Afternoon Tea News - Roald Dahl 100 Afternoon Tea

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends.

We wanted to share with you today a rather scrummy looking afternoon tea which is currently on offer at Aqua Shard.

Celebrate Roald Dahl's 100th birthday with Afternoon Tea at Aqua Shard. The official Afternoon Tea partner for Roald Dahl 100 have crafted a sumptuous menu in tribute to the author. Available Monday - Friday from 4th July until the end of September and presented in Charlie's Great Glass Elevator, the Afternoon Tea will offer a nostalgic trip through the wonderful world of Roald Dahl.......

Roald Dahl 100 Afternoon Tea - Aqua Shard (photo from website)

Devised by executive chef Dale Osborne and head chef Pip Sandrey, the creative duo have stepped into Roald Dahl's world of "pure imagination" to pay tribute to the world's number one storyteller and explore his fascination with food. 

The menu includes:

A selection of savouries

BFG breakfast sandwich

Pelly's favourite smoked salmon sandwich

Mr Twit's bird pie

Freshly baked scones

Golden raisin with home-made jam worms & Jersey clotted cream

Roald Dahl 100 Afternoon Tea - Aqua Shard (photo from website)

A selection of home-made cakes & sweet treats

Roly-Poly Bird choux bun

Notsobig Crocodile white chocolate egg

The Giant Peach meringue

The Witches chocolate mice

Grubber Sweetshop Giant Wangdoodles

Doesn't it all look and sound ama

Your choice of tea from The Wee Tea Company:

Roobois and Mint Chocolate

Rhubarb Fruit Infusion

Strawberries and Cream

Or any of their traditional teas from The Rare Tea Company

This tea-riffic afternoon tea adventute costs from £45 per person.

For more information please visit the Aqua Shard website.

If you try this afternoon tea over the next couple of months we'd love to hear what you thought of it!

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel & Lorna

Time for Tea..... The French Tarte, Surbiton

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends - we hope you're well today. 

Are you ready to drool over some cakes? A couple of weekends ago Sheree and I treated ourselves to some scones and cakes at The French Tarte in Surbiton, Surrey.

It was a busy Saturday afternoon, with lots of people enjoying an afternoon tea, but we managed to nab ourselves a table for two. We'd already eaten that day and so the full afternoon tea wasn't that appealing (and we hadn't booked) .....but we decided to share an cream tea and have a cake each (mainly because I couldn't decide whether I wanted a scone or cake!!).

Although it was after lunchtime there was still quite a selection to pick from in the glass fronted counter. I opted for a raspberry cake and Sheree went for a black forest gateux to enjoy with our scones......

Time for Tea - The French Tarte, Surbiton - Surrey

We also picked a tea each from the extensive tea menu. The tea was served first, along with the two cakes. Now, although this was an afternoon tea adventure there was no way we were eating cakes before scones....so we waited patiently and finally these were delivered to the table....

Scones and clotted cream - The French Tarte, Surbiton -Surrey

The scones were served warm with clotted cream and strawberry preserve. They were a good size and cut easily.

Sheree wasn't so keen on her black forest gateux, which if I'm honest didn't really remind me of the traditional German treat. But my cake was lovely.....

Afternoon tea cake - The French Tarte, Surbiton - Surrey

The flavours were good and I just loved how vibrant it looked on the white china.

I'd definitely go back to The French Tarte to sample their full afternoon tea menu. The savouries that we saw on another afternoon tea stand looked amazing!

For more information about The French Tarte please visit their website.

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel

The Friday Review - Lemon & Orange Black Tea from Taylors of Harrogate

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends - it's Friday....so it's time to share another cup of tea with you!

I travel with work quite a bit, staying overnight in various hotels. This has both its positives and negatives....one of the ups is that I get to try quite a few different teas on my travels! One of the first things I usually look for when I check into a new hotel is the tea tray (sad I know!), to see what delights there might be. Often it's a standard branded tea, nothing too exciting, but sometimes I discover something a little bit different. This was the case when I checked into my hotel in Darlington this week....the tea tray initially looked quite bog standard....

Bog standard tea tray hiding something rather lovely....

All the usual suspects were huddle together at the front....but tucked away near the back was something a bit more interesting....

Lemon and orange tea - Taylors of Harrogate

Yes, this is a lemon and orange tea....but its not a fruity tea...nope its a black tea. I was intrigued to try this one out. I was also impressed by the size of the mug -no tiny teacups at this hotel!

Taylors have combined black tea with the sweet, tangy flavour of citrus fruits for a tea that they say you can enjoy at any time of the day.

For the perfect cup they recommend that you use one tea bag. Add freshly boiled water and infuse for 3-5 minutes. The fruity flavour is best appreciated on its own, or can be sweetened with sugar or honey.

Lemon and Orange tea - Taylors of Harrogate

The flavour of the tea was lovely - zesty and refreshing. Not at all artificial or overpowering - you could taste that it was a black tea rather than a herbal infusion. 

If you fancy trying this tea for yourself you can buy it online from Betty's - take a peek here.

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel

Time for.....some baking with jam!

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends!

Recently I went to the Hampton Court Flower with my mum, to swoon over the beautiful flowers. As well as the wonderful plants on display and on sale there is always a great selection of food sellers at the show. And this time I had the pleasure of meeting Louise and John from Louise's Larder and discovering their fabulous range of artisan jams, chutneys and cordials all homemade in Devon.

Lot's of jams and chutneys!

The range is all cooked in their cottage kitchen in Devon, where Louise uses traditional methods but with a fantastic blend of flavours. Her Rhubarb, Rose & Cardamom Jam and Gingered Fig & Rhubarb Chutney have both scooped top awards from food industry judges.

Louise and John from Louise's Larder

The jams include Apricot & Lavender, Plum, Orange & Star Anise, Raspberry & Violet and Rhubarb Rose & Cardamom. And the chutneys include Gingered Fig & Rhubarb, Pear & Plum  ad Spiced Tomato.

I tried the Raspberry and violet jam and loved it - the violet is subtle, but adds a wonderful flavour to the jam. As I talked to John we discussed how I could use the jam at home....the obvious thing being spread generously on toast....which I can confirm made a scrummy breakfast.....

Raspberry & Violet jam on toast from Louise's Larder

But then John suggested adding some to vodka to make my own cocktails at home...so I thought why not and when I got home I got my trusty cocktail shaker out....

I added a shot (or two) of vodka and dolloped in some jam, added in ice and gave it a good shake! I poured this into a glass, topped with a little lemonade and garnished with some raspberries....

It was really delicious (maybe a bit too delicious!) and refreshing. If John's reading this I'd like to thank him for this top tip!

The other thing I knew this jam would be good for was a spot of baking. I combined another big dollop of the jam to some vanilla cake batter and baked it in a fancy mould to make a pretty pudding....

Louise's Larder raspberry& violet jam baked into cake!

The violet and raspberry tasted wonderful with the vanilla sponge, light and delicate - a real treat!

Pop by the Louise's Larder website to see the full range of products on offer, you'll also find some gift items too. They also have a list of events that Louise will be at this year.

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel

Time for Tea....Bailiffscourt Hotel, Climping

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends,

Today we have a rather special guest post for you.....as it's a post featuring my Aunty Chris (and use I am going to call her Aunty Chris throughout this post, because anything else would be weird!) and her Birthday afternoon tea! As a Birthday treat Aunty Chris was taken to Bailiffscourt Hotel in Climping, West Sussex, for a spot of afternoon tea......

Afternoon tea - Bailiffscourt Hotel

The hotel sounds amazing - it's made up of thirty-nine bedrooms in a series of charming houses and cottages, set in thirty acres leading to Climping beach. The buildings include a medieval-style house, thatched houses and cottages, a 13th century chapel and there is an outdoor swimming pool. Looking at their map you can see how extensive the grounds are...

Map of Bailiffscourt Hotel (from hotel website)

More importantly though, lets take a closer look at that afternoon tea which can be enjoyed in one of the lounges around our inner courtyard or if the sun is shining outside in the courtyard amongst the roses.

Tea is served on modern, pretty china and includes all the usual elements....

afternoon tea sandwiches- Bailiffscourt Hotel

Aunty Chris particularly enjoyed the sandwiches, which were crustless and cut into traditional fingers. The fillings were traditional too with salmon, cucumber, ham and egg on offer. The afternoon tea included as many sandwiches as you wanted.

At the bottom of the cake stand were the scones, which were served warm with clotted cream, lemon curd and strawberry preserve...

Afternoon tea scones - Bailiffscourt Hotel

Finally there was the cake selection at the top of the cake stand....

Afternoon tea cakes - Bailiffscourt Hotel

Tea was served in huge teapots - so no fear of running out.....and pouring your tea will count towards your exercise routine (always a bonus!)....

Aunty Chris working out her arm muscles!

All in all it was a lovely afternoon tea. Aunty Chris' favourite bits were the sandwiches and the scones, she also liked the oldie worldy surroundings. 

Afternoon tea at Bailiffscourt Hotel starts at just £25 per person, to find out more please visit their website.

I'd like to thank Aunty Chris for sending me her photos and sharing her afternoon tea adventure with us. I'd also like to wish her a tea-riffic Birthday!

If you'd like to share an afternoon tea with us please get in touch- leave a comment here or get in touch via Facebook or Twitter.

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel

The Friday Review -Grey's Teas -Part 2

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends, we hope you're feeling tea-riffic today!

Last week we took at first look at Grey's Teas and the range they have on offer for tea lovers, today we're going to take a look at another selection of their teas.

First off let's take a look at "Good Afternoon" a Chinese and Indian tea blend......

This tea can be enjoyed with or without milk - as you'd expect, I enjoyed it without. Once brewed the tea is a pretty light amber colour - very welcoming....

The tea has a really light smokey aroma and flavour - not at all overpowering, but you can definitely pick up a slight smokey hint. Its a light and refreshing tea, which I thoroughly enjoyed with a piece of cake one afternoon!

Next lets take a look at Tian Mu Qing Ding a Chinese green tea.....

This is a green tea from China’s Zhejiang Province, which is grown high in the mists of the picturesque sub-tropical Tian Mu mountain. The tea is picked for only two weeks each spring.

To brew this tea, use one teaspoon per cup with freshly boiled water that has cooled to around 80 C. and infuse for three minutes......

This tea is a lovely pale golden colour when brewed, and has a light, smooth taste to it. Anyone who believes green tea is bitter should try this tea! There is even a hint of sweetness to the tea - again not overpowering in any way but definitely noticeable.

We hope you've enjoyed part two of our review of Grey's Teas - pop back next week to see the trio of Assam teas that we've sampled! Once again we'd like to thank Grey's Teas for sending us these teas to sample, but please remember that this has not effected our taste buds and all opinions expressed here are our own.

If you'd like to find out more about Grey's Teas please pop by their website.

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel

Afternoon Tea News - Cotswold House Hotel & Spa

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends.

Today we've got some afternoon tea news from Cotswold House Hotel & Spa, who is stepping into the summer season with the launch of a decadent afternoon tea in partnership with Twinings, to coincide with the hotel’s re-launch.

In the heart of the Cotswolds, the Grade II listed hotel is idyllically located in Chipping Campden, one of the UK’s most picturesque market towns. Boasting sumptuous rooms and suites, some of which have a private garden and hot-tub, a bustling bistro and fine dining restaurant, as well as a secret spa reached down a meandering path through the hotel’s glorious gardens; the hotel offers a quintessential British boutique experience to guests and locals alike.

In celebration of a truly British tradition, Cotswold House Hotel & Spa’s new afternoon tea menu has been created in partnership with Twinings. Teatime at Cotswold House now comes complete with a menu of loose leaf teas, which can be touched, smelt, tasted and even paired with different courses to offer an enhanced afternoon tea experience. Unique teas on the menu include a Nutty Chocolate Assam, an Elderflower and Blossom Darjeeling and a Rosy Fig White Tea.

Enjoyed in the sumptuous surrounds of the hotel’s restaurant or spectacular gardens, the Cotswold House Full Afternoon Tea is served as an indulgent array of freshly baked scones complete with clotted cream and strawberry jam, homemade cakes, fancies and a selection of finger sandwiches; for £21.50 per person. To add a touch of sparkle, afternoon tea can be taken with a glass of prosecco for £26.50 per person or a glass of champagne for £30 per person. For a lighter bite, a Cream Tea of scones, clotted cream and jam can also be enjoyed with Twining’s selection of teas for £8.50 per person.

For further information about this new afternoon tea please visit Cotswold House Hotel & Spa website. If you sample this afternoon tea we'd love to hear all about it - drop us a line....or better still a photo or two!

Thank you for popping by today,
Rachel & Lorna

Time for a little.....Tea Mail from Piacha

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends - today we have some very exciting news for you from our lovely friends at Piacha. Recently the fab London tea shop launched their Tea Mail subscription service - yes, tea lovers out there...you can join Piacha Tea Mail and have tea delivered straight to your door!

Piacha tea ships in a big envelope that fits through your letter box and packs in tea for two for a week. Better still....Piacha don't charge extra for UK delivery, and only 50p per tea for delivery in the EU. 

Pia very kindly offered me the chance to try the subscription service for myself.....a real treat to be able to pick a tea out from the range! I easily set up my account via the Piacha website, picked my tea from the range and sat back and waited....

Piacha Tea Mail subscription 

What wonderful post to recieve - a big envelope full of tea!

I opted to try Genmaicha - a jade green tea, blended with a generous helping of roasted brown rice. The leaves look really pretty with all the brown rice mixed in....

Genmaicha from Piacha

To brew this tea you should use 1-2 teaspoons of tea per mug. Add water at 80°C and infuse for 2 minutes - enjoy without milk. The tea once brewed is a pretty pale yellow colour and it has a nutty aroma....

The brown rice gives the tea a wonderful nutty flavour too, a bit like popcorn! It's a refreshing and unique taste - perfect if you are looking for something a little bit different!

The subscription service that Piacha offers is so flexible - you can opt to have a delivery as often as you want. As well as being flexible and easy to manage, it is also easy to unsubscribe, suspend or cancel orders at any point. Better still - tea bought via a subscription gives you a 10% discount on the standard prices! 

Piacha Tea Mail

The exciting bit....

In addition to trying the tea subscription myself, Pia has offered Tea With Me and Friends readers a tea-riffic 50% discount of your first tea order when you subscribe to regular tea deliveries. From now until the 8th August just use the code TEAWITHME@PIACHA when you set up your subscription to receive the discount.

T&Cs: 

Only available with code TEAWITHME@PIACHA - for purchase of tea envelopes at piacha.co.uk. 

Valid until 8 August 2016. 

New subscribers only.

One per household. 

Max. order £50.

To see the whole Piacha range and find out more about the subscription service please pop by the Piacha website. We hope you enjoy the subscription service - we'd love to hear about the tea you enjoy!

A big thank you to Pia for letting us try out her fab Tea Mail subscription!

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel 

The Friday Review - Greys Teas

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends - it's Friday....that means we're back with a new tea review for you!

Recently, Greys Teas kindly sent me a selection of their teas to try.....as well as the samples, I was sent some handy tasting note cards.....

Tea-riffic post from Grey's Teas

Grey's Teas specialise in teas from individual tea gardens or tea growing areas so that tea lovers can experience their diversity of character. The range of tea currently on offer features approximately 150 different teas from around the world. These teas comprise of  black, green, oolong, white, flavoured green and flavoured black teas plus herbal infusions - something for everyone!

Richard Grey, founder of Grey’s Teas has previously worked for Lyons, Tetley and Whittard. He has a particular interest in new product development and has an honours degree in marketing and a masters degree in product design. He has travelled extensively in India and China. 

Richard is descended from the First Earl Grey. It was the Second Earl Grey (British Prime Minister 1830-1834) who had today’s most popular tea named after him. Unsurprisingly, Grey's Teas stock an excellent Earl Grey, a traditional blend of China Keemun, Darjeeling and oil of Bergamot!

The first tea I sampled from Grey's Tea is the Ceylon Oodoowerre Silver Needle white tea.....

Silver Needle - Grey's Teas

This budset white tea is from the Ceylon Uva district of Sri Lanka, situated at an altitude of nearly 4000 ft. This is a rare tea, picked from only the right tea bushes in the Oodoowerre garden. These pale green-grey tips are large at over one inch long with a blackcurrant aroma to the dry leaf which is just dried on blankets in the sun.

Ceylon Oodoowerre Silver Needle white tea - Grey's Teas

To enjoy a cup of this tea, you need to infuse three grams of leaves per cup, for four minutes.

Once brewed the tea is a pretty amber colour.....

The taste is very smooth, with an ever so slightly nutty flavour. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this cuppa!

For more information about this tea pop by the Grey's Teas website.

I'd like to thank Richard for sending us the samples - however please note that this has not effected our taste buds and all opinions expressed in this blog post are our own.

Thank you for popping by today - don't forget to pop back to see which other teas from Grey's we've been sampling!

Rachel

Afternoon Tea News - Takeaway Afternoon Teas!

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends - today we have something slightly different for you...we're looking at takeaway afternoon teas!

The arrival of the summer sunshine brings the chance to enjoy London’s tea-rific treats in the fresh air.....I'm sure the sunshine is just around the corner....honest! Anyway, these perfectly prepped Afternoon Teas will allow you to scout out the ideal spot for a tea-riffic feast in the sun, whatever the occasion.

Take a peek at this roundup of four takeaway Afternoon Teas in London......

Lancaster London 

Afternoon tea picnic - the Lancaster

Pick up a package from Lancaster London and head across the road to enjoy an afternoon tea in Hyde Park on a glorious summer’s day (still thinking on the bright side!). The offering will be beautifully packaged and feature traditional British treats including: Mini passion fruit & raspberry macaroons; fresh-out–the-oven Scones (plain and raisin) with home-made strawberry jam and Cornish clotted cream; plus Iced tea in a retro glass with straw. Lancaster London, an iconic mid-century hotel, offers world-class hospitality in an unbeatable Hyde Park location. Priced from £19.50 per person.

The Arch London

Afternoon tea picnic
The Arch,London

Due to popular demand, The Arch London has brought back its take-away picnic hampers for the summer. The Arch London is a central London five-star retreat and its picnic hampers will offer a taste of Hunter 486 restaurant’s critically acclaimed Best of British inspired menu. Gourmet picnic delights will include: Smoked salmon sandwiches with lemon butter and cracked black pepper; Homemade crisps with sea salt, lemon and sage; and Poached free-range chicken breast with tarragon vinaigrette, accompanied by half a bottle of Tattinger Champagne. Priced from £45 per person.

The Park Tower Knightsbridge

The Park Tower Knightsbridge is now offering a takeaway version of their signature Knightsbridge Lounge Afternoon Tea.  The set will come in a beautifully designed three-tier takeaway carry box that will include traditional Afternoon Tea favourites with a posh twist, such as Ivory white chocolate and pistachio pastry with gold leaf; Shot of Granny Smith apple & wild blackberry, vanilla panna cotta; and Walnut and whisky buttercream cupcake.  Priced from £19.50 per person.

BB Bakery

Afternoon tea delivered!
Photo from BB Bakery website

Or perhaps you'd prefer your afternoon tea feast to be delivered straight to you.....BB Afternoon Tea has created an on-demand service delivering Afternoon Tea straight to your door! The bakery’s unique Afternoon Tea offering will arrive in an original London Taxi and the selection of snacks will include finger sandwiches, cakes and freshly baked scones, along with a range of classically British teas.  Priced from £19 per person.

I can just imagine the wonderful sunshine......a lovely park....and an afternoon tea spread laid out on a travel rug! Sounds bliss! If the sunshine appears for long enough I'd love to try an al fresco afternoon tea!

Thank you for popping by today,
Rachel

Afternoon tea news - ARTea Afternoon Tea from Lancaster London

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends - we hope you're well today!

Today we are excited to share with you a brand new afternoon tea launching this week! Lancaster London has devised an Afternoon “ARTea” for those who know their Monet from their Picasso, launching on Thursday 14 July 2016. 

The innovative afternoon tea, from £35, will be served to guests in The Lounge, where the work of emerging and local artists grace Lancaster London’s walls in celebration of the hotel’s affinity with London’s thriving art scene.

The eclectic ARTea menu will be edible, as will the canvasses within the afternoon tea, while waiters will serve guests in whimsical painting aprons. Dishes will be delivered to tables in painters boxes, revealing a delectable take on painting essentials. Delicate delights on offer will include: Finger sandwiches, pastries and freshly baked scones, all of which will be served on painting slates alongside jam & clotted cream concealed in 30ml paint tubes.

Not only does it sound amazing ..... take a look at this.....

ARTea Afternoon Tea from Lancaster London

As someone who enjoys both afternoon tea and being creative....I can't wait to try this afternoon tea adventure!

The hotel’s current art exhibition displays distinctive scenic paintings by modernist Irish artist Norman Teeling’s. The ARTea experience, which is in collaboration with Pommery Champagne, will feature continuous reminders of his work, with menus printed alongside replicated paintings from the exhibition. Mini edible images of the art will also be printed onto the creative ARTea pastries. 

To create the unique ARTea, Lancaster London partnered with Pommery Champagne due to their constant involvement and support of art and culture – from sponsoring Frieze Art & Art 16, to hosting an all year exhibition in their cellar in Champagne, France.

The hotel also works closely with art curator Barbara Stanley, whose gallery showcases contemporary Irish artwork and sits across the street from the hotel.

Look out later this on the blog for more information about this new afternoon tea!

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel & Lorna

Afternoon Tea News - time for Wimbledon!

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends - I'm not sure where time is flying to this year....but it's already halfway through week two of Wimbledon 2016!

To celebrate the tennis championships I thought I would bring you a roundup of Wimbledon themed afternoon teas....

Let's begin with this colourful afternoon tea from the Soho Hotel in London's West end....

Wimbledon 2016 afternoon tea - Soho Hotel

The sweets in this afternoon tea include a Pimm's jelly pot, English strawberries and cream tartlets, Lemon curd cupcakes and Wimbledon chocolate macaroons. The Soho Hotel are offering a themed Afternoon Tea with the option to upgrade to include a Wimbledon Bellini. Available from 1st - 31st July.

Meanwhile over at the Dorchester on Park Lane, you can enjoy a chocolate tennis racket with your scones as you celebrate Wimbledon...

Wimbledon 2016 afternoon tea - the Dorchester

You need to be quick to enjoy this elegant afternoon tea though, as it's only available until Sunday 10th July.

Tennis balls are a feature at The Terrace at Amba Hotel Charing Cross....

Wimbledon 2016 afternoon tea - Amba Hotel Charing Cross

This fun afternoon tea includes....

Strawberries & Pimms Cup

'Tennis racket' Biscuit '

Tennis court' Chocolate Tarts

Lemon Macaron 'Tennis balls'

This afternoon tea is available until the end of July.

Finally we have this smashing afternoon tea from The Montague.....

Wimbledon 2016 afternoon tea - The Montague 

The sweets on this Wimbledon afternoon tea menu are plentiful and include....

 Strawberry Meringue

Bakewell tart

Pimms jelly

Raspberry macaroon

Chocolate éclair

Honeycomb cheesecake

Pineapple entremets

Pistachio tennis ball

If you've enjoyed a Wimbledon afternoon tea this year we'd love to hear all about it! Leave us a comment below.

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel

Time for Tea - Ducky's Beach Cafe, Beer, Devon

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends - we hope you're well today!

I've realised that there was a disappointing amount of scones consumed and shared with you in June - only three blog posts! We must work harder this month to bring you more afternoon tea adventures!

Without further ado....I bring you scones on the beach! Last weekend Joe and I visited Honiton in  Devon for a wedding, as it was an overnight stay we decided to head to the closest beach the next morning and I was determined to enjoy a scone!

We stumbled upon the little fishing village of Beer by accident, but I'm glad we did. Despite it being a Sunday everything was open and there was even a local craft fair! Beer is such a pretty place to visit, with plenty of scenic walks to enjoy.....

We do like to be beside the seaside - Beer, Devon

Even better....on the beach we found Ducky's Beach Cafe! What could be better...enjoying a scone by the sea! Now, as you can tell from the photo above....the weather wasn't fabulous....but that didn't stop me (or long suffering Joe)....I was determined to enjoy my scone!

It's a very simple affair at Ducky's - lots of plastic tables and chairs and the front where you order your refreshments. There is no inside seating at all and the toilets are back up the hill...but the prices were incredibly reasonably, the choice of food was great and the views just wonderful (if you love the seaside like I do!).

Duckys Beach Cafe, Beer - Devon

As this was more brunch time than anything else Joe wanted a full English breakfast and I knew I probably needed something a little more than a cream tea (no afternoon teas on offer), so I opted to have a sausage sandwich with my scone! We both wanted tea...although Joe wished he'd ordered a mug of tea rather than a pot....as he was given a dainty teacup to drink his tea from.

The food arrived quickly, and the portions were great....

Sausage sandwich with your scones!

Everything was fresh and tasty, my sausage sandwich was hot and the tea was plentiful (we were given a pot of tea and a pot of hot water). As you can see my scones (yes there were two....I only ate one though) were served with lashings of clotted cream and strawberry jam....

Cream tea - Duckys Beach Cafe, Beer - Devon

The scone was well baked, not at all claggy and despite the rain I really enjoyed my scone by the sea!

I didn't take a photo of Joe's breakfast, but I'll admit I had a little food envy - the portions were generous and everything looked (and tasted Joe assured me) amazing. What struck me the most about this scone adventure was the value - I can't remember the exact prices of everything but the final bill came in at around £15 and we were both well fed and watered!

If you happen to find yourself in Beer and fancy a scone, I'd definitely recommend you pop down to the beach to Ducky's Beach Cafe!

Rachel enjoying a scone - cream first!

Have you enjoyed a scone in an unusual place? We'd love to hear all about it - leave us a comment or better still.....send us a photo on Twitter!

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel