Time for Tea....in the great outdoors!

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends, this weekend we didn't have any afternoon teas planned (shock horror I know!), but that didn't stop me heading into Farnham to enjoy something sweet with my lunch. I headed to The Vintage Cake House on Downing Street, which we have enjoyed tea at previously. I enjoyed a rather lovely piece of millionaires shortbread with my sandwiches...

Tea and cake at the Vintage Cake House

As I tucked into my lunch, I noticed a poster advertising their new pop up tearoom....Claude! I also discovered that Claude was currently in residence at Gostrey Meadows and so I decided to go and take a peek for myself!

Claude wasn't hard to spot....

Claude the Pop up Tearoom
Vintage Cake House

Claude, believe it or not, was originally a french horse box....until he came to the UK earlier this year and the Vintage Cake House ladies worked their vintage chic magic on him!

I learnt that the original Vintage Cake House is due to close at the end of the summer, but fear not cake lovers of Farnham....Claude will be travelling around providing loose leaf tea and sweet treats instead! 

As well as appearing at events such as Weyfest Claude can also be being hired out for special occasions  where guests can enjoy cream teas! I can to say that Claude looks quite wonderful with handmade bunting, vintage props and I am told he can even play sounds from bygone eras!

Sweet treats on offer - Claude - Vintage Cake House

I am sad to see the Vintage Cake House close, but very exciting to see Claude and can't wait to see him at local events. As well as the sweet treats you can see in the photo above, Claude also serves loose leaf teas, coffee and ice-cream! 

If you happen to be in Farnham (Surrey) over the summer, you can find Claude on Gostrey Meadows Tuesday - Saturday. To find out which events Claude will be appearing at take a peek at the website.

If you happen to see Claude at an event, don't forget to say hi to the lovely ladies and take a photo - we'd love to see him!

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel

Time for Tea.....Cassandras Cup, Hampshire

Hello there,

Welcome back to another afternoon tea post from Tea With Me and Friends. Now as some of our readers know, although Lorna and I enjoy a lot of afternoon teas in hotel lounges across London, we also like to support local tearooms.

Recently I visited one such tearoom with Sheree - Cassandras Cup in Chawton, near Alton in Hampshire. I had heard about Cassandras on the Internet and really wanted to try this tearoom as it's about a twenty minute drive from my home in Farnham.

Cassandra’s Cup is a traditional English tea room, which offers a good range of traditional and speciality teas and coffees as well as scones, home-made cakes, light snacks, home-cooked meals and afternoon tea. The signs looked very promising as we entered this cute looking tearoom.....

An impressive teacup collection at Cassandra's Cup

Yes, that's a vast collection of vintage teacups hanging from the ceiling!

Now, I know this might be very surprising given the nature of this blog.....but we opted not to sample afternoon tea on this visit! Both Sheree and I decided to opt for sandwiches followed by a slice of homemade cake - all washed down with a pot of tea!

Cassandra's Cup pride's itself on using local produce where ever possible, and also offers gluten free items on the menu.

I opted for the prawn sandwich and Sheree went with egg mayonnaise.....

Sandwiches at Cassandra's Cup

Can you see Sheree waiting patiently in the background of the photo - she was quite hungry by this point and wanted her sandwich!

As you'll see from the photo our tea was served in plain white china teacups which were very modern. Considering the feel of the tearoom and all those vintage teacups hanging above my head, I was a little disappointed. However, the tea was of good quality and we were given extra hot water.

The sandwiches themselves were tasty and fresh, and I enjoyed the side salad (although it was a little oily for me). 

Once we had eaten our sandwiches we decided to pick our cake from the selection on the dresser.....

There was a good selection of cakes and tray bakes on offer. Sheree went for the traditional Victoria sponge cake and I picked the carrot cake....

Victoria Sponge - Cassandra's Cup, Hampshire

Carrot cake
Cassandra's Cup, Hampshire

The slices given were a good size and both cakes were fresh. Sheree commented that her Victoria sponge was very light. My carrot cake was well spiced and moist, with just the right amount of icing. 

Our total bill for this meal came to just under £25.00 for both of us, which was OK as the cakes were very good and we left feeling full. However, I think the sandwiches were a little expensive - my prawns were £6.95.

For more information about Cassandra's Cup please visit their website, you can also see their full menu there. I would like to go back to sample their afternoon tea at some point in the future.

Can you spot Cassandra's Cup - situated behind Sheree!

The village of Chawton is a beautiful village and Cassandra's Cup is situated  opposite Jane Austen’s House Museum, and would make a lovely stop after visiting the museum.

Do you have a local tearoom that you'd like to tell us about - if so please get in touch, we'd love to hear from you!

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel

Time for Tea....Mill Stream Tearooms

Hello there,

I hope you are having a good day!

Yesterday I had a lovely day pottering, with no real plans I headed to Bourne Mill Antiques which is located a short stroll from my home in Farnham, Surrey. This is a haven for anyone who enjoys browsing lots of different antiques and vintage items - known to me and my friends as "the wonky house", many an hour is lost wandering the corridors of this gem!

Bourne Mill Antiques
Farnham

While there, you might also like to pay a visit to the Mill Stream Tearooms which is located in the middle of the antiques centre. Here you can enjoy freshly made food and drink, whilst sat amongst some of the antiques. Its a wonderful stop for those a little weary from wandering around the antiques.

Enjoying tea amongst the antiques at Mill Stream Tearooms

Yesterday I decided it was about time I partook in their cream tea, and I'm glad I did. You have the choice of tea or coffee, which is served with two scones, clotted cream and strawberry jam. They have both plain and fruit scones - I opted for the fruit ones.....

Cream Tea - Mill Stream Tearooms, Farnham

Now I think you need a closer look at these scones, as the fruit content was really quite amazing......

Fruit scones - the Tea With Me and Friends way!

The scones were served warm, and were a good size and texture. They were light and fluffy on the inside, and tasted wonderful. There was also a good serving of both cream and jam, enough for both scones. I thoroughly enjoyed this cream tea!

The china is all mismatched, and that small red teapot that I had held a good three or four cups of tea! At £4.50 I think this is excellent value! However, if you fancied something other than scones, I am sure you will find something on the cake table to satisfy your cravings....

The delightful cake table at the Mill Stream Tearooms, Farnham

All in all this was a lovely experience - the tearoom is decorated with fresh flowers and the service is friendly and efficient. Definitely a hidden gem worth a visit if you happen to be in Farnham, Surrey.

For more information about Bourne Mill Antiques or the Mill Stream Tearooms visit their website or their Facebook page!

Thanks for popping by today,

Rachel