Tea for you and me

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

Tag Archives: tea


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Cafe Zer

I can’t figure out what ‘Zer’ means. Does it mean anything? Maybe it doesn’t, but then again maybe it does and I just don’t get it. Whether it means something or not it still sells tea and that’s all we’re concerned with here. I like Cafe Zer because it’s the only cafe in the area (as far as I know, if you know of another one please let me know!) and also because it opens at 8am. I’ve stuck it on the map so you can see where it is.

Cafe Zer is warm and cheerful. It has a big window overlooking the road and lots of people coming in to eat breakfast. There are red and white checked plastic table cloths and 4 versions of fried breakfast on the menu. At 8am on a cold misty morning in October it was very welcoming. BBC Radio Berkshire plays constantly and there are newspapers as well so even if you’re by yourself you feel quite at home. They bring your order to your table, which didn’t seem like anything until I realised all the other cafes I have reviewed so far didn’t do this. I really like this cafe, it’s not got the best tea and there’s no cake – but it’s open and warm and it exists. It’s good enough for me.

Teapot? No.
Leaf tea? No idea. The tea came ready made in a mug.
Milk jug? No, but as the tea came with milk in I’m guessing it was fresh milk.
Price? £3 for two teas and a Cafe Latte.
Cake? Danish pastries and KitKats, but no cake.
Go again? Yes.


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Mapledurham House and Mill

Outside the tea room at Mapledurham House and Mill

Outside the tea room at Mapledurham House and Mill

It hasn’t been the best couple of weeks for tea drinking, I’ve just spent too much time at work to be able to indulge. There has been one ray of tea-coloured sunshine though, on the only sunny day in September that I didn’t have to be at work I managed to get to Mapledurham House and Mill. This is described as a ‘historic Thameside house and watermill’ and it was the perfect setting for some outdoors tea drinking. It’s also famous for being the setting of the film ‘The eagle has landed’ and starring in ‘The Fisher King’ episode of Midsummer Murders. Donald Sutherland and John Nettles have been here, what more reason do you need to go visit?

We went for a look round the mill first, I love mills, especially when they let you walk around inside and climb stairs like this one does. Mapledurham is the last working mill on the river Thames and you can arrive by boat if you so desire. We also had a look round the house and then headed back to the tea area. If the weather isn’t so bad you can sit indoors in one of two rooms, one of which has a portrait of the Queen Mum on the wall (this was much appreciated by BF).

The tea was not the best I’ve ever had, but the setting more than made up for it. It was warm and sunny and peaceful, I felt relaxed.

Teapot? Yes, two big metal teapots. This was proper tea.
Leaf tea? No.
Milk jug? Yes, with an offer of a refill if we needed it.
Price? Can’t remember but around £11 for 5 teas and 3 pieces of cake.
Cake? Yes, home made. And scones and cream. I went for a tub of Ginger and Honey Beechdean Ice Cream and it was delicious.
Go again? Definitely.


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Cafe Nero, Newbury

Today was not a good day for tea. There was tea, but it wasn’t good tea. I got to Newbury too early in the morning and ended up in Cafe Nero.

Teapot? No.
Leaf tea? No, Cafe Nero own brand English Breakfast teabag (though just to taunt me, they had boxes of Clipper tea behind the counter).
Milk jug? Yes.
Price? £1.75 for a large tea.

So, I guess it gets some sort of point for having fresh milk in a teeny jug, but still. Was not the best. I took a photo but can’t get it out of my phone… I’ll do better next time! And I’ll do better with the tea next time as well, there has to be somewhere in Newbury that opens early in the morning that serves tea in a pot. I will find it!