Dolly in South Molton has received a Tea Guild Award of Excellence every year since 2006 and offers an inventive choice of treats to go with its brewed leaves and tips. The Gamekeeper’s Tea is venison, duck and pheasant pate with toast, or there’s a Queen’s Ransom of toasted crumpets with stilton.
There are sweet options too, served with generous helpings of clotted cream, and Humpty Dumpty (boiled egg and soldiers) or Tigger (beans on toast) teas for little ones.
Apparently it is the Devon-Cornwall split that explains the argument over whether it’s cream or jam onto the split scone first. In Devon it is traditional to put the cream on first, in Cornwall the opposite is true. Tastes fantastic either way!
4. Lucy’s on a Plate, Ambleside, Cumbria
Lucy’s is an Ambleside institution and was instrumental in building the area’s reputation as a foodie haven.
All of the more than 30 cakes and pastries are made on the premises and regional treats are given top billing. Try the Grasmere gingerbread or Westmorland Tea of fruitcake and cheese.
In summer, you can enjoy your tea in the walled garden with a fabulous view of the Lake District’s famous peaks.
5. The Coach House Coffee Shop, Loch Lomond, Scotland
On a trip to Loch Lomond, make time to step into The Coach House Coffee Shop, a Tea Guild member with a traditional Scottish theme – Harris tweed curtains and specially made Scottish crockery.
The Coach House Coffee Shop was given a Tea Guild Award of Excellence in 2007 and, naturally, continues its national theme through to the food – the fruitcakes are laced with whisky or baked in local ale.
This is a dog-friendly tearoom so you can stock up on sugar and caffeine after a walk.
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