Coton Orchard Garden Centre Café, Coton, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire.

Cost – £9.95 (Aug 2019)

Parking and Access – Coton Orchard Garden Centre has a large car park right outside the main entrance. However, it is then necessary to walk around a large part of the garden centre to reach the Café, which is near to the exit. It is, however, a walk on the level. The toilets are a fair way from the café, nearer the entrance but are also accessed on the level.

Background – We had visited Coton Orchard Garden Centre Café a week earlier for some lunch. Whilst we were there, a couple came in and asked if they could have an Afternoon Tea. What arrived looked good so we asked if it was always available as it is not shown on the menu. We were told it was and that it was not necessary to pre-book. So we added it to my ever increasing list of Afternoon Teas to do.

It only took a week for us to get back!

Contents – Eight rectangular sandwiches each (two of each of ham, smoked salmon and cream cheese, cheese and tomato, and cucumber) plus some crisps. One very large fruit scone, a mini Tiptree jar of either strawberry or blackcurrant jam and a small Rodda’s pot of clotted cream. A square of flapjack, a square of blondie with cranberries, a square of chocolate and hazelnut cake, a finger of blueberry and almond cake and a mini round Italian chocolate cake. A pot of tea.

Options Available – There were no options available.

Comments – We originally sat ourselves at a small round table to have our Afternoon Tea, having ordered it at the counter. However, when the lady brought it out, it was obvious it was not going to fit, and we had to move to a larger table!

The tea was served in a large china teapot along with two small metal milk jugs. It was quite strong but we didn’t ask for a top up. The pot was so large that we didn’t run out of tea! Unfortunately, the milk jugs were difficult to pour with and we both spilt some of the milk. The tea was made with loose leaf tea held in a cage in the pot.

We were each given a pretty china plate, a knife and a paper napkin.

The Afternoon Tea arrived, nicely laid out, in two wooden trays. The first contained the sandwiches and the crisps, whilst the second contained all of the sweet items.

The sandwiches were all well filled and freshly made. There were plenty of them and they were tasty. There was a mix of brown and white bread.

There was one large fruit scone each, which was freshly made and tasted very good. There was plenty of cream as we had a Rodda’s pot each, and there was enough jam. I was delighted to have blackcurrant jam – my favourite!

All of the cakes were quite small, but there were five of them and the squares were not too tiny. They were all fresh and really yummy. The Italian chocolate cake was particularly good, along with the flapjack. We were impressed by how nice the cakes were.

The staff in the café are all really friendly and helpful. In particular, the lady who brought our Tea to us, who works there along with her husband. These two members of staff are particularly helpful to everyone who visits the café.

This was a particularly good Afternoon Tea and was extremely good value.

 

Sandwiches	2.0
Scone	1.5
Jam	1.5
Cream	2.0
Cake (variety)	2.0
Cake (quality)	2.0
Tea	1.5
Presentation	2.0
Service	2.0
Value	2.0
Total	18.5