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!
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| 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!
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