The afternoon tea that embodies Teesside - Skelton Mill Tea Rooms

The humble parmo. I've spoken about my love for it before and explained what one is. A parmo is a Middlesbrough 'delicacy' which includes fried chicken, bechamel sauce and CHEESE! In Middlesbrough, it will be hard for you to find someone who doesn't like the parmo. Recently my Mum came across an afternoon tea that included one rather than the usual sandwiches. That's like two of my favourite things combined into one which meant I had to visit and try it out.

Located around 10 minutes from Middlesbrough, Skelton Mill Tea Rooms is just off a country road surrounded by greenery. As well as the tea rooms, on the site, they have glamping pods and a vintage/shabby chic shop.

Having booked our time slot and pre-ordered our afternoon tea, it wasn't long before we were presented with a stand full of gorgeous food and a plate of chips. The staff were super friendly and couldn't do enough to ensure we were happy.

With our parmo and chips, the tea rooms included two pots of garlic sauce, a bowl of salad and some buttered bread. Although I had not long had my breakfast, I practically wolfed down my portion as it was really tasty and something so different for an afternoon tea.

After the parmo, it was time for the scone. As I'm not one for fresh cream, and they'd already pre-creamed the scones, they kindly gave us another scone (raspberry and white chocolate) for me to have with butter and jam. This was the perfect consistency for a scone, very light but also solid enough to ensure it didn't crumble on my plate. The flavours of this one were really nice and complimented each other perfectly. I'd definitely be back for 'cream tea' if it included these scones.

Last but not least was the cake. In my opinion, the selection of sweet treats wasn't the best with only a small chocolate cake and a little jelly and custard, but to be honest, by this point I wasn't bothered. The parmo and the scone filled me up, so I was happy with the delicious food I'd already had. Having said that, I did spot some delicious cakes on the sideboard, so I definitely think I'd pop back just for cake.

Myself and Mum thoroughly enjoyed our time at Skelton Mill Tea Rooms. The staff were exceptionally nice, the food was so good and the price was very reasonable. For our parmo afternoon tea for two, it was only £20! Usually, you'd pay that much per person at some places.

If you live in the area I would definitely say you need to visit if you are fond of the humble parmo.

For more afternoon tea reviews, click here!

Taking tea with Valerie - Patisserie Valerie afternoon tea, Durham

Among my friends and family, I'm known as someone who goes out for food quite often. Anywhere someone is interested in going, I've probably been and can give an in-depth review, or direct them to my blog (#pageviews). So when Christmas rolled around, Matt's Uncle decided it would be a great idea to buy us an afternoon tea for two at Patisserie Valerie, which has not long opened in Middlesbrough. Having only ever been for cake and a warmed croissant sandwich, I couldn't wait to try their afternoon tea.

After an especially busy period at work, I took a random Friday off and we ventured to Durham for the day to redeem our afternoon tea. From where we'd parked, we walked up the stairs to ground level and Patisserie Valerie was staring us right in the face.

We ventured to the cafe around 2.30pm, after a wander around the town, trying to spot the Marvel Avengers cast, and were seated immediately. Our afternoon tea didn't take long to come out and it looked packed with yummy treats.

We switched out a few of the sandwiches and were left with chicken, sun-dried tomato and pesto, egg mayonnaise and ham and mustard. As an extra in this afternoon tea, we both had a small, warm, vegetable quiche which was a lovely addition. Having worked our way through the sandwiches, which were very fresh and tasty, we were on to the scone level.

We had a plain and a fruit scone accompanied by four different mini pots of jam, clotted cream and butter. The scones were the perfect mix of firm, yet soft, and when accompanied by unlimited cups of tea, were great.

Finally, we reached the top level, the cake! It was a bit disappointing that we only had one of each type of cake, apart from the chocolate eclair, which meant we had to split the small servings of cake. I tried the chocolate and the carrot which were both very nice.

Overall for a 'chain' cafe, this afternoon tea was of a very high standard. Patisserie Valerie pride themselves on their top-notch cakes and their afternoon tea didn't falter on creativity or quality. For £25 for two, this afternoon tea is very reasonable and could be taken whenever you fancy it.

How to put together the best Afternoon Tea

I've been out for my fair share of afternoon tea. I've tried the fancy establishments, the casual and the unusual. I love the ritual of venturing out to enjoy copious amounts of tea, filling up on sandwiches and scones and finishing with sickly treats. I know some don't 'get' afternoon tea and that's fine but I like chilling out for a few hours with some delicious grub and a warm cuppa.

Recently I went for afternoon tea at a local venue and was so deeply disappointed. I try not to be an afternoon tea snob, but I'm afraid that's what I've turned into. Following this, I wanted to lay out what I would say makes the best afternoon tea experience.

1. The first is the most important in my eyes. There must be unlimited tea. I don't like to go out to afternoon tea, be handed a cup of tea and then after I've slurped that, be told I need to purchase another. No, thank you. I need a teapot full, will additional hot water, and if this runs out I want to know I'm okay to ask for more. To be honest, it's the cheapest part of the afternoon tea, so why shouldn't we have as much as we want?

2. Fresh sandwiches with flexibility in the fillings. There is nothing worse than getting to your booked afternoon tea and discovering it features sandwiches you despise but you can't change it because they were pre-made hours ago. I think there should always be an option to change the sandwiches if you like as it's your afternoon tea. I'm not saying that they should let you have egg mayo even if it's not an option, but maybe to double up on sandwiches you like and ditch the ones you don't. This also ensures that the sandwiches are freshly made and haven't been sitting around getting soggy developing crusty edges.

3. Warm, homemade scones with the fillings on the side. Having a toasty, freshly-made scone arrive on your platter is the dream. It just adds that little extra to your afternoon tea which makes you feel giddy inside. Leaving the jam, cream (and butter if you're like me) on the side is an absolute must. There is enough controversy around what goes first, the jam or the cream, that you can't be deciding that for people. Also, how do you know how someone likes their scone? I don't like cream so if I see a scone already filled up coming my way, I feel sorely disappointed.

4. Cake. Cake. Cake. Having a good cake selection is a must. I love to see at least three different cakes adorning the top tier of the platter. The variety just adds options to the afternoon tea and ensures that people will like a bigger majority of the cakes available. Also, there must be one of each available for everyone partaking in afternoon tea. Making people fight over cake is a no-go. This is a relaxing past time which I don't want spoiling when someone takes the last piece of chocolate cake and I'm left with Victoria sponge cake!

This may sound a little over the top, but for people who enjoy afternoon tea, I think we all understand the elements that go together to make the best ones.

Who else agrees with my points and what other musts are there for a great afternoon tea?

Tea party with Degustabox

I love a good cup of tea. With a biscuit. Oh and some cake. Why not throw in chocolates whilst you are there. Oh, look a perfect tea party. Gather round and join me whilst I enjoy some Degustabox treats!

At my tea party, there was cups of Irish tea, amazing American cookies, Italian chocolates and some homemade cakes.

Barry's Tea - A brand I'd never heard of until my Degustabox turned up at the door. Being an international box it was great to discover some new brands from overseas. I'm pretty much a Yorkshire Tea girl through and through so getting me to try this tea was tough. When I did get a cuppa I enjoyed it. It was nothing super special that would get me to change my tea of choice, but a lovely cup of tea nonetheless.

Debeukelaer Cookies Bakery (Creamy Cookie) - An exciting packet to discover stashed in my parcel and a welcome one. When I finally got round to trying these treats (after the hoards of photos) I was a little underwhelmed. The gooey middle was certainly brilliant, almost like Nutella, but the cookie was a letdown. It wasn't soft and squidgy like I would have liked, it was quite dry.

Kinder Chocolate with cereals - Whenever I find chocolate in a Degustabox I am very happy. This box didn't disappoint with two bags of different Kinder chocolates. I used the Choco-Bons to make the cupcakes and shared around the cereal ones which were a lovely change from normal chocolate flavours.

*April Degustabox was sent to me free for review

Kinder Choco-Bon Chocolate Cupcakes

I used to be really obsessed with subscription boxes. Every time a new one popped up I'd be all over it. Now that I am older and a bit smarter with my money, I like to research them before I commit. A few have caught my eye recently but one I've always liked is Degustabox. I've had this a couple of times in the past and loved all the new food I had to try! I really enjoy getting a massive box filled with full-sized products sent to my door once a month. Some people don't seem to get the excitement I feel when I receive it, but for me, it is about trying new foods from upcoming and established brands.

I recently was sent a box to review which happened to be their international box and it was filled with all sorts of amazing goodies which I will be posting about. One product that caught my eye was the Kinder Choco-Bons. I've always seen people make cakes with other treats inside, so I thought this was my chance to do the same. I'm not much of a baker, I'm more of a cook, but I thought I'd give this a go. Boy was I glad I tried!

Kinder Choco-Bon Chocolate Cupcakes

You will need (will make 8 cupcakes):
85g/3oz self-raising flour
1 tbsp cocoa powder
55g/2oz butter, softened or soft margarine
55g/2oz caster sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
8 Kinder Choco-Bons

For the icing (will make enough for 12 cakes):
150g unsalted butter
280g icing sugar
2 tbsp cocoa powder
6 Kinder Choco-Bons

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5. Put 8 cupcake cases on a tray.

2. Sift the flour and cocoa powder into a large bowl. Mix in the butter, caster sugar and the egg. Continue beating together until smooth.

3. Spoon a little mixture into the cupcake cases using a teaspoon. Put one Choco-Bon into each of the cases, squishing into the mixture to ensure coverage. Put another dollop of the mixture on top if the Choco-Bon to cover it over.

4. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until risen and firm to the touch. Leave to cool for 20-30 minutes before icing.

5. For the icing, measure out the butter and beat until soft and pale. Sift in the icing sugar a bit at a time, mixing it in well to ensure light fluffy icing, until it is all included. Add two tablespoons of cocoa powder to make it chocolatey.

6. Cover the cupcakes in the chocolate buttercream. Break up the remaining Choco-Bons with a knife and sprinkle over the cakes.

What do you think? Will you have a go making these?

*The April Degustabox was sent to me for review

Chadwick & Co - Coffee House and Kitchen in Barker and Stonehouse

Following a late-night (early morning) watching WWE Wrestlemania at the end of March, myself and Matt both had Monday off. With this, we decided to visit the brand new Barker and Stonehouse store. We are big fans of B&S owning many items from the shop. The items they sell are unlike anything available in normal furniture shops. It fits our style perfectly as we love chunky wood, industrial metal and quirky accessories. Walking around B&S in Middlesbrough always made me excited so you can imagine what I was like walking into the newly opened shop on Teesside Park, it's MASSIVE!

In the new store, they have added a café on the top level. B&S have partnered with restaurateur, Daryl Chadwick, to run Chadwicks & Co Coffee House and Kitchen. Daryl has been a part of some of Teesside's top restaurants including D.P Chadwick's in Yarm and Café Lili in Norton. Now he has turned his hand to this new venture and created a menu full of treats for B&S's customers. We were very peckish so headed on up to see what we could have.

Up on the top floor is lovely as you get to look over on the store and also out of the large glass windows. All the tables and chairs featured in the café are available to buy in B&S which I thought was a nice touch. There isn't a huge menu here so we both decided on a piece of cake. I chose chocolate and pistachio gluten-free cake and Matt chose carrot cake accompanied by a pot of tea to share. When the cake arrived I did think the portion sizes were a tad on the small side but once I started eating I could see why. It was so tasty but very sickly. I didn't manage to finish mine! Matt really enjoyed his cake and loved the large pieces of carrot on top.

I will definitely be back to have some more cake and maybe more of a savoury snack. They also do afternoon tea which looks amazing so I am sure that I will be visiting to try this.

Have you visited yet? What did you think?

Falling down the rabbit hole - Mad Hatters Afternoon Tea at How Do You Do

After a glowing review from Katie about How Do You Do's Mad Hatters afternoon tea, I decided that I had to visit. Although it was all the way out in Whitley Bay, around an hour away from me, I thought it sounded too good to pass up on. I showed my partner in crime when it comes to afternoon tea, my mum, the menu and she was sold too. We are always on the lookout for new, exciting afternoon tea!

We arrived at the venue a little early for our booking, but towards the end of their afternoon tea service. There were many people quite the way through their cakey delights so we had an idea about what we were about to receive. When we were settled the waitress brought over a pot of tea, themed of course, which was spouting smoke. Very cool.

She then brought out the food and explained what everything was. We had ham and mustard sandwiches (the yellow ones), egg mayo and cheese & chutney (the green ones). These were nice but lacked a lot of filling. That was a bit disappointing but we carried on munching. With the sandwiches was a plain scone each with jam and cream which was nice and warm, a lovely colour and very tasty.

After these were wolfed down it was on to the tray of goodies. There was little 'drink me' cream soda bottles, marshmallows, macarons, mini doughnuts, meringues and Petri-dishes of jelly. They were all lovely, although the macaron was questionable, but after it all, we were still hungry which is not normal for an afternoon tea. Usually, we are full to the bring with sugar and carbs. We ordered another pot of tea (which they charged us for, blah, we need bottomless tea!) and sat for a while contemplating chips.

For £12.95 each, it was a reasonable afternoon tea but there were too many fiddly bits and not enough substance. I would have liked maybe another scone and some more sandwich filling to keep me happy!

Would this be something you'd like? Have you been?