Showing posts with label cream tea. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cream tea. Show all posts
My Mum and I recently had an afternoon at The Ritz and it was quite possibly the coolest thing I've ever done. We'd watched quite a few of the programs on the renowned hotel and obviously knew it was going to be grand, but wow, were we surprised. I've never seen opulence like it. It truly was incredible.
Afternoon Tea At The Ritz Review
THE MENU
As part of the afternoon tea, there was a choice of 18 different teas as well as coffee available on request. I went for 'The Ritz Royal English'. As for sandwiches, here's what was on the menu when we visited; Ham with Grain Mustard Mayonaise On Brioche Bread, Cheddar Cheese with Chutney on Tomato Bread, Cucumber with Cream Cheese, Dill and Mint on Granary Bread, Breast of Chicken with Tarragon Creamed Mayonaise on Malt Bread, Scottish Smoked Salmon with Lemon Butter on Sourdough Bread and Egg Mayonaise with Chopped Shallots and Watercress on Brioche Roll. There were 3 different patisseries; a peanut-based one, a rhubarb-based one, and an orange-based one (unfortunately I can't remember their names). We had one of each sandwich each, one of each patisserie each, and two scones each. We were also offered a slice of the lemon and earl grey loaf cake once we'd finished our afternoon tea too.
THE DECOR
Just wow. The decor at The Ritz is incredible. I'm not sure I even need to write any of this, you can see it all from the photos. It's absolutely stunning and truly luxurious. Everywhere you turn is a stunning piece of furniture, artwork, or an ornate mirror. Even the bathrooms are gorgeous, not that I'd expect anything less.
THE FOOD
I'll be honest I wasn't sure how much a Ritz afternoon tea could vary from any other afternoon tea but oh my... I was very wrong. I've never tasted food like it. All of the sandwiches were light and full of flavour without being too overpowering. The scones were light and fluffy and the patisseries were out of this world. The peanut one actually ended up being our favourite, surprisingly. A special shoutout to the lemon and earl grey cake too. I wish I could have enjoyed it to its full potential but after devouring over half of our afternoon tea I was pretty full. All of the food was truly delicious and besides the salmon sandwiches, we polished off the lot.
EVERYTHING ELSE
The Afternoon Tea at The Ritz certainly isn't a cheap experience (£62 per adult) and there is a service charge on top too. But, the food was incredible, the decor is out of this world and the staff were all very helpful and attentive. It was a fantastic afternoon and I'd highly recommend it to anyone. There was also a harpist playing the entire time we were enjoying our afternoon tea - you don't get that just anywhere, do you?!
In case it wasn't already obvious enough, we had the best afternoon at The Ritz and would go back in a heartbeat. The Afternoon Tea is currently being held in The Ritz Club and we're very keen to go back once it's being held in The Palm Court again.
My Mum and I recently had an afternoon at The Ritz and it was quite possibly the coolest thing I've ever done. We'd watched quite a few of the programs on the renowned hotel and obviously knew it was going to be grand, but wow, were we surprised. I've never seen opulence like it. It truly was incredible.
Afternoon Tea At The Ritz Review
THE MENU
As part of the afternoon tea, there was a choice of 18 different teas as well as coffee available on request. I went for 'The Ritz Royal English'. As for sandwiches, here's what was on the menu when we visited; Ham with Grain Mustard Mayonaise On Brioche Bread, Cheddar Cheese with Chutney on Tomato Bread, Cucumber with Cream Cheese, Dill and Mint on Granary Bread, Breast of Chicken with Tarragon Creamed Mayonaise on Malt Bread, Scottish Smoked Salmon with Lemon Butter on Sourdough Bread and Egg Mayonaise with Chopped Shallots and Watercress on Brioche Roll. There were 3 different patisseries; a peanut-based one, a rhubarb-based one, and an orange-based one (unfortunately I can't remember their names). We had one of each sandwich each, one of each patisserie each, and two scones each. We were also offered a slice of the lemon and earl grey loaf cake once we'd finished our afternoon tea too.
THE DECOR
Just wow. The decor at The Ritz is incredible. I'm not sure I even need to write any of this, you can see it all from the photos. It's absolutely stunning and truly luxurious. Everywhere you turn is a stunning piece of furniture, artwork, or an ornate mirror. Even the bathrooms are gorgeous, not that I'd expect anything less.
THE FOOD
I'll be honest I wasn't sure how much a Ritz afternoon tea could vary from any other afternoon tea but oh my... I was very wrong. I've never tasted food like it. All of the sandwiches were light and full of flavour without being too overpowering. The scones were light and fluffy and the patisseries were out of this world. The peanut one actually ended up being our favourite, surprisingly. A special shoutout to the lemon and earl grey cake too. I wish I could have enjoyed it to its full potential but after devouring over half of our afternoon tea I was pretty full. All of the food was truly delicious and besides the salmon sandwiches, we polished off the lot.
EVERYTHING ELSE
The Afternoon Tea at The Ritz certainly isn't a cheap experience (£62 per adult) and there is a service charge on top too. But, the food was incredible, the decor is out of this world and the staff were all very helpful and attentive. It was a fantastic afternoon and I'd highly recommend it to anyone. There was also a harpist playing the entire time we were enjoying our afternoon tea - you don't get that just anywhere, do you?!
In case it wasn't already obvious enough, we had the best afternoon at The Ritz and would go back in a heartbeat. The Afternoon Tea is currently being held in The Ritz Club and we're very keen to go back once it's being held in The Palm Court again.
Oooh look, the self-titled cream tea connoisseur is back in the game. In case you're new here, lemme recap… I love a cream tea. I find myself having a cream tea fairly often, and over time have really learnt how to separate a good one from a naff one... So, I thought I'd pull all of this knowledge and experience together, and create a blog series looking for the best cream tea on the south coast. I've already written reviews of lots of other tearooms which you can see here, but on with today's... Aunt Fanny's, Farm Shop and Café, Wimborne.
There's a very rustic, warming feel about the place and I loved all the bits and pieces that were scattered around the place. Oh, and if that wasn't enough, there's also a farm shop selling all sorts of fresh, local produce. Hellooooo, yummy food.
Aunt Fanny's Cafe, Wimborne
Taste
Okay, so we need to talk about this scone. Wow. It's hard to explain but the actual flavour of the scone was almost caramelly? It came out warm, and the texture was divine. Can you tell I was a huuuge fan? The jam it was served with was definitely a homemade one, and if I had to guess the flavour I'd say it was plum - but don't quote me on that.
Clotted Cream Quantity
The cream to jam ratio wasn't quite perfect in my eyes... I'm very much a more cream than jam sort of person, and there was definitely more jam than cream. That being said, I did manage to get a good thin layer of cream for both halves, so it wasn't the end of the world!
Price
So, a scone with jam and cream, and a cup of tea wasn't on the menu, so I can't tell you the official price, boo, bad blogger. But, we had a cream tea, a coffee and a slice of chocolate for £11ish... So, it's definitely not badly priced at all... I'd imagine about £6?Aesthetic
So, Aunt Fanny's Café Wimborne is set in a renovated stables amongst their farm, and it's full of so many quirky, interesting décor pieces. According to their website, 'Nes has been upcycling furniture and reclaiming and reusing woods and textiles creating a truly unique and quirly setting which is homely and welcoming' - and I agree that that they've done just that!There's a very rustic, warming feel about the place and I loved all the bits and pieces that were scattered around the place. Oh, and if that wasn't enough, there's also a farm shop selling all sorts of fresh, local produce. Hellooooo, yummy food.
Location
Being set on a farm, it's a little off the beaten track, but was the perfect stop for us after we took Murphy on a walk the other day. If you're planning on visiting anywhere Wimborne sort of way, I'd highly recommend popping into Aunt Fanny's in Wimborne - you really won't be disappointed! Oh, and dogs are more than welcome, wahey!
Where would you like me to visit next?
Aunt Fanny's, Wimborne - Review
16.10.19 • Bournemouth, cream tea, finding the best cream tea on the south coast, food, lifestyle, Wimborne
Oooh look, the self-titled cream tea connoisseur is back in the game. In case you're new here, lemme recap… I love a cream tea. I find myself having a cream tea fairly often, and over time have really learnt how to separate a good one from a naff one... So, I thought I'd pull all of this knowledge and experience together, and create a blog series looking for the best cream tea on the south coast. I've already written reviews of lots of other tearooms which you can see here, but on with today's... Aunt Fanny's, Farm Shop and Café, Wimborne.
There's a very rustic, warming feel about the place and I loved all the bits and pieces that were scattered around the place. Oh, and if that wasn't enough, there's also a farm shop selling all sorts of fresh, local produce. Hellooooo, yummy food.
Aunt Fanny's Cafe, Wimborne
Taste
Okay, so we need to talk about this scone. Wow. It's hard to explain but the actual flavour of the scone was almost caramelly? It came out warm, and the texture was divine. Can you tell I was a huuuge fan? The jam it was served with was definitely a homemade one, and if I had to guess the flavour I'd say it was plum - but don't quote me on that.
Clotted Cream Quantity
The cream to jam ratio wasn't quite perfect in my eyes... I'm very much a more cream than jam sort of person, and there was definitely more jam than cream. That being said, I did manage to get a good thin layer of cream for both halves, so it wasn't the end of the world!
Price
So, a scone with jam and cream, and a cup of tea wasn't on the menu, so I can't tell you the official price, boo, bad blogger. But, we had a cream tea, a coffee and a slice of chocolate for £11ish... So, it's definitely not badly priced at all... I'd imagine about £6?Aesthetic
So, Aunt Fanny's Café Wimborne is set in a renovated stables amongst their farm, and it's full of so many quirky, interesting décor pieces. According to their website, 'Nes has been upcycling furniture and reclaiming and reusing woods and textiles creating a truly unique and quirly setting which is homely and welcoming' - and I agree that that they've done just that!There's a very rustic, warming feel about the place and I loved all the bits and pieces that were scattered around the place. Oh, and if that wasn't enough, there's also a farm shop selling all sorts of fresh, local produce. Hellooooo, yummy food.
Location
Being set on a farm, it's a little off the beaten track, but was the perfect stop for us after we took Murphy on a walk the other day. If you're planning on visiting anywhere Wimborne sort of way, I'd highly recommend popping into Aunt Fanny's in Wimborne - you really won't be disappointed! Oh, and dogs are more than welcome, wahey!
Where would you like me to visit next?
You know the drill by now, I go for a cream tea, then I come back here and let you know exactly what I thought of it, reviewing it in terms of five different criteria. If you haven't read any of these posts before you can click here and go back and read them from the start, but if you have, let's just get started...
The Greenwood Tree Cafe, Lyndhurst
Taste
The two scones (yep, two!), came out warm and were huge in size. I had the fruit scones, as always, and they were really nice. Of all of the scones in this series, these weren't my favourite, they were a little dry. That being said, the taste was good.
Clotted Cream Quantity
For two huge scones, I definitely don't think there was enough scone for a good scone to jam to cream ratio... I mean, maybe I'm just a bit of a clotted cream fiend but I defo could have done with a bit more!
Price
For the two scones, the jam, the cream and a pot of tea, The Greenwood Tree Cafe in Lyndhurst charges £6.25, which, I don't think is too bad at alllll!
Aesthetic
Now, I wouldn't say this was the most 'Instagrammable' cafe, but I loved all of the little details. There was bunting in the window and lots of little pot plants scattered around.
Location
Being in Lyndhurst, this cafe really is in a good spot. We had a little wander around before heading in for our cream tea, and on a nice sunny afternoon, is there a better way to spend a few hours? Maybe I'm biased, but I really like the New Forest, and being a two minute walk from Bolton's Bench (a classic New Forest spot) it really is in a good location.
Where should I visit next?
The Greenwood Tree Cafe, Lyndhurst - Review
7.7.19 • cream tea, finding the best cream tea on the south coast, food, new forest
You know the drill by now, I go for a cream tea, then I come back here and let you know exactly what I thought of it, reviewing it in terms of five different criteria. If you haven't read any of these posts before you can click here and go back and read them from the start, but if you have, let's just get started...
The Greenwood Tree Cafe, Lyndhurst
Taste
The two scones (yep, two!), came out warm and were huge in size. I had the fruit scones, as always, and they were really nice. Of all of the scones in this series, these weren't my favourite, they were a little dry. That being said, the taste was good.
Clotted Cream Quantity
For two huge scones, I definitely don't think there was enough scone for a good scone to jam to cream ratio... I mean, maybe I'm just a bit of a clotted cream fiend but I defo could have done with a bit more!
Price
For the two scones, the jam, the cream and a pot of tea, The Greenwood Tree Cafe in Lyndhurst charges £6.25, which, I don't think is too bad at alllll!
Aesthetic
Now, I wouldn't say this was the most 'Instagrammable' cafe, but I loved all of the little details. There was bunting in the window and lots of little pot plants scattered around.
Location
Being in Lyndhurst, this cafe really is in a good spot. We had a little wander around before heading in for our cream tea, and on a nice sunny afternoon, is there a better way to spend a few hours? Maybe I'm biased, but I really like the New Forest, and being a two minute walk from Bolton's Bench (a classic New Forest spot) it really is in a good location.
Where should I visit next?
I'm still very proud that I came up with this series - is there anything more on-brand for me?? Other than maybe a roast dinner version... Now, that, could be an idea! Anyway, in our hungover state from the weekend, Toria and I headed to yet another tearoom for a cream tea and we were not disappointed. We had quite a hefty scroll of Google and eventually found Evelyn's Tea House in Southampton.
In case you're new to this series, I'll just give you a quick rundown. Essentially, I am on a mission to find the best cream tea on the south coast. I've had a fair few scones in my lifetime - which you can see from this series alone - and so I like to consider myself a bit of a connoisseur by this point. I've come up with five judging criteria (that I think are very important) and am using them all to rate each tearoom I visit. Each cream tea then gets a post of its own - just like this one, meaning that if you're ever down here in the south, you can choose the best place to go for any scone cravings.
The staff at Evelyn's Tea House in Southampton were all really friendly and so helpful. Our server explained how Evelyn's is a family run business with as many things as possible being home-made on site. They also stock over 100 different loose leaf teas, complete with their own menu, but I am embarrassed to say that I did just go for a breakfast tea... Oops. I also opted for a slice of lemon and blueberry cake, as well as my cream tea, and that was delicious!
Evelyn's Tea House, Southampton
Taste
Another tearoom with a good scone... It came out warm and dusted with icing sugar - it's the little things, huh? As like any good scone, it was crispy on the outside but really soft on the inside. Also, it was huuuuge, so that's a big thumbs up from me.
Clotted Cream Quantity
Now, for such a big scone. it's fair to say that neither Toria or I thought there was nearly enough clotted cream! So much so, that we actually ended up ordering more, boooo. We hate a stingy cream portion!
Price
Of all of the cream teas in this series, this one is on the slightly dearer end of the spectrum at £6.50 (which, I know isn't a lot, but it's all relative!) With the cream tea, you can, however, have a whole variety of different drinks. Not only one of the 100 different teas, but also a few different coffees as well as milkshakes.
Aesthetic
All of the food is served on pretty, floral vintage china which I think is a bit of a necessity for a cream tea! I loved all of the jars of teas on the wall and the flower garlands draped around the room.
Location
Whilst this tea room is in Southampton, it's not in the city centre, so not somewhere you could walk over to after spending a small fortune in West Quay! In case you were wondering, it's a 12-minute drive from West Quay (my point of reference for anything in Southampton) but there isn't an awful lot to do in the immediate local area. But, if you're Southampton based like I am, it's very convenient to get to of an afternoon!
Where should I visit next?
Evelyn's Tea House, Southampton - Review
31.5.19 • cream tea, finding the best cream tea on the south coast, food, lifestyle, southampton
I'm still very proud that I came up with this series - is there anything more on-brand for me?? Other than maybe a roast dinner version... Now, that, could be an idea! Anyway, in our hungover state from the weekend, Toria and I headed to yet another tearoom for a cream tea and we were not disappointed. We had quite a hefty scroll of Google and eventually found Evelyn's Tea House in Southampton.
In case you're new to this series, I'll just give you a quick rundown. Essentially, I am on a mission to find the best cream tea on the south coast. I've had a fair few scones in my lifetime - which you can see from this series alone - and so I like to consider myself a bit of a connoisseur by this point. I've come up with five judging criteria (that I think are very important) and am using them all to rate each tearoom I visit. Each cream tea then gets a post of its own - just like this one, meaning that if you're ever down here in the south, you can choose the best place to go for any scone cravings.
The staff at Evelyn's Tea House in Southampton were all really friendly and so helpful. Our server explained how Evelyn's is a family run business with as many things as possible being home-made on site. They also stock over 100 different loose leaf teas, complete with their own menu, but I am embarrassed to say that I did just go for a breakfast tea... Oops. I also opted for a slice of lemon and blueberry cake, as well as my cream tea, and that was delicious!
Evelyn's Tea House, Southampton
Taste
Another tearoom with a good scone... It came out warm and dusted with icing sugar - it's the little things, huh? As like any good scone, it was crispy on the outside but really soft on the inside. Also, it was huuuuge, so that's a big thumbs up from me.
Clotted Cream Quantity
Now, for such a big scone. it's fair to say that neither Toria or I thought there was nearly enough clotted cream! So much so, that we actually ended up ordering more, boooo. We hate a stingy cream portion!
Price
Of all of the cream teas in this series, this one is on the slightly dearer end of the spectrum at £6.50 (which, I know isn't a lot, but it's all relative!) With the cream tea, you can, however, have a whole variety of different drinks. Not only one of the 100 different teas, but also a few different coffees as well as milkshakes.
Aesthetic
All of the food is served on pretty, floral vintage china which I think is a bit of a necessity for a cream tea! I loved all of the jars of teas on the wall and the flower garlands draped around the room.
Location
Whilst this tea room is in Southampton, it's not in the city centre, so not somewhere you could walk over to after spending a small fortune in West Quay! In case you were wondering, it's a 12-minute drive from West Quay (my point of reference for anything in Southampton) but there isn't an awful lot to do in the immediate local area. But, if you're Southampton based like I am, it's very convenient to get to of an afternoon!
Where should I visit next?
Hellooooo, long time no chat. As I'm sure most of you are aware, I'm currently in my last few weeks of university and it's fair to say things are just a little bit busy. Of late, pretty much all of my days have been spent diss writing and preparing for exams, fun fun fun. But anyway, I'm alive and well, I just don't have too much time to be creating content over here on my blog. I have, however, been posting daily on Instagram, so if you don't follow me over there - that's where you're most likely to hear about what I'm up to!
Yesterday I headed down to So:Cake in Southampton, which recently opened in town, to try one of their cream teas in exchange for one of these posts. Whilst I was gifted the experience, my thoughts very much are my own - this gal knows a good scone from a bad one.
So, a little about So:Cake. It recently opened in Southampton city center, and, by recent, I mean a few weeks kind of recent. The decor is all really colourful and bright, with pink walls galore - perfect for that Instagram aesthetic.
As some of you might already know, I'm currently trying to cut out dairy (clotted cream is one of the things I'm giving a free pass, FYI) but I was very pleased to spot that So:Cake in Southampton had Oatly Barista on offer - my current milk substitute of choice, so that's a big thumbs up from me. Anyway, enough rambling... What did I think of the cream tea?
So:Cake, Southampton
Taste
The scone was lovely - it was warm when it came out, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Now, not to steal the scone's thunder but the raspberry jam that came with it was amazing - we all commented on just how good it was!
Clotted Cream Quantity
As always, this is the most important criteria for me and I wasn't disappointed. There was more than enough cream for the two halves of the scone so there are absolutely no complaints here.
Price
At £4.95, for a scone, a pot of tea, cream and jam - I think the price is very reasonable. So:Cake also offer an Afternoon Tea option which is £12.95 and includes the above as well as sandwiches and a slice of cake... Toria had one of these and it looked amazing, if only I liked sandwiches, huh?
Aesthetic
So, aesthetic is definitely something that has been properly considered in this tea room. All of the scones come out on cute cake stands, the teacups are all floral bone china numbers, there's a pink and white stripey wall, a huge painting of Mary Berry and lots of other quirky details... Perfect for the gram, hey?
Location
Now, in a lot of these previous posts I have been harping on about how Southampton needs a nice tearoom in the middle of the city... Well, here we are. Located just a bit further on from ASDA this really is a convenient place to get to. Hooray for delish cream teas within walking distance of West Quay!
So, overall, I'm very impressed by So:Cake in Southampton... I love the aesthetic, the food all looks amazing and the scones were fab. Oh, and the staff were really friendly, too! It's fair to say this place gets a big thumbs up from me!
So:Cake, Southampton - Review
1.5.19 • cream tea, finding the best cream tea on the south coast, food, lifestyle, southampton
Hellooooo, long time no chat. As I'm sure most of you are aware, I'm currently in my last few weeks of university and it's fair to say things are just a little bit busy. Of late, pretty much all of my days have been spent diss writing and preparing for exams, fun fun fun. But anyway, I'm alive and well, I just don't have too much time to be creating content over here on my blog. I have, however, been posting daily on Instagram, so if you don't follow me over there - that's where you're most likely to hear about what I'm up to!
Yesterday I headed down to So:Cake in Southampton, which recently opened in town, to try one of their cream teas in exchange for one of these posts. Whilst I was gifted the experience, my thoughts very much are my own - this gal knows a good scone from a bad one.
So, a little about So:Cake. It recently opened in Southampton city center, and, by recent, I mean a few weeks kind of recent. The decor is all really colourful and bright, with pink walls galore - perfect for that Instagram aesthetic.
As some of you might already know, I'm currently trying to cut out dairy (clotted cream is one of the things I'm giving a free pass, FYI) but I was very pleased to spot that So:Cake in Southampton had Oatly Barista on offer - my current milk substitute of choice, so that's a big thumbs up from me. Anyway, enough rambling... What did I think of the cream tea?
So:Cake, Southampton
Taste
The scone was lovely - it was warm when it came out, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Now, not to steal the scone's thunder but the raspberry jam that came with it was amazing - we all commented on just how good it was!
Clotted Cream Quantity
As always, this is the most important criteria for me and I wasn't disappointed. There was more than enough cream for the two halves of the scone so there are absolutely no complaints here.
Price
At £4.95, for a scone, a pot of tea, cream and jam - I think the price is very reasonable. So:Cake also offer an Afternoon Tea option which is £12.95 and includes the above as well as sandwiches and a slice of cake... Toria had one of these and it looked amazing, if only I liked sandwiches, huh?
Aesthetic
So, aesthetic is definitely something that has been properly considered in this tea room. All of the scones come out on cute cake stands, the teacups are all floral bone china numbers, there's a pink and white stripey wall, a huge painting of Mary Berry and lots of other quirky details... Perfect for the gram, hey?
Location
Now, in a lot of these previous posts I have been harping on about how Southampton needs a nice tearoom in the middle of the city... Well, here we are. Located just a bit further on from ASDA this really is a convenient place to get to. Hooray for delish cream teas within walking distance of West Quay!
So, overall, I'm very impressed by So:Cake in Southampton... I love the aesthetic, the food all looks amazing and the scones were fab. Oh, and the staff were really friendly, too! It's fair to say this place gets a big thumbs up from me!
Hello and welcome back to my favourite blog series EVER. In case you're new here, my name is Becca and I'm a bit of a cream tea fiend. So, I'm currently on a mission to find the best cream tea on the south coast. You can read my previous posts in this series here, and let me tell you, there have been some goodens.
Today's location is the Old Mill Tearooms in Christchurch - located right by the Quay. Of all the places I've visited as part of the series this is definitely the most basic one yet. I'm going to be honest, it's a very no-frills tea room with a bit of a supermarket cafe kinda feel to it!
Old Mill Tearooms, Christchurch
Taste
I had a plain and a fruit scone, and let me tell you, they were MASSIVE. I'm talking so big I couldn't actually finish them kinda massive. They weren't the tastiest scones I've ever had and got a bit gritty towards the end... They certainly weren't horrible, but they weren't amazing, yanno?
Clotted Cream Quantity
Now, for what is essentially 4 scones, there definitely wasn't enough cream for all four (in my opinion) as you can tell from the picture! The cream did, however, come in a little china pot - much better than the paper cups provided in other places!
Price
For two massive scones, the jam, cream and a pot of tea, £6.25 isn't too bad of a price, no? The lady serving us also said that we could go up and ask for more tea if we wanted - so the price is very reasonable in my opinion.
Aesthetic
Now, this tea room doesn't score any points on aesthetics. It's very basic indeed and there certainly aren't any instagrammable flourishes - there are no cake stands nor fresh flowers to be seen.
Location
The location is by far the selling point of this tea room! It's right on the quay, overlooking the water. It's in a really good spot if you've spent the afternoon going for a wander and fancy some light refreshment! There are also tables outside, so, on a summer's day, I can see this being a very popular place indeed.
Where shall I visit next?
Old Mill Tearooms, Christchurch - Review
5.4.19 • Bournemouth, christchurch, cream tea, finding the best cream tea on the south coast, food
Hello and welcome back to my favourite blog series EVER. In case you're new here, my name is Becca and I'm a bit of a cream tea fiend. So, I'm currently on a mission to find the best cream tea on the south coast. You can read my previous posts in this series here, and let me tell you, there have been some goodens.
Today's location is the Old Mill Tearooms in Christchurch - located right by the Quay. Of all the places I've visited as part of the series this is definitely the most basic one yet. I'm going to be honest, it's a very no-frills tea room with a bit of a supermarket cafe kinda feel to it!
Old Mill Tearooms, Christchurch
Taste
I had a plain and a fruit scone, and let me tell you, they were MASSIVE. I'm talking so big I couldn't actually finish them kinda massive. They weren't the tastiest scones I've ever had and got a bit gritty towards the end... They certainly weren't horrible, but they weren't amazing, yanno?
Clotted Cream Quantity
Now, for what is essentially 4 scones, there definitely wasn't enough cream for all four (in my opinion) as you can tell from the picture! The cream did, however, come in a little china pot - much better than the paper cups provided in other places!
Price
For two massive scones, the jam, cream and a pot of tea, £6.25 isn't too bad of a price, no? The lady serving us also said that we could go up and ask for more tea if we wanted - so the price is very reasonable in my opinion.
Aesthetic
Now, this tea room doesn't score any points on aesthetics. It's very basic indeed and there certainly aren't any instagrammable flourishes - there are no cake stands nor fresh flowers to be seen.
Location
The location is by far the selling point of this tea room! It's right on the quay, overlooking the water. It's in a really good spot if you've spent the afternoon going for a wander and fancy some light refreshment! There are also tables outside, so, on a summer's day, I can see this being a very popular place indeed.
Where shall I visit next?
I feel like the next installment of this cream tea series is a little overdue, sorry! I genuinely haven't had time to go for a cream tea recently, but, rest assured, after this post there's another on its way in the next few weeks too. I've received lots of suggestions of places to visit, and I can't wait to get to them all, but if you have any more then do send them my way. There's no such thing as too much research, right?
Today's location is Indulge Yourself in Christchurch. Now, I'm going to be honest, it really does look a little naff on the outside. The name isn't anywhere on the sign and the colours of the branding really aren't that inviting, in my opinion. Nonetheless, we wandered in and the inside was so much nicer than its exterior! A bit of a hidden gem one might say. It's cash only but there are cashpoints on the opposite side of the road, so it's not too much of an issue!
Indulge Yourself, Christchurch
Taste
The scone (yep, this cream tea only comes with one and is the first in this series to offer such) was pretty tasty! It definitely wasn't the best one I've ever had but it was good!
Clotted Cream Quantity
A good size portion was provided, 10/10. It did come in this little paper cup, however, which was a bit of a pain as it sort of disintegrated as time went on and made it hard to get the cream out of it. Let's not talk about the rubbish, lol.
Price
The standard cream tea - a scone, jam, clotted cream and a pot of tea - is £4.95 which is very reasonable indeed.
Aesthetic
The interior was all white, with wooden tables and white chairs. There were lots of handmade cards for sale as well as other cutesy homeware bits too. It's definitely not the prettiest of places I've been to but it was still really nice!
Location
Indulge Yourself is right in the middle of the high street in Christchurch, so very handy if you're having a wander of the town!
Indulge Yourself, Christchurch - Review
29.3.19 • Bournemouth, christchurch, cream tea, finding the best cream tea on the south coast, food
I feel like the next installment of this cream tea series is a little overdue, sorry! I genuinely haven't had time to go for a cream tea recently, but, rest assured, after this post there's another on its way in the next few weeks too. I've received lots of suggestions of places to visit, and I can't wait to get to them all, but if you have any more then do send them my way. There's no such thing as too much research, right?
Today's location is Indulge Yourself in Christchurch. Now, I'm going to be honest, it really does look a little naff on the outside. The name isn't anywhere on the sign and the colours of the branding really aren't that inviting, in my opinion. Nonetheless, we wandered in and the inside was so much nicer than its exterior! A bit of a hidden gem one might say. It's cash only but there are cashpoints on the opposite side of the road, so it's not too much of an issue!
Indulge Yourself, Christchurch
Taste
The scone (yep, this cream tea only comes with one and is the first in this series to offer such) was pretty tasty! It definitely wasn't the best one I've ever had but it was good!
Clotted Cream Quantity
A good size portion was provided, 10/10. It did come in this little paper cup, however, which was a bit of a pain as it sort of disintegrated as time went on and made it hard to get the cream out of it. Let's not talk about the rubbish, lol.
Price
The standard cream tea - a scone, jam, clotted cream and a pot of tea - is £4.95 which is very reasonable indeed.
Aesthetic
The interior was all white, with wooden tables and white chairs. There were lots of handmade cards for sale as well as other cutesy homeware bits too. It's definitely not the prettiest of places I've been to but it was still really nice!
Location
Indulge Yourself is right in the middle of the high street in Christchurch, so very handy if you're having a wander of the town!
Aaaah, today's cream tea post is a bit of a special one because Kettle & Cake is where I spent the afternoon of my 21st birthday. After a hefty scroll of google I came across Kettle and Cake and as soon as I saw the photos of the cakes I knew I had to visit.
Kettle & Cake, Southampton
Taste
The scone (yep, there was one) was delicious. It was really crispy on the outside but really soft on the inside. I opted for the fruited scone, as always, and it really didn't disappoint. I also had a slice of the rhubarb crumble cake and, oh my, it was INCREDIBLE. Potentially even better than the scone which really is saying something.Clotted Cream Quantity
Plenty of cream for the scone, no qualms here! Yessssss, Kettle & Cake.Price
The cream tea at Kettle & Cake in Southampton is £4.99, and, unsurprisingly, came with a pot of tea, a scone, jam and cream. The afternoon tea (which the girls had) comes with sandwiches, a slice of cake as well as all the usual cream tea components and is £12.50. I personally cannot stand sandwiches but apparently, they were delicious.Aesthetic
The decor was really really nice at this tearoom! It was fairly simple but had so many lovely touches. Each table had a vase with a few fresh flower stems and all of the food came out on pretty floral china.Location
This tearoom is located in Hedge End, in Southampton, which, is about a 20/25 minute drive from West Quay, so is not quite in the usual tourist part of the city. Of all of my criteria, location is the only one that lets this tearoom down - location aside, it's scoring very high marks indeed.
Where should I visit next?
Have you been to Kettle & Cake in Southampton?
Kettle & Cake, Southampton - Review
22.3.19 • cream tea, finding the best cream tea on the south coast, food, lifestyle, southampton
Aaaah, today's cream tea post is a bit of a special one because Kettle & Cake is where I spent the afternoon of my 21st birthday. After a hefty scroll of google I came across Kettle and Cake and as soon as I saw the photos of the cakes I knew I had to visit.
Kettle & Cake, Southampton
Taste
The scone (yep, there was one) was delicious. It was really crispy on the outside but really soft on the inside. I opted for the fruited scone, as always, and it really didn't disappoint. I also had a slice of the rhubarb crumble cake and, oh my, it was INCREDIBLE. Potentially even better than the scone which really is saying something.Clotted Cream Quantity
Plenty of cream for the scone, no qualms here! Yessssss, Kettle & Cake.Price
The cream tea at Kettle & Cake in Southampton is £4.99, and, unsurprisingly, came with a pot of tea, a scone, jam and cream. The afternoon tea (which the girls had) comes with sandwiches, a slice of cake as well as all the usual cream tea components and is £12.50. I personally cannot stand sandwiches but apparently, they were delicious.Aesthetic
The decor was really really nice at this tearoom! It was fairly simple but had so many lovely touches. Each table had a vase with a few fresh flower stems and all of the food came out on pretty floral china.Location
This tearoom is located in Hedge End, in Southampton, which, is about a 20/25 minute drive from West Quay, so is not quite in the usual tourist part of the city. Of all of my criteria, location is the only one that lets this tearoom down - location aside, it's scoring very high marks indeed.
Where should I visit next?
Have you been to Kettle & Cake in Southampton?
Hello, and welcome back to the best blog series I've ever written. In case you missed the last one installment on Halladay's I'll give you a quick recap now... Becca is a girl that loves a cream tea so Becca is going on a mission to find the best cream tea on the south coast. A pretty neat concept, huh? I've compiled a few judging criteria and will be writing a whole blog post on each place I visit. I'm not sure how many I intend on reviewing, but the more the merrier, right? I'm doing this all in the name of both scientific research and a public service. (It's not just that I love scones, definitely not.)
This installment's location is Peggy May's Cafe, situated on the high street of a pretty New Forest Village: Lyndhurst. My gals and I went for a wander in the New Forest, and so a cream tea afterwards was an absolute necessity. After wandering up and down the street, peeking in at the various cafes we settled on this one as it looked really cute, and we were not let down.
Peggy May's Cafe, Lyndhurst
Taste
The scones (one plain and one fruit) came out warm and oh my they were lovely. They were really soft and generally just delicious. With the scones came a pot of strawberry jam and a pot of blackcurrant jam and I actually think I preferred the latter... Who'd have thought it, hey?Clotted Cream Quantity
Potentially the most important criteria for me. Nobody likes to be stingy with the clotted cream and I can confirm that 2 pots were provided per cream tea. What a score.Price
I opted for The Forest Cream Tea which includes 2 scones, 2 pots of jam, 2 pots of cream and a teapot of tea. At £6.45 for a cream tea in the New Forest, it's very fairly priced! They also offer High Tea which includes all of the above as well as sandwiches! (I really don't like sandwiches but even I thought they looked really good.)Aesthetic
The aesthetics are what drew us into this cafe rather than others and I'm sure you can see why. All of the tables and chairs were in varying pastel shades and there were lots of decorative bits and pieces scattered around.Location
Located about 5 minutes from the free Bolton's Bench New Forest car park it couldn't be in a better location for a cosy Sunday expedition. There are lots of pretty little knick knacky shops on the same street so it really is a good place to for for a wander of an afternoon...
After reading all of that I'm sure you won't be surprised to hear that overall I rate Peggy May's pretty highly! The food was delicious, Lyndhurst is a lovely place to visit and so, for that reason, this cafe will definitely rank pretty well compared to the others.
Where shall I visit next?
Peggy May's Cafe, Lyndhurst - Review
1.3.19 • cream tea, finding the best cream tea on the south coast, food, lifestyle, lyndhurst, new forest
Hello, and welcome back to the best blog series I've ever written. In case you missed the last one installment on Halladay's I'll give you a quick recap now... Becca is a girl that loves a cream tea so Becca is going on a mission to find the best cream tea on the south coast. A pretty neat concept, huh? I've compiled a few judging criteria and will be writing a whole blog post on each place I visit. I'm not sure how many I intend on reviewing, but the more the merrier, right? I'm doing this all in the name of both scientific research and a public service. (It's not just that I love scones, definitely not.)
This installment's location is Peggy May's Cafe, situated on the high street of a pretty New Forest Village: Lyndhurst. My gals and I went for a wander in the New Forest, and so a cream tea afterwards was an absolute necessity. After wandering up and down the street, peeking in at the various cafes we settled on this one as it looked really cute, and we were not let down.
Peggy May's Cafe, Lyndhurst
Taste
The scones (one plain and one fruit) came out warm and oh my they were lovely. They were really soft and generally just delicious. With the scones came a pot of strawberry jam and a pot of blackcurrant jam and I actually think I preferred the latter... Who'd have thought it, hey?Clotted Cream Quantity
Potentially the most important criteria for me. Nobody likes to be stingy with the clotted cream and I can confirm that 2 pots were provided per cream tea. What a score.Price
I opted for The Forest Cream Tea which includes 2 scones, 2 pots of jam, 2 pots of cream and a teapot of tea. At £6.45 for a cream tea in the New Forest, it's very fairly priced! They also offer High Tea which includes all of the above as well as sandwiches! (I really don't like sandwiches but even I thought they looked really good.)Aesthetic
The aesthetics are what drew us into this cafe rather than others and I'm sure you can see why. All of the tables and chairs were in varying pastel shades and there were lots of decorative bits and pieces scattered around.Location
Located about 5 minutes from the free Bolton's Bench New Forest car park it couldn't be in a better location for a cosy Sunday expedition. There are lots of pretty little knick knacky shops on the same street so it really is a good place to for for a wander of an afternoon...
After reading all of that I'm sure you won't be surprised to hear that overall I rate Peggy May's pretty highly! The food was delicious, Lyndhurst is a lovely place to visit and so, for that reason, this cafe will definitely rank pretty well compared to the others.
Where shall I visit next?
Oooh, what have we got here? A new blog series, huh? If you've ever read any of my Sick Tings posts you'll know that I'm very partial to a cream tea and have had a fair few in my time. I like to think that I'm quite the expert at judging what a good cream tea is and isn't so thought I'd impart this wisdom on the internet. My goal is to find the best cream tea on the south coast documenting it along the way. The current judging criteria are; taste, clotted cream quantity, price, aesthetic and location. Essentially, I'm going to try a whole load of different cream teas in the name of research and report back on each one in a blog post, giving it a full review.
So, where better to start than right here in Southampton? I'd heard a lot about Halladay's Tearooms but had never actually been myself. That all changed this week when Toria and I decided to check it out for lunch. It's located in Bedford Place, and has the prettiest decor, but more on that later. The tearoom itself is very small, it holds less than 30 people, but thankfully we arrived just as another group were leaving so didn't need to wait long for a table. I had the Halladay's cream tea and Toria opted for the breakfast - both were delicious. 
Hallday's Tearooms, Southampton
Taste
The most important feature: taste. The scones came out warm and were genuinely delicious. They were crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and had a caramel kinda flavour. They were actually incredible. They were also fairly light (aka not stodgy at all) so I'm very glad I opted for two rather than just one!Clotted Cream Quantity
A deal-breaker, no? There's nothing more disappointing than a scone with a shoddy amount of clotted cream on it, so, this criterion is certainly one of the make-or-breakers for me. I can confirm that a very generous portion was provided that was more than enough for my two scones.Price
I had the Halladay's cream tea which includes a pot of tea, two scones and costs £7.25. It also comes with lots of fresh berries and two pots of jam, so overall I would say it was a fairly good price.Aesthetic
An absolute top scorer on the aesthetic front. Everything in the tearooms is pastel coloured, the cream tea comes out on a two-tiered stand and the walls are decorated with pretty plaques. There are fresh tulips on every table and it's just a bit of an Instagrammer's dream, yanno? 10/10 for aesthetics.Location
As aforementioned, Halladay's is located in Bedford Place in Southampton and it's fair to say there isn't an awful lot to do around there, which could be a bit of an issue if there is a huge queue for tables. (They don't take bookings!) It's also about a 15 minute walk from West Quay, so not somewhere convenient to just pop into for a tea after a trip to Primark.
Overall, with all things considered, I rate the cream tea at Halladay's pretty highly. The food was delicious, the decor really pretty and it wasn't too badly priced considering!
Where shall I try next?
Have you ever been to Halladay's Tearooms in Southampton?
Halladay's Tearooms, Southampton - Review
22.2.19 • cream tea, finding the best cream tea on the south coast, food, lifestyle, southampton
Oooh, what have we got here? A new blog series, huh? If you've ever read any of my Sick Tings posts you'll know that I'm very partial to a cream tea and have had a fair few in my time. I like to think that I'm quite the expert at judging what a good cream tea is and isn't so thought I'd impart this wisdom on the internet. My goal is to find the best cream tea on the south coast documenting it along the way. The current judging criteria are; taste, clotted cream quantity, price, aesthetic and location. Essentially, I'm going to try a whole load of different cream teas in the name of research and report back on each one in a blog post, giving it a full review.
So, where better to start than right here in Southampton? I'd heard a lot about Halladay's Tearooms but had never actually been myself. That all changed this week when Toria and I decided to check it out for lunch. It's located in Bedford Place, and has the prettiest decor, but more on that later. The tearoom itself is very small, it holds less than 30 people, but thankfully we arrived just as another group were leaving so didn't need to wait long for a table. I had the Halladay's cream tea and Toria opted for the breakfast - both were delicious.
Hallday's Tearooms, Southampton
Taste
The most important feature: taste. The scones came out warm and were genuinely delicious. They were crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and had a caramel kinda flavour. They were actually incredible. They were also fairly light (aka not stodgy at all) so I'm very glad I opted for two rather than just one!Clotted Cream Quantity
A deal-breaker, no? There's nothing more disappointing than a scone with a shoddy amount of clotted cream on it, so, this criterion is certainly one of the make-or-breakers for me. I can confirm that a very generous portion was provided that was more than enough for my two scones.Price
I had the Halladay's cream tea which includes a pot of tea, two scones and costs £7.25. It also comes with lots of fresh berries and two pots of jam, so overall I would say it was a fairly good price.Aesthetic
An absolute top scorer on the aesthetic front. Everything in the tearooms is pastel coloured, the cream tea comes out on a two-tiered stand and the walls are decorated with pretty plaques. There are fresh tulips on every table and it's just a bit of an Instagrammer's dream, yanno? 10/10 for aesthetics.Location
As aforementioned, Halladay's is located in Bedford Place in Southampton and it's fair to say there isn't an awful lot to do around there, which could be a bit of an issue if there is a huge queue for tables. (They don't take bookings!) It's also about a 15 minute walk from West Quay, so not somewhere convenient to just pop into for a tea after a trip to Primark.
Overall, with all things considered, I rate the cream tea at Halladay's pretty highly. The food was delicious, the decor really pretty and it wasn't too badly priced considering!
Where shall I try next?
Have you ever been to Halladay's Tearooms in Southampton?
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