Tea for you and me

Join me on my epic quest to find the best tea ever

Author Archives: tealeaves


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Glasshouse Cafe

Royal Horticultural Society Garden Wisley, Woking, GU23 6QB.

The Glasshouse from which the Glasshouse Cafe gets it's name

The Glasshouse from which the Glasshouse Cafe gets it's name

RHS Garden Wisley is a stunning garden with lots of examples of different plants. There is a relatively new large glasshouse with a tropical zone, a dry zone and a temperate zone. Next to this is the Glasshouse Cafe which is fashionably eco-friendly and has separate bins for the different types of food as well as having solar panels. You will have to pay to enter the garden in order to go this cafe, but the garden itself is well worth a visit.

I wasn’t going to have any cake but then I saw seed and beetroot cake and I thought ‘I have to try that’. So I did. It was moist and luscious and I’m going to have to hunt around for a recipe.

Tea and cake in the Glasshouse Cafe

Tea and cake in the Glasshouse Cafe

It warmed the cockles of my heart to see a sign proclaiming the death of milk in tiny plastic pots and the advent of fresh milk from a dispenser, with the option to put it in tiny milk jugs if you wished. The tea came in paper cups and the cake was on a paper plate. I understand the idea of recycling your rubbish but surely having crockery and just washing it up would be more eco-friendly in the long term? Am I mad in thinking reusing is better than recycling?

Teapot? No.
Leaf tea? No, but my favourite Clipper Fairtrade teabags.
Milk jug? Yes.
Price? £1.45 for the tea, £2.25 for the cake.
Cake? An impressive selection that included cheesecake and scones.
Go again? Yes.


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Henley Leisure Centre

Gillotts Lane, Henley-on-Thames, RG9 1PA.

Tea at Henley Leisure Centre

Tea at Henley Leisure Centre

Henley Leisure Centre looks very new and shiny. It has a 25 metre swimming pool and has lane swimming on a Sunday morning, which is why I was there. I got to it through single track country roads past horses and churches and over a hump back bridge. Suddenly, in the midst of all this greenery and stereotypical countryside was a driveway and a car park with a new concrete building next to it. It actually fits in with it’s surroundings remarkably well. It also didn’t have a sign that I could see so I drove past it before realising it must be what I was looking for.

The cafe counter is the other half of the reception desk and is some sort of Starbucks concession. There is a choice of sofas, armchairs and tables and chairs. Overall the centre feels light and fresh and airy and it was a pleasant place to sit and drink tea in, even if the tea itself wasn’t so spectacular.

Teapot? No.
Leaf tea? No.
Milk jug? Big one that they hadn’t put out until I asked for it.
Price? £1.40.
Cake? A few muffins and breakfast cereals.
Go again? Yes.



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Woodlands Park Hotel

Woodlands Lane, Stoke D’Abernon, Cobham, Surrey, KT11 3QB

Cakes, scones, tea and Pimms sorbet galore at the Woodlands Park Hotel

Cakes, scones, tea and Pimms sorbet galore at the Woodlands Park Hotel

For my Mum’s birthday (no, I’m not telling you which one) we all went to the Woodlands Park Hotel for afternoon tea. Drinking tea and eating cake is part of the family tradition, it’s no wonder that I blog about it too.

You have to give the hotel 24 hours notice if you want afternoon tea and we found out why. All the food was excellent and fresh. Sandwiches, amazing scones, fruit cake, cherry cake, chocolate and coffee eclairs, mini pavlovas, strawberry tarts and Pimms sorbet. Yum!

The tea wasn’t so good, I’m afraid. We each had a pot to ourselves but we had to ask for hot water and I lost count of the amount of times we ran out of milk. Two medium sized milk jugs for 9 people, who are all taking their tea with milk, is not enough. Tea bags too.

Teapot? Yes.
Leaf tea? No.
Milk jug? Yes.
Price? £18 per person.
Cake? Yes.
Go again? Yes.


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Shoemakers

The Arcade, Market Place, Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 5AD.

Tea, bread and soup at Shoemakers Cafe

Tea, bread and soup at Shoemakers Cafe

I’ve walked past this cafe many many times and never seen a spare table, so never had a chance to try it. This time it was raining and I was cold and someone left the cafe just as I walked past, I quickly doubled back and dived in. Shoemakers is a small but perfectly formed cafe in a Christian bookshop, tucked away in a tiny arcade in Newbury. It’s the only cafe I’ve ever been in that had a prayer box on the table, with a note inviting me to suggest a topic to be prayed for.

I ordered mushroom and thyme soup which came with homemade bread and of course a pot of tea. This cafe gets extra bonus points for being tiny and yet still providing me with a teapot, milk jug and a jug of hot water, without me having to ask for any of it. And the soup! Very good soup.

Teapot? Yes.
Leaf tea? No.
Milk jug? Yes.
Price? £1.30 for pot of tea, £2.95 for soup and bread.
Cake? Small amount.
Go again? Yes.


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Lou La Belle

3-5 Reading Road, Pangbourne, Reading, RG8 7LR

Tea and panini at Lou La Belle

Tea and panini at Lou La Belle

I’ve been to the previous cafe here a few times, but this was the first time I’d been here since it changed hands and changed it’s name to Lou La Belle.

It’s a large cafe that was busy when I went, with only a few tables left. My favourite panini is sundried tomato and mozarella which wasn’t on the menu but when I asked for it they were happy to oblige. Order at the large counter with a myriad of sandwich fillings and cakes, pay, and then they will bring it to your table.

Teapot? Yes.
Leaf tea? No.
Milk jug? Yes.
Price? £1.50 ish for tea.
Cake? Yes, lots and lots of it.
Go again? Yes.


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The Griffin

10-12 Church Road, Caversham, Reading, Berkshire, RG4 7AD.

Tea-total tea at the Griffin

Tea-total tea at the Griffin

We had been wandering along the river Thames and thought a trip to the pub would be very good. So we headed over the bridge and went to The Griffin. The Griffin is an old fashioned looking pub with beams and nooks, comfy seats and hops pinned to the ceiling. It’s also got an outside seating area but the weather was so good we couldn’t get a seat. Inside I decided what I really fancied was a pot of tea. I’m fine with ordering tea in pubs and bars, most places that serve food will serve you tea and the worst that can happen is that they say no.

Years ago, before every pub was open in the morning and had a coffee machine next to the spirits, a friend and I were at a gig in a pub in Kingston. We really wanted some tea, so we thought we’d take a chance and ask at the bar. They didn’t serve it, but we must have looked disappointed as the barman went upstairs to his flat, made us some tea in two of his mugs, and charged us 50p each. Standing at the back of the crowd watching the gig with a mug of tea is one of my fondest gig memories. Ah.

Anyway, R took some persuading that asking for tea at the bar wasn’t going to be frowned upon, but he did and I was very pleased with the result. The best bit, in my opinion, was that the teapot had a picture of a tea pot on the side and ‘ttotal’ underneath. Excellent.

Teapot? Yes.
Leaf tea? No.
Milk jug? Yes.
Price? Not sure, but less than £2.
Cake? No, but pudding and food etc.
Go again? Yes.


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Sir Michael Straker Cafe

The Sage Gateshead, St Mary’s Square, Gateshead Quays, Gateshead, NE8 2JR.

View of the Sage from across the river

View of the Sage from across the river

I saw this building and took a photo of it before I knew what it was, just because the shape of it was so pleasing to look at. It’s near the BALTIC and after going there I decided I would head to this strange building to find out more.

It turned out to be The Sage, an ‘international home for music and musical discovery’. It’s a venue for music as well as having learning programmes and also a branch of the public library, specialising in music. It’s also got a restaurant, some bars and a cafe! I didn’t have much time before I needed to go back to the hotel and meet people for dinner, but a cafe, how could I pass up the opportunity to drink tea in this snail shell of a building? So I decided to risk it.

Tea at the Sir Michael Straker Cafe

Tea at the Sir Michael Straker Cafe

The servery bit of the cafe is tucked between some stairs, but the tables go almost all the way to the vast windows. I apologise for the appalling picture quality of the tea at this cafe, I wanted to get the huge windows in the shot but the tea is so dark in comparison you can’t see it. It’s an inspiring place to drink tea, I’d recommend it. While I was there I could hear an orchestra playing, very relaxing.

Teapot? No.
Leaf tea? No.
Milk jug? Big jug and you help yourself.
Price? £1.20.
Cake? Yes and sandwiches etc.
Go again? Yes.


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BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art

Gateshead Quays, South Shore Road, Gateshead, NE8 3BA.

Millennium Bridge, with BALTIC on the right

Millennium Bridge, with BALTIC on the right

I’d never been to Newcastle before and this was a flying visit for a training course. I’d got there early so I could have an afternoon free to do some sightseeing before meeting up with colleagues for a meal. It’s an amazing city, so big and spacious and tall, London is so cramped compared to Newcastle. And the old and the new sit side by side and the view of the Tyne and the river is breathtaking.

The outside of BALTIC, the cafe is on the right

The outside of BALTIC, the cafe is on the right

And the bridges! Many bridges. I know that Newcastle folk are proud of the bridges but I’d always been a bit sceptical of them until I saw them in real life.

They are so big. The Millennium Bridge was sleek and elegant, I could have sat on it and looked at the river all day.

I was heading to the BALTIC as I’d seen a leaflet about it in the tourist information office (the best place to start when sightseeing) and it looked interesting. The building is huge and has lifts going through the middle of it. The cafe bar is on the ground floor and has a good view of the bridge and the river.

Tea and bricks masquerading as chips in BALTIC

Tea and bricks masquerading as chips in BALTIC

I was peckish so ordered chunky chips and a pot of tea. When the chips came they were huge, the biggest I’ve ever seen, more like bricks than chips. They did taste good. Tea was good too, with a range of tea bags, I picked Darjeeling.

Teapot? Yes.
Leaf tea? No.
Milk jug? Yes, but I had to ask for it.
Price? £1.30.
Cake? No, some danishes and muffins.
Go again? Yes.


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National Express East Coast train to Newcastle

National Express East Coast train from London Kings Cross to Newcastle

Tea and DairyStix on the train to Newcastle

Tea and DairyStix on the train to Newcastle

I wasn’t planning on taking a photo of this tea, or blogging about it, mainly because I get frowned at when I am by myself and start taking photos of beverages. The milk that came with this tea made me change my plans. Dairystix are sachets of milk. This seems like a good plan to me as it must surely take less plastic to make than those insane mini plastic pots. I found them easy to open and they made me smile at the novelty value (you can see why people frown at me: I smile at milk).

However, some people on the train found them very annoying and one lady got up and wandered the carriage asking for scissors. A lady a few rows down lent her some and they proceeded with their coffee happily.

Teapot? No.
Leaf tea? PG Tips teabag.
Milk jug? Dairystix!
Price? £1.30.
Cake? No.
Go again? If I need tea on a National Express East Coast train.


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West Cornwall Pasty Co., Reading Train Station

Unit 1, Reading Station, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 1LZ.

Tea at West Cornwall Pasty Co., Reading Station

Tea at West Cornwall Pasty Co., Reading Station

I wasn’t planning on having tea at the train station, my brother just wanted some food before getting his train home. He got a pasty and while he was queuing I noticed that a lady sitting down had a tea pot. A tea pot in a train station! I was impressed.

The West Cornwall Pasty Co. has a black logo and so it’s teapot, cup and saucer was a fashionable black. Rock on.

Teapot? Yes.
Leaf tea? Teabag.
Milk jug? Yes.
Price? £1.50, I think.
Cake? No.
Go again? If I have to wait for a train, though if going to get on a train I’d stick to AMT Coffee as they have bigger takeaway cups and better teabags.