Oulton Hall - Oulton - Leeds

Oulton Hall

Rothwell Lane

Oulton

Leeds

LS26 8HN

Date of Visit: 31 July 2016

Price: Mon-Thurs £21.00

Price: Fri-Sun £24.00

Oulton Hall is a beautiful 18th century mansion near Rothwell, just on the outskirts of Leeds. Set back from the main road, it is approached by a long sweeping driveway and is surrounded by beautiful landscaped gardens and a 27 hole golf course. In the July sun it looks very grand.

Afternoon tea is served in the drawing room, a large airy space with high ceilings, ornate cornicing glass chandeliers, plush carpets, dark wood panelled walls and quality furniture. We were shown to a large marble coffee table surrounded by comfy chairs and a sofa in front of a huge glass window which offered a glorious view onto the well-kept gardens.

The Drawing Room

For our afternoon tea we were offered a choice of two sandwich fillings to share between us, so  we went for egg and chive mayonnaise and Yorkshire ham with fruit chutney, on white and brown bread.  Other filling options included smoked salmon with milled black pepper, or cream cheese and cucumber.  As an added bonus, we were also given a warm savoury red pepper tomato and spring onion tartlet.  The gluten free menu consisted of the same selection, although the ham sandwich came without the fruit chutney which unfortunately made it very dry.  The savoury tartlet was also notably absent.

Gluten Free Sandwiches

When the afternoon tea came it was served on a tall three tier stand with a selection of fruit and plain scones, served with strawberry preserve and clotted cream, Yorkshire tea loaf and a chunk of Wensleydale cheese.  The other cakes included a fresh cream chocolate éclair, a fresh strawberry and coconut tart, a bakewell tart and a vanilla panna cotta topped with a blueberry.  The gluten free sweets comprised of a plain and fruit scone, millionaire’s shortbread and a bakewell tart topped with a cherry – although this did look suspiciously like a shop bought one.

The tea menu is locally sourced from Taylors of Harrogate, offering a large selection from Kenya, India and China, and a range of fruity infusions, including lemongrass and ginger, and sweet rhubarb.  Naturally we went for the most boring option and stuck with the trusty English breakfast blend.

Although the sandwiches were very tasty, I found the cakes a bit underwhelming and with only one of each choice between two, it was a fight to see who was having which cake!  The gluten free option was equally unspectacular for such a well established place.

We did enjoy our afternoon tea but I must admit we were slightly disappointed by some of the cakes, and expected much better quality from a luxury hotel.  Plus, we had to pay more because we visited on a weekend and I felt due to the lack of options for the gluten free tea, it should have been priced a little cheaper.  On the other hand, the service was very good and the staff were very friendly.  I guess we just expected more from a four star hotel.

Gluten Free Cakes

Ratings:                                          Ratings:  Gluten Free

Tea: 7/10                                                     Tea: 7/10

Sandwiches:  8/10                                      Sandwiches: 6/10           

Cakes: 6/10                                                 Cakes: 5/10

Scones: 7/10                                                Scones: 7/10

Service: 8/10                                              Service: 8/10       

Overall: 7/10                                              Overall: 6/10

Would I return?   Maybe 

Betty'sTea Room - Ilkley

Betty’s

32 The Grove

Ilkley

LS29 9EE

West Yorkshire

Date Of Visit: 17 February 2016

Price: £18.95

I guess anyone who loves afternoon tea will have heard of the infamous Betty’s tea room.  There are six Betty’s tea rooms scattered around Yorkshire, in Ilkley, Harrogate, Northallerton and York, and on this occasion we decided to visit the newly refurbished tea room in the pretty spa town of Ilkley. Although I’ve been past Betty’s many times I have only ever visited the lovely shop inside – it’s far too tempting to just walk past – so this visit was going to be a real treat! 

There was a lot of expectation as Betty’s does have a reputation as being the ‘queen’ of afternoon tea and cakes, so I was looking forward to tucking into nothing less than the best.  Of course if you don’t have much of a sweet tooth, there are plenty of alternative savoury options to enjoy from the extensive menu boasting a wealth of breakfast, brunch and dinner options.  And if you’d prefer a late night snack, the tea room is open until 10pm most evenings.

From Leeds, Ilkley is only a short 20 minute drive and it can be easily accessed via bus or train. Located along the main shopping street, the tea room's large glass window display laden with cakes, biscuits, artisan bread and hand crafted chocolates makes it easy to find and the tempting array of tasty treats certainly lures you through its doors.

As you enter you are greeted with the smell of freshly baked cakes and breads and you get a little glimpse of what you could be sampling as you make your way past the hand crafted oak counters into the café at the back.

The café is very light and airy and boasts a lot more seating than you’d expect from the outside.  Antique and contemporary teapots are displayed around the white washed walls, and the soft lighting and cream furnishings all add to the atmosphere, making it feel very warm and cosy on a cold February afternoon.

For the sandwiches we had roast chicken, egg mayonnaise and cress, roast ham and opted for Wensleydale cheese with tomato as a substitute for the Scottish smoked salmon (awkward customer again!), served on a selection of white and brown bread. 

The cake selection consisted of a pastry filled fresh fruit tart with blueberries and raspberries, a strawberry macaroon and a miniature coffee opera cake topped with a solid chocolate oval inscribed with the Betty’s logo in gold.  And then of course there was the traditional fruit scones served with strawberry preserve and Yorkshire clotted cream. 

The tea menu was equally impressive, with teas from Kenya, South America and Rwanda, fruit teas such as the Jasmine, White tea, and China Rose petal tea, and the traditional Betty’s tea room blend.  There was also a fine selection of coffee, milkshakes, soft drinks, ales, lagers, wine and champagne for that special occasion.  Ever adventurous, we chose the rose petal and Betty’s tea room blend tea.

Everything was presented beautifully on a three tier cake stand.   The sandwiches were very tasty, although we could have easily eaten a few more, but at least this left plenty of room to sample the tempting cakes.  My favourite was the fruit tart – the pastry was lovely and crisp and melted in the mouth.   Any cakes we had left were boxed up to take home for later and if you can’t resist a few more tasty nibbles, you can always stock up in the shop on your way out!

Afternoon Tea - Betty's Ilkley

All in all it was a very nice afternoon tea and reasonably priced.  If you like Champagne with your afternoon tea the price is a little dearer at £26.85, or you can just have the cream tea with scones for £9.95.  Gluten free options were available on request, but it’s probably best to check they can cater for your requirements beforehand so I’d recommend ringing in advance.

Ratings :

Tea: 8/10

Sandwiches:  9/10

Cakes: 8/10

Scones: 8½/10              

Service: 9/10

Overall: 9/10

Would I return?   Definitely!  I will have to try the other five cafes now to compare!