I'd never heard
of the venue before, and it's quite the hidden gem – just off the A5. The tearoom
is in a pretty little courtyard, and once inside the décor is super traditional,
with the tearoom/café doubling up as a craft and handmade gift shop.
Despite the
name, ARTea Room do more than just afternoon teas, they serve breakfast, lunch,
and cakes. I don't think I've ever been somewhere that has so many varieties of
tea on offer. There must have been over 40 types of loose-leaf tea on the menu,
which could also be purchased (a definite must next time!). There was far too
much choice. I can’t remember the exact name of mine, but it was honey and almond
nougat – and so divine.
As we ordered
tea for two (and Alfie doesn't really eat sandwiches!), he ordered from the
kids’ menu. Of course, it had to be chicken nuggets and chips with a Fruit
Shoot.
But back to the
main event – the afternoon tea. We had a three-tier cake stand, complete with
sandwiches, plain and fruit scones, fresh fruit and three types of cake. I was
blown away by the amount of food on offer – especially as there were six
different fillings of sandwich! We tucked into those first and were treated to:
- Tuna mayo on brown bread
- Egg mayo & tomato on brown bread
- Ham & mustard on brown bread
- Cheese & onion chutney on white bread
- Brie & cranberry and white bread
- Ham & pickle on white bread (I think, I can't exactly remember now)
Each sandwich
was cut into four, so we had
two of each – which was essentially three whole sandwiches. My favourites were
the cheese & onion chutney and the ham & mustard. I was surprised I
managed to eat the next two tiers.
The scones were
delicious, still warm inside and not at all dry. Served with clotted cream and
strawberry jam, I actually managed to eat both before hitting a wall. Due to
the warm weather, the clotted cream was also kept in the fridge until ready for
serving, and we had to ask when we wanted it. I ploughed on though, as the
homemade cakes looked absolutely delicious. I also clocked some on the counter
as we entered. I believe the three cakes we had were:
- Carrot cake
- Chocolate cake
- Caramel cake
All were so
tasty and – dare I say it – the sponges were moist. Anything we were unable to
eat could be boxed up to take home, which was a bonus. Alfie and I enjoyed
those the next day.
We had a really
lovely window table and got a good look at some of the items on offer in the
shop. I couldn't resist buying a handmade soap (lemon and lime scented), and then
offered to buy mum one too. I also bought a greetings card – there were some
lovely designs, for all different occasions.
The service was
pretty good, despite being quite busy – other than when we couldn’t get someone’s
attention to have the clotted cream. I’d definitely return to ARTea Room.
Love, Lucy xx
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Love, Lucy xx