Afternoon Tea At Cup And Saucer In Clay Cross
Published On Sunday 6 Oct 2024 by Sticky Beak
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When I’m poorly, I’m a proper misery. Bless him, The Man was trying his hardest to cheer me up but I was still in the ‘woe-is-me’ doldrums…that is until he reminded me that I needed to put on my big-girl pants because we were having Afternoon Tea at Cup and Saucer in Clay Cross. Afternoon Tea: what a healing effect those two words have on the spirit!
There’s plenty of parking in the vicinity, so I didn’t have to be hacking and barking in the cold air for too long – a huge bonus in my lurgified opinion. Cup and Saucer’s owner, Gail, welcomed us warmly and got us seated at a cosy little table for two right beside the laden cake counter: clearly, my reputation precedes me! Our first task was to choose a loose-leaf tea blend to savour with our Afternoon Tea selection; sounds easy, until Gail tells you that there are a whopping 34 varieties in the ‘core’ range! Thank goodness the other, seasonal, ones weren’t in the mix, too; in the end, His Nibs had an Earl Grey (with added Vanilla) and I went for the Derbyshire Brew – what else?!
Cup and Saucer is one of those brilliantly bonkers, local businesses that epitomise the phrase ‘small but mighty’. Décor wise, I would describe the vibe as shabby chic/vintage, so it’s loose and relaxed with a ‘welcome-all’ feel. Lovers of the [tea]leaf will find everything they could want here: from pots, infuser balls, and loose leaves to coasters, cups and quirky gifts.
Foodies can revel in the glory of an assortment of locally made Cakes, Chutneys, Jams and Honey, as well as all manner of blended seasonings and sauces. What I particularly loved, though, was the fact that Gail supports other local producers. I sorted out a couple of presents for Bestie Bird – I can’t share the deets, as she reads the blog...or at least, she’d better do!!
With us sorted for liquid refreshment, Gail asked if we’d like to have our Afternoon Teas brought out; yes, please. Behind the scenes is Yvonne, the cook at Cup and Saucer and, whilst she definitely prefers to be out of sight, she’ll certainly be at the forefront of your thoughts as you wrap your laughing-gear around her scrummy morsels. The other talent at Cup and Saucer is the lovely Jane, aka the cake maker; she’s the one that is responsible for the piled-up domes of cakes, scones and traybakes on the counter - and for the tight feeling of your waistbands!
China cups and saucers with decoratively handled teaspoons were soon having amber-toned tea poured into them from pastel-hued infuser teapots, followed by a splash of milk [for me]. Gail also has a fabulous range of teapots available for customers to buy which, for some reason, I hadn’t initially noticed – perhaps because I’m short and they were artfully displayed from on high? My attention swiftly shifted back to the three-tiered stand that had just been put in front of us; and what a laden beast it was.
On the bottom tier were finger sandwiches (in a mix of white and multigrain bread) of Farmhouse Ham, Tuna Mayo, Cheese, and Egg Mayo with Cress; all the varieties were more than generously filled and had been precisely arranged next to each other. Also on this tier were crisps and miniature teacups that housed colourful, homemade Coleslaw. Everything tasted superb and you could tell that it was freshly made – the flavours shone in the mouth. We both commented on the great contrast of the soft bread and fillings against the crunch of the crisps and coleslaw; this was a beautifully balanced start to our Afternoon Tea experience.
The middle tier was home to a pair of plump, Fruit Scones and dinky pots of Clotted Cream and Strawberry Jam. As always, this sparked the age-old debate of cream first, or jam? I don’t have a rigid stance on this topic; for me, it depends entirely on the relative textures of the two partners. A thicker Clotted Cream should go on the bottom as the jam will always be runnier, whereas a whipped Cream should go on top of its fruity cousin. The one thing to be avoided at all costs, though, is an intermingling of the two (bleurgh!): I like to see a pair of distinct colours. However, when it comes to flavours and tastes, I love the twirling and whirling together of flavours, and here we got bold fruits, the roundedness of vanilla in the airy Scone, and the indulgence of cream. Bravo, Yvonne, you pulled it out of the bag.
Perched on the uppermost tier was an assortment of tempting treats: squares of Lemon Drizzle and Victoria Sponge, enticingly dark cubes of Chocolate Brownie, and [in clear glass, mini cups] beautiful Fruit Trifles. The cakes were both superb: one marvellously bouncy with citrus enthusiasm, the other elegant in its Vanilla poise, and the texture of each was spot-on – Jane, you’re a flippin’ legend. Fans of Cocoa will be thrilled to hear that the Brownie was wonderfully intense as it melted in the warmth of our mouths. Each individual Trifle was decorated with fresh Strawberries, a sprig of Mint and a Pirouline wafer, under which could be seen the distinct layers of fruit and Jelly, set Custard and pale Cream. Wielding the spoon, I set out to answer the question on all your lips: would the Trifle ‘trump’? Yes; yes, it would!
Don’t ask me how we managed it, but we finished every morsel on the Tea stand; it took some doing, though, I can’t lie! Throughout our time at Cup and Saucer, Gail and her team had excelled in looking after us; teapots were re-filled when needed, excess crockery cleared when finished with, and even the offer to take a photo of us both. There was a group of friends also partaking of Afternoon Tea the same time as us, and they had a photo taken to mark their occasion – judging by the hoots of laughter, they’d had just as great an afternoon as us.
Hot Wings very happily awarded to this independent Clay Cross Tea-Room; what an absolute gem of a business. It isn’t just Afternoon Teas that Gail and her team offer, either; food is served between 11am-2pm and includes brunch, sandwich platters, salad bowls and good old, trusty Jacket Spuds.
To book a table - which you definitely need to do, as seats are very limited – call 07849 177701. To discover all the awesomeness that Gail retails, visit the website www.cupandsauceronline.co.uk . Cup and Saucer is closed on Sunday and Monday, opens 10am-3pm Tues-Fri, and 10am-4pm on Saturday.
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