Crag House Farm - Leeds

The Granary Restaurant

Crag House Farm

Otley Old Road

Cookridge

Leeds

LS16 7NH

Date Visited : 31 July 2013

Price: £9.95

I heard about this place from a friend.  It’s not an easy place to find if you don’t know the area but here is a link to help with directions. The restaurant used to be an old barn which they have rebuilt and extended.  It has its own small farm shop selling local produce and all of the profits go towards the Caring For Life Charity who run the shop and restaurant.  Most of the food is also grown at the farm.

The tearoom is situated in the old barn with a high ceiling and an extended conservatory on the back looking out onto the gardens. Most of the tearooms I’ve visited are usually quite small and cramped inside, but this one is very spacious. Inside it is airy and bright, whilst the decor looks very modern and polished. 

The tea menu was very impressive, with a large selection of teas to choose from.  I went for the really boring option of the traditional Yorkshire Tea – best to stick to what you know right?! But one of my guests was a bit more adventurous than me and opted for the rather more exotic Green Tea, which came in a fancy looking glass teapot.

The afternoon tea was very well presented, being served on a three tiered stand. We were given a wide variety of four finger sandwiches to share amongst us which included roast beef and onion, Cheshire cheese and chutney, egg mayonnaise, smoked salmon, cream cheese and cucumber, and salad and mayonnaise on brown and white bread. I wasn’t too keen on the salad and mayonnaise or the smoked salmon, but the rest went down very well – the beef and the egg being the favourites between us.

 

The cakes comprised of a scone each served with strawberry jam and clotted cream, a small meringue filled with cream and a strawberry on top, a small shortbread biscuit and a rocky road brownie. The cakes were rather on the small side, which probably reflected on the price, but nevertheless they were all delicious! The scones were lovely and fresh and the rocky road brownie was certainly a favourite amongst our table. As you can imagine nothing was left over.

 

Overall the tea was very enjoyable and good value for money – most of the other tearooms I have visited charge at least £20 for practically the same selection.  The tearoom had a pleasant atmosphere, the staff were very friendly and helpful and the service we received was excellent.  I would definitely recommend it. 

N.B. My gluten free guest didn’t attend but I did enquire if a gluten free option was available, to which I was informed that this could be provided upon request but it would be best to ring beforehand so that freshly baked gluten free cakes and bread could be prepared in advance – thereby giving you a bit more choice! I will have to pay another visit to see what it’s like.

Ratings:

Tea: 8/10

Sandwiches:  7/10

Cakes: 7/10

Scones: 8/10

Service: 9/10

Overall: 8/10

Would I return?   Yes