Twas the night before Xmas.....
Well...Actually....No.
....It was the DAY before Xmas Eve to be precise! And seeing as the mister had started his Xmas holidays a few days earlier still (Lucky for some!), It was about time for me to join him for the start of my own Xmas break, finishing work at lunchtime and being lucky enough still....to be picked up from the front door and whisked off for a romantic lunch.
I was still on a high from my visit to a local tearooms the previous weekend. I was in the mood for a pot of tea....and to make it a good one was going to be a challenge I felt!
I had spotted a little place on the internet through all my tearoom research...tucked away in the Cambridgeshire countryside...my favourite sort of location!...and we were torn.
We could either visit the tearoom from the previous weekend for round two...which was VERY tempting indeed!
OR
We could take a chance and try a new place for a spot of afternoon tea...a quaint looking (And very traditional tearoom with a seemingly modern twist from the look of their website....very appealing to me of course!) in the heart of a village called Burwell.
Not a village that we were very familiar with, but glad we visited! A very easy find a short distance from Cambridge, and situated on the High Street...I squeeled a geeky squeel when I saw the cute Union Jack bunting over the lawn of this old village school house.
I was excited already...and we hadn't even stepped foot through the door!
The path was a little icy still, so treading carefully up the steps from the main road was a tricky task, but allowed us to take in the beautiful garden and the surroundings. Already impressing us with it's quirky little touches, such as an old bicycle with a flower basket on the front of it and the cute *By Jove* signs in the snow-covered grass.
We were welcomed by an extremely friendly lady in an old black and white Parlor Maids' dress and headpiece and I knew right away that this was worth the visit already hehe!
She allowed us to wander around and find a table that suited us, and she said that she would come and find us when we had settled. A real change from being told where to take a seat.
So we took a peek in the main parlor, where there was a piano in the corner, and mis matching tables dotted around this large spacious room.
You could also take a sneaky peek at the cake selection, which were in glass domes at one wall. Drooling slightly at this view! Yum!
There were also two rooms with lots of things to buy, one downstairs opposite the parlor with jams and chutneys, large cakes to order, loose tea and coffee and lots of really cute nic nacs to buy. Gorgeous jewellery, notebooks, games and toys. It was a retro treasure trove, and you could easily spend a fortune here before you have even sat down to drink your tea!
Upstairs, where, again you were allowed to wander, was another room full of items to buy, with a real boudoir feel to it.
Luxurious cushions and clothing to purchase, laid out on vintage dressers, chairs and even a full size wardrobe with goodies inside.
It really felt like we had walked into somebody's house and were let loose on their rooms to nosey at what they own! So much fun! - It was like being in an episode of *Come Dine with Me*, it really was!
We found a free room upstairs, with a scottish feel to the decor. Tweed cushions and heavy dark furniture, a slightly darker, warmer feel to the parlor downstairs.
Luckily for us, we also had this really cute room all to ourselves for the afternoon which was a real added bonus!
Scottish bagpipes being played through the speakers, and a luxurious sofa in the corner which was tempting, but we decided to be seated at a table to be civilised.
We were also stunned to see such an extensive menu to choose from, which was great to see. We were a little worried that this might all be a bit of a gimic and before we had arrived, we were scared that we might be leaving feeling a little let down.....
This was the only element that had stopped us from visiting until now - The website is impressive, looking very new and modern and easy to use, however, it does not give any menu details or prices, which is a shame for such a great and otherwise informative website. (If we had seen the menu prior to today, we may have come sooner!)
Anyway, once we saw the menu...well....we were more than pleasantly surprised. It was huge and had a lot to offer.
After a lot of uncertainty of what to try, we both decided to go for the Afternoon tea.
A classic British Three tier Afternoon tea with a pot of *By Jove Tea* (Mister had a pot of coffee to fit his mood, and again the waitress was very accommodating with this change), a selection of sandwiches, freshly baked warm scones with clotted cream and strawberry preserve, and a choice of sponge cake.
After much deliberating, I went for a simple Victoria Sponge and the mister went for a slice of delicious Carrot Cake.
Both were huge portions, and by the time we had demolished our dainty sandwiches (Including a tasty Egg Mayonnaise and cress, a seasonal turkey with cranberry sauce and a refreshing cucumber) and the warm scones (Which again, the finer details were just amazing.... a seasonal twist on these scones included spices and orange peel which gave them a real wintery taste- A winner for us both!) I had to take away my slice of cake and my second scone, as even I couldn't finish off everything!
And the mister was also defeated...He had tried to eat it all, but even he couldn't polish it all off in one go! We would both be very impressed if anybody could!
Real value for money, trust me!
Should you visit *By Jove*...and I STRONGLY reccomend that you do!....be sure to go with an empty stomach, and wearing stretchy clothing hehe.
Take your time, and go with good company...or alone with a great book to while away the time. Perfect place to do either!
Don't rush your visit. This, you must take notice of.
You won't want to leave....we didn't!
We enjoyed our visit so much so...and the friendliness of the lady (Who actually seemed to be the only lady working both floors on her own, she was a STAR, who actually offered to pack up anything we couldn't finish...and by the time we had made it downstairs to pay, she had our leftovers neatly packed up and sat at the desk waiting for us to take home).
Great British service!
Just how it should be!!
We will be going back for my Birthday in the spring for sure!.......If not before!!!
Miss Sue Flay
x
