This is a small tea room which opened earlier this year with good write-ups in the local paper. I was in the area, so decided to pop in and try it out.
As it’s name suggests it is very chintzy with pale blue wallpaper with large pink flowers. The pale wood tables have white chairs. There was a large group having afternoon tea (at eleven thirty) with a selection of dainty sandwiches and an assortment of cakes and scones, all beautifully arranged on tall cake stands. Another two ladies had a pot of tea with a generous portion of cake.
It was nearly lunchtime when I arrived. The cakes are kept tucked away out of sight of the tea room – a retrograde step. I was hungry so decided on the homemade soup and a crusty roll rather than a cake. The choice was vegetable or tomato.
I chose the tomato which came out in a generous size bowl and was piping hot. I’m not sure it was 100% homemade but it had been heavily flavoured with herbs. The crusty roll looked huge but was the sort that broke into a myriad of crumbs when cut. The inside was that polystyrene type foam consistency which doesn’t have a lot of taste and doesn’t fill you up. It came with what I thought was a generous pat of butter until I tasted it… it was marg. I also had to ask for a knife.
At £3.50 it was par for the course but I can’t say I was over impressed. Perhaps I should have stuck to the cakes.
The tea room has an extensive menu starting with bacon, sausage or poached egg rolls for breakfast. There is a good choice of sandwiches, paninis or toasties as well as jacket potatoes and salads. Prices are around £4.25 to £4-50. Salads are slightly more expensive at £5.95. The afternoon tea is £9.95.
I had a good look at the cakes as I went to pay behind the tea room. They were mainly the Victoria sponge type with generous fillings. At £2 they struck me as being good value.
The tea room is at the end of the row of shops on Doncaster Road and well away from the main shopping area. You have to want to come here. There is some on road parking outside, otherwise there is a public car park on a side road off Doncaster Road, or Sainsbury’s car park across the road. There is disabled access into the tea room, but little space between the tables.
It is open 10-4, except Sundays. The serving staff are young and very willing although service is slow. Somehow didn’t cut the mustard for me.
