Green Tea with Millionaire's Shortbread

Location: Beach Walk Café, Arnside, Cumbria
Date: 6 August 2009

Notes: Slightly off the tourist track (but still not hard to find) this small cafe-in-a-shack at the foot of a path up to the Youth Hostel does have a good view of the estuary, despite the dodgy photo here. We thought just having a cuppa was a little stingy so we ordered a piece of this locally-made millionaire shortbread with our tea. But it was rather huge so we had to wrap it up and smuggle it out. If you ever find yourself in Arnside, this place is a much better place for lunch than the eateries on the prom.

Booths Blend English Tea and a Raisin Whirl

Location: Booths supermarket, Ulverston, Cumbria
Date: 5 August 2009
Details: Booths special blend English tea with skimmed milk; raisin whirl pastry

Notes: Booths supermarkets are reassuringly traditional - I wish we had them in the Midlands but sadly their branches don't go further south than Preston. Not been to a Booths? It's like a friendly version of Waitrose, specialising in local produce and good quality brands. Nice. Best bit is their scoop-it-yourself frozen fruit station. Brilliant.

My mother and I shared this bog-standard British tea in bog-standard ceramic cups, having purchased these plastic-looking raisin whirls in the shop. A mediocre afternoon tea resuced by the tip-top company.

Hot Chocolate and Eccles Cake

Location: Arnside Pier, Cumbria
Date: August 2009
Details: Skimmed milk hot chocolate with Eccles cake, both from The Bakehouse, Arnside Promenade

Notes: The photo shows my mother's hands displaying the Eccles cake and take-out cuppa in front of the Arnside viaduct. (Please imagine a steam train chugging over the viaduct.)

This was a delicious traditional Eccles cake - huge (much bigger than my palm), stuffed full with currants and flaky pastry with sugary bits on top. Not so much a snack as an entire meal.

The hot chocolate was also a treat. Or did it all taste so good because it was eaten outside..?