Tea for you and me

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

Tag Archives: cake


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The Mill Tea Rooms

Heckington Windmill, Heckington, Lincolnshire

Heckington Windmill

Heckington Windmill

The Mill Tea Rooms are a new addition to Heckington Windmill. They opened recently as part of the new plan to introduce a visitor centre.

The windmill is bigger than Wilton Windmill and worth paying to climb up and have a look around. There’s also a video showing what the mill is like when it’s working.

Anyway, back to the important bit: the tea. The tea was good. And the cake, oh, the cake! The cake was called ‘Zimpt-Schokolade-Baiser Torte’ or Cinnamon-Chocolate-Meringue cake. I’ve never tasted anything like it. It was light with specks of dark chocolate in it which wasn’t very sweet. The topping was soft brown meringue, not the bring white horror that you sometimes get. After ordering the waiter came back and asked if I was sure I didn’t want it with vanilla ice cream as it tasted very good. I wasn’t sure, so I asked for that too.  The cake was divine and I made so much of a fuss about it the guy serving got the chef out to explain how she did it. It’s her own invention so go to the windmill and try it! Go!

Amazing cake and ice cream and tea at the Mill Tea Rooms

Amazing cake and ice cream and tea at the Mill Tea Rooms

Teapot? Yes.
Leaf tea? Yes.
Milk jug? Yes.
Price? £9 ish for two teas, bacon bap and cake.
Cake? Amazing German style cake and strudel.
Go again? Yes! And so should you.


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The teashop by the canal

The Stone Building, The Wharf, Newbury, Berkshire.   01635 522609

An array of teapots in The teashop by the canal

An array of teapots in The teashop by the canal

The Stone Building is next to the Kennet and Avon canal and is owned by the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust. There used to be a cafe and shop selling canal related things in there but then it closed down. Just recently it reopened as ‘The teashop by the canal’. It was recommended to me as somewhere I needed to visit in order to put it on here, so I dutifully went to check it out.

Inside the teashop is filled with mismatched tables and chairs and pretty objects everywhere. It’s a family run business and there are handwritten messages on the walls from one member of the family to another. One I particularly liked was the message above the door reminding someone not to forget things. There’s also chairs and tables outside next to the canal so you can watch the ducks and narrowboats as you enjoy your tea. A sideboard held the cake selection and there was a cake stand with a variety of cupcakes on the windowsill. The dresser with the large selection of proper cups and saucers made me cross my fingers that this would be a good place for tea. The menu telling me that all their tea was loose leaf and from Taylors of Harrogate proved me right.

Perfect tea at The teashop by the canal

Perfect tea at The teashop by the canal

I chose chocolate cake and China Rose tea and V picked a different one. When our tea was served it came in a little pot each with a separate tea strainer each. The tea was delicate and light and smelled wonderfully of roses and summer afternoons. The cake was good and the location is good too. I love going to Delicious… and the chocolate brownies there are still the best I’ve ever tasted, but the loose leaf tea here knocks it off the number one spot on my top five places to enjoy tea.

Teapot? Yes and pretty china tea cup and saucer.
Leaf tea? Yes, Taylors of Harrogate.
Milk jug? Yes.
Price? £1.95 a pot.
Cake? Yes and cupcakes. And main meals and sandwiches and ice cream and coffee.
Go again? Without a doubt.


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Thorntons Cafe, Altrincham

61 George Street, Altrincham, Cheshire, WA14 1RN

Tea and rich chocolate gateaux at Thorntons Cafe

Tea and rich chocolate gateaux at Thorntons Cafe

As you probably know, Thorntons is a chain of chocolate shops. I had heard tell that there were some shops that had cafes in, but I’d never seen one, until now. M and I were in Altrincham by mistake: we got lost and decided to stop for a cup of tea and a wander before trying to set off again. We also checked a map in Waterstones to find out where to go. Anyway, we were looking for somewhere for a cup of tea and when I saw this Thortons cafe I jumped at the chance to try it out. We ordered a pot of tea for two and a piece of rich chocolate gateaux.

Thorntons don’t give you a biscuit with your tea or coffee, they give you a a chocolate, which seems a much better idea to me. The cake we had was stunningly rich and that was just what we needed.

Teapot? Yes.
Leaf tea? Tea bags.
Milk jug? A little jug each.
Price? £1.65 each for tea.
Cake? Any kind, as long as it’s chocolate.
Go again? Yes.


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Sweet Tooth Cupcakery

9a Oswald Road, Chorlton, Manchester, M21 9LP.

The wide range of cupcakes on offer at Sweet Tooth Cupcakery

The wide range of cupcakes on offer at Sweet Tooth Cupcakery

H had romised to take me to a very special tea shop. That tea shop was Sweet Tooth Cupcakery.

This small but perfectly formed tea shop has everything I could wish for. The decor is stylish and quirky, with vintage boxes and tins on shelves around the walls and transfers of 1950s housewives in the kitchen. The crockery is all vintage and elegant. As the name suggests the only cake they sell is a cupcake, but oh, what a cupcake!

All the cupcakes are named after famous people, so I chose a Rita Hayworth and H had a Dita von Teese. There were around 15 different cupcakes to choose from and all looked gorgeous.

Tea, coffee and cupcakes at Sweet Tooth Cupcakery

Tea, coffee and cupcakes at Sweet Tooth Cupcakery

The tea came in a perfect little teapot, with yellow milk jug and sugar bowl.

The tea was good and the cupcakes so impressive that this needs to go into the top 5 places to drink tea. Go here if you are ever within visiting distance and go early or all the cupcakes will be gone. It’s only open Thursday to Sunday so plan your visit well!

Teapot? Yes.
Leaf tea? I was so overwhelmed by the cupcakes I can’t remember, I think tea bags though.
Milk jug? Big milk jug.
Price? £6.70 for a tea, a cappucino and two cupcakes.
Cake? Cupcakes a go go!
Go again? Yes.


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Contact Theatre Lounge Bar

Contact, Oxford Road, Manchester, M15 6JA.

Tea and cake at the Contact Theatre

Tea and cake at the Contact Theatre

We went to the Contact Theatre to see the play Medea, which was very good. Afterwards we headed to the bar for tea and cake. H works near to the theatre so she knew they had good cake on display in a glass cabinet. We arrived in the cafe bar and to our horror the glass cabinet was empty!

Not to be deterred, H asked if there was any cake left. Sure enough the bartender found a chocolate brownie and a slice of chocolate cake in the fridge and we happily agreed to share.

They had a variety of different tea bags, but only a choice between Breakfast and Earl Grey or many different varieties of fruit tea.

The Contact Theatre Lounge Bar was comfy, friendly and relaxed. I liked it.

Teapot? No.
Leaf tea? No.
Milk jug? Big milk jug.
Price? £1 for tea, £6.50 for 3 teas and two bits of cake.
Cake? Yes, larger range in the daytime.
Go again? Yes.


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Karstadt, Cologne

Poppy seed cake and tea in Karstadt, Cologne

Poppy seed cake and tea in Karstadt, Cologne

Karstadt, Breite Straße 103-135,
50667 Köln

The Karstadt department store in Cologne was great. The department store restaurant was big with fresh food and many chefs. There were 8 varieties of smoothie, 4 varities of soup, fresh meat that you picked and they cooked for you, 10 varieties of vegetable side dish, fresh veg they stir fried for you, 4 varieties of potato, fresh fruit and puddings (fill a bowl for 3 euros) and at least 12 varieties of cake all for under 3 euros a slice. The tea was loose leaf and in a mini chest of drawers. Each drawer had a different variety and you filled up your ‘tea egg’ with it and away you go. We came here twice and each time the cake was beautiful and the tea good too. This photo is from our visit on our last day in Cologne. The cake is poppy seed and it’s thick and filling and tasty and not as sweet as our cakes which makes it all the more satisfying.

Teapot? No.
Leaf tea? Yes, from a selection of 9. I had black tea with orange flowers and it was beautiful.
Milk jug? No, but fresh milk available from a dispenser.
Price? 1.80 euros.
Cake? Oh, the cake! So much delectable cake.
Go again? Yes.