Hugh Jackman is one of the people behind the Laughing Man coffee and tea company. They have a cafe in New York and it’s the cafe that’s going on my wishlist.
That’s the second cafe in New York to go on the wish list, maybe this means it’s time to go to the Big Apple? I think the cafe has been open for a year or so now – has anyone been?
BFI Southbank, Belvedere Road, South Bank, London, SE1 8XT. (View on map)
The giant teabag and mini cup of milk (with EM’s pint of something that’s not PALM in the background).
According to the BFI website there are two bars at the BFI, one called ‘benugo bar and kitchen’ and one called ‘riverfront bar and kitchen’. I think that we were in the ‘riverfront bar and kitchen’ as we weren’t in the dining area, but as the tea I bought had ‘benugo’ stamped all over it I am not 100% sure. Anyway, it was a beautiful hot and sunny day and we were sitting outside by the river after seeing an amazing play at the National Theatre – what more could you want?
Teapot? No, a big empty tea bag thing that was filled with loose leaf tea in a paper cup.
Leaf tea? Yes.
Milk jug? Well, not as such – as we were outside the cup had to be paper, so I had a mini paper cup full of milk instead.
Price? £2.30 for the tea, £6 for S’s pint of PALM.
Cake? Yes, some muffins, tray bakes and loaf cakes.
Go again? Yes, if I was in that area with people who wanted a pint and I wanted tea then this is a good place to go. It’s not that often you get a bar that sells loose leaf tea (though teapots would be better, obviously).
Three of us went out for a curry the other week, it was lovely food and good fun but then we finished our main courses and L fancied some coffee (she drinks tea too, don’t worry).
The waiter presented us with a teapot and we protested that L had ordered coffee, but the waiter assured us that he knew that – this indeed was the coffee.
A specially set up 'action' shot that unfortunately does nothing to illustrate how weird having coffee come out of a teapot was.
Maybe the waiter had heard KD and I discussing the mess-with-your-mind tea latte at North Tea Power and decided to mess with our minds some more? I found it most confusing to see the teapot but smell coffee. More importantly, if you ordered tea and the teapot had previously had coffee in it, what would it taste like? Is this why some tea tastes so unusual?
6 Tunsgate, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 3QT (View on map)
Hot cross buns and cushions with stars on at Glutton and Glee
It’s almost Easter. I like hot cross buns and A likes hot cross buns. We wanted somewhere in Guildford that we could drink tea and eat hot cross buns. We asked in four likely cafes and found no hot cross buns, so we gave up on the hot cross bun quest and headed to the castle instead. On the way to the castle we spotted Glutton and Glee, it looked so cheerful inside that we decided to go there afterwards. Lo and behold, when we turned up an hour or so later we found that they had loose leaf tea and hot cross buns.
They had tasty looking salads and cakes, as well as a good range of tea. Upstairs was a bench with bright cushions that reminded me of Chococo and the seaside. A had an apple, pear and ginger juice that was light and tasted of summer. I had some smooth Cornish Earl Grey tea. We both had a hot cross bun. An excellent chance find of a cafe that we’ve already planned to go to again.
Teapot? Yes.
Leaf tea? Yes, from the Rare Tea Company.
Milk jug? Yes.
Price? £2.25 for the tea, £2.95 for the juice, £1.95 for the hot cross bun.
Cake? Yes and cupcakes, pastries, hot cross buns (hurrah!), salads, tart, jacket potatoes, sandwiches. They also sell tea, jams, biscuits, oils and cookie mix.
Go again? Yes, next time I’d like to try the salads as well.
The posh packet for Heston's hot cross buns.
The TV adverts for these seem to be everywhere at the moment and I found the idea of them intriguing. S came to visit and we decided that as Heston’s hot cross buns have ‘Earl Grey tea-soaked fruits’ in them it counted as research for the blog, rather than hot cross bun indulgence. We were a bit put off by the £1.59 price tag for only two hot cross buns but went ahead anyway.
The buns are higher and more solid than normal hot cross buns (by normal I mean bought hot cross buns, I’ve never made any) – the texture reminded me of brioche. They smelt good before we toasted them under the grill and smelt even better after we toasted them. The fruit was plump and the bun soft, I’m not sure I could taste the tea but they did taste of citrus. S and R both said they tasted like teacake rather than hot cross bun. I think the bun was sweeter than a teacake and that a plumped up hot cross bun would be a better description – plumped up bun and plumped up fruit.
One of Heston's buns after toasting and buttering.
All in all, a good hot cross bun. There’s time for lots more hot cross buns before we reach Easter but I can’t afford for them all to be the Heston version. Having said that, I’d be disappointed if I didn’t get one more before Easter, so will be buying them again at some point.
It’s also reminded me that I haven’t seen any hot cross buns in any cafes yet this year. Anyone spotted any yet?
Newgale, Pembrokeshire, Wales, SA62 6AS. 01437 729222 (View on map)
This photo shows you about half of Newgale beach. It's a big beach.
I have decided to start this post with a lovely photo of the seaside, just to make those of you not near the sea jealous. Though actually, all it seems to have done is make me sad I am no longer near the sea. Newgale is a great big beach that is good for surfing (so I hear, never been surfing) and comes with the added bonus of a cafe.
The cafe was warm and light with windows on three sides to give you the best view of the sky. There are big banks of stones at the edge of the beach so we couldn’t see the sea from where we were, but the sky had that quality that sky only gets near the sea so it still felt special.
Tea and hot chocolate at Newsurf Sands Cafe.
We had gone for tea and lunch, but when we spotted the cake counter decided that we should probably test the cake as well. To begin with, we just had lunch and hot drinks. I went for the brie and bacon toasted sandwich with a pot of Teapigs ‘everday brew’. B went for the chicken red pesto sandwich and hot chocolate. EA had the scrambled egg with toast.
The sandwiches were very good, thick and full of filling and with nice leaves on the side. I am partial to a brie and bacon sandwich and this has to be one of the best. The tea was a nice blend and there was lots in the pot so I was happy. B said that her sandwich was also very good and EA ate all of the scrambled egg with toast so we can assume that was good too.
Sandwiches with leaves and tortilla chips on the side and a portion of scrambled egg with toast on the side.
There were a few good looking cakes in the chiller cabinet but we eventually decided on a chocolate brownie for me and a vanilla sponge for B. When ordering, I was asked if I wanted the brownie warmed – I did. It was hot and chocolatey and just the right size. B’s vanilla cake was light and not too sweet and EA enjoyed it as well.
EA is not quite big enough to use a fork yet so ate the cake by hand and seemed to enjoy it all the more for doing so. I wonder how much we miss about the texture of a cake by eating it with a fork? Perhaps all of my reviews of cake from now on should include me trying to pick it up with my fingers and seeing what happens? Does food taste different if you have felt it first? Does food designed to be eaten with your fingers – chips, biscuits, chocolate, pasties – taste extra good in the first place? Or taste extra good because you’ve felt it? I imagine it’s probably because there’s more fat in it in order to make it solid enough to pick up, but I’d like to do a blind taste test with forks versus fingers to be sure.
Vanilla cake and warmed chocolate brownie. I especially liked the icing sugar dusting.
Teapot? Yes.
Leaf tea? No, but it was Teapigs tea.
Milk jug? Yes.
Price? £2 for a big pot of tea, £2.60 for hot chocolate, £4.75 for sandwiches, £3.90 for scrambled egg on toast, £3 for cake, £2 for brownie.
Cake? Cake, sandwiches, toasted sandwiches, brownies, burgers, milkshakes, ice cream, breakfast, salads.
Go again? Yes – there was tea in a pot, melted cheese, good cake and the sea. What’s not to love?
Reading Museum, The Town Hall, Blagrave Street, Reading, RG1 1QH. (View on map)
Fun tea related museum objects in Palmers Cafe - note the stuff on the wall as well as the amazingly brilliant Tea Tricycle.
There used to be a cafe inside Reading Musuem called ‘The Biscuit Tin’ that I always meant to post about but never got round to. I realised I’d missed my chance when they put up a sign saying it was closing and a new one would be opening, but I have managed to go and visit the new one, so perhaps all is forgiven. In keeping with the biscuit theme (Reading was the home of the famous Huntley & Palmers biscuit company) the new cafe is called ‘Palmers Cafe‘.
The new Palmers Cafe has the same food ordering and serving area, but a new seating area has been created in what used to be the area for temporary exhibitions. It’s really welcoming and friendly and makes you feel like the café is more a part of the museum than the old café. I liked it a lot.
I asked for two teas, the man serving asked if we wanted ‘tea for two’ instead. We said yes, but then a tiny teapot was put on the tray. When I questioned that this was meant to be tea for two, he explained he meant one pot between two as you can get over a cup each out of the pot. I was a bit confused and was also thinking that one cup each wasn’t enough, but agreed anyway. It turned out that he was being immensely helpful, as we hadn’t realised that the museum and therefore the café was due to shut in 15 minutes so just over a cup each was all that was really needed or we had time for.
The pot of tea for one for two at Palmers Cafe.
We spent a happy 15 minutes drinking the tea, chatting about whether or not ‘Palmers Cafe’ needed an apostrophe and looking at the Tea Tricycle.
Teapot? Yes.
Leaf tea? No.
Milk jug? Yes.
Price? £1.50 for a pot of tea.
Cake? Cake, traybakes, ice cream and – on the day we went – posset. I’m not sure what posset is, but I love that they sell it. If you want hot food you can get it between 12 noon and 2pm. They have sandwiches and snacks 10am – 3pm.
Go again? Definitely. The tea is very reasonably priced and the atmosphere in the seating area was very peaceful. They also had a mix of seating which I like in a cafe – sofas, armchairs or chairs. And where else are you going to see a Tea Tricycle?
Sometimes life is very busy and time seems to rush past you. You prioritise the important things that must get done, leaving the enjoyable things to sit in a corner and wait for you to slow down.
When I visited some friends at Cleeve House I was offered a cup of tea before I left. Unsurprisingly, I accepted. MZ conjured up an impromptu cream tea for us and we sat in the sunshine and waited for the tea to brew.
Sometimes tea drinking can provide the break we need and the reminder that there is time to stop and relax, however busy other things may be. Making a cup of tea with a teabag allows you to rush around some more, but making a pot makes you stop and wait for the tea to brew. It creates a window of time we can use to be mindful – to be conscious and aware of what is happening.
I think every busy person needs to stop and make a pot of tea now and again. If possible, they should also drink it outside in the sunshine. And eat scones.
If it's got a teacup on it I'm generally attracted to it.
I’ve just finished reading ‘The Campaign for Domestic Happiness‘ by Mrs Isabella Beeton. I admit I was swayed in my book choice by the picture of a teacup on the front cover, but the book is mainly about how to manage your household followed by some recipes. I’ve learnt that I need to be an early riser to ensure my house is ‘orderly and well-managed’. If I ‘remain in bed till a late hour, then the domestics… will surely become sluggards’ (page 10 of the eBook edition). I always knew my inability to sleep late was going to be good for something.
The section on tea is intriguing, mostly because it comes under the heading of ‘Recipes for Beverages’ (page 83). How many cookbooks nowadays come with instructions on how to make tea? It’s just taken for granted that we can. Mrs Beeton thought there was ‘very little art in making good tea; if the water is boiling, and there is no sparing of the fragrant leaf, the beverage will almost invariably be good’ (page 84).
Interestingly, she recommends putting the tea into the teapot, adding a small amount of boiling water and brewing for five to ten minutes – then topping up the pot with water. She stands by the ‘old-fashioned plan of allowing a teaspoonful [of tea] to each person, and one over’ (page 84).
I’m not sure about the idea of brewing a small amount of tea first and topping it up with hot water, but I might try it the next time I make a pot of tea and see what it’s like.
There’s not as much about tea in here as I’d like, considering the cover image, but the section on managing a household had me entertained for a good while. Well worth a read and I’m looking forward to reading others in the ‘Great Food‘ series.
Ever wanted to be in an artwork? Ever wanted to make tea in an artwork? Yes? Then the forthcoming exhibition of Jeremy Deller’s work at the Hayward Gallery is for you.
There are three areas where they are looking for volunteers, one of which is a re-creation of a cafe in Manchester called ‘Valeries’. Volunteers will be in the cafe working in pairs serving tea. I wanted to volunteer but reading the small print I can see they want people to do a minimum of five shifts which I can’t do and still manage to get to work, so not for me. If anyone does decide to do it, let me know!
I’ll content myself with going to see it instead (did I mention the tea they serve is free?).
Tea for you and me 