Breakfast Tea and Sultana Scone

Location: Crabtree & Evelyn Café, Stratford-upon-Avon
Date: 6 May 2009
Description: English Breakfast tea and a sultana scone with butter and cherry jam.

Notes: A decent cup of of tea which would have been improved if served with skimmed milk (semi tastes too strong for my liking). The scone was very good though - it came heated without me having to ask and didn't crumble too much. The cherry jam was nice but possibly blackcurrant not cherry. Unless cherries have become tiny and purple.

Please note the attention to detail displayed in this photograph - every avenue of twee-ness is covered in this cafe: Wedgewood-style C&E branded crockery, imitation dog-rose, even a floral paper napkin. Disappointingly, the jam container was polystyrene - it should be glass at the very least, which would be more appealing on the table and also cut down on the café's waste.

Michelle and I were at least three decades younger than the rest of clientele in this traditional Stratford café but don't let that put you off. It's also a great hiding place if you don't want to get spotted by colleagues. So I'm told.

Cappuccino and Sticky Ginger Cake

Location: Crabtree & Evelyn Cafe, Stratford-upon-Avon

Date: 6 May 2009

Description: Milky cappuccino with a big cube of ginger cake.

Notes: This cafe is 'award-winning' so Michelle was a little disappointed with her cappuccino and not-very-sticky Sticky Ginger Cake. As a twee 'olde worlde tea shoppe' C&E is probably not used to serving coffee though. Especially since it's so close to Costa and Starbucks.

The ginger cake tasted a bit like Jamaica Ginger Cake but without the heft, the clag and the suspiciously dark colour. Since it was little dry, it could have been spruced up with a drizzle - perhaps some syrup from a stem ginger jar. Or perhaps been served with a dollop of ginger ice-cream.

Still, it came served on a doily. A doily!