Tuesday Tea Tasting
Do you remember your first afternoon tea?
When I was a kid my school friend’s parents took us to York during half term. If was just before end of year exams so as a bribe we were told if we revised every day we would be taken to Bettys Cafe Tea Rooms for a treat. Needless to say we revised our socks off and it was all worth it. Afternoon tea at Bettys is one of my top childhood memories – probably the first time I had a full-on afternoon tea in what was the grandest café I had ever been in.
And so, when I was sent some tea to try and inside the box was a surprise box of biscuits, well I reverted back to being a child, nearly scoffing them all at once. Buttery shortcake biscuit crumbs all over my face and my top (you know, saving some for later).
I have no idea if they did back then, but Bettys now sell tea and have a perfectly pretty selection of tisanes. Fruity, herbal teas packaged in lovely decorative boxes perfect for a gift when popping to a friend’s. The so-very-British strawberry, cherry and rose tisane is a bright and bold pink, with serious flavour and the smell is divine. While it’s super fruity it’s also quite light, sweet and thirst quenchingly drinkable. Perfect to wash a few shortbread biscuits down with – if there are any left.
Did you know? Bettys was founded by Frederick Belmont, a Swiss baker and confectioner. He opened his first Café Tea Rooms in Harrogate in 1919 and named it 'Bettys'…but nobody knows why!
Tea tip: Queues for Betty are notorious long. Apparently you should arrive before 12 to wait a little less.
Discover more! Read my review of Tea Blossom's Green Strawberry.