We went to Harlow Carr garden today – the northern garden of the Royal Horticultural Society. It was a lovely spring day and the gardens were quite crowded as every pensioner in Yorkshire seemed to be having a trip out.
I’ll cover the gardens in more detail later. For now I will talk about the first scone of our day.
The queue for scones at Bettys Tea House (which is a shed in the garden rather than the posh cafe at the entrance) contained around 30 people when we joined it. Well, when Julia joined it. I have a bad knee – I can’t queue.
(Note – Bettys was originally Betty’s but they have now become Bettys. The increasingly cavalier disregard for apostrophes seems to be mirrored by a general decline in standards and I wonder if the two may be linked.)
Despite the decline in standards and the deficiency in apostophes the staff were absolutely top class. They were quick and accurate and kept smiling as they coped with a constant queue, which averaged 20 people long for at least half an hour. My research method was to count the queue three times while I was sitting there. I can be scientifically rigorous when the occasion demands.
They served Julia with two cups of tea and two scones in boxes (with the jam and cream already applied), and only took £10 off her.
The tea was excellent, despite being a teabag in a vending cup. It probably tasted better because I was drinking it outside on a sunny spring day as a robin sang from a neighbouring tree.
Tea, scones and sunshine. Bettys, Harlow Carr
The boxed scones were convenient, though they were still rather chilly from storage. They were also, and I’m sorry I can’t come up with another description, a bit tight in texture. Fresh home made scones have a nice open, crumbly texture. Well, mostly. I have had one or two disasters in my time. Commercial scones tend to be closer in texture and come with neat, even air holes.
So, staff, tea and surroundings – excellent. Scones were good, but not as good as the rest of the meal. I felt they weren’t quite as good as some of the other scones we’ve had this year, either. They must be doing something right because they have been going for 100 years this year.
Bettys – 100 years this year
This is not a criticism of the scones, just an observation. You can’t serve thousands of scones without making some compromises.
At this point, I am pronouncing “Scone” properly in my head about half the time. Progress!
🙂
The price of prepackaging
Indeed it is.
Not bad for fast food scones but I prefer to add my own jam etc. We have noticed that tea tastes different when drunk outdoors. More to do with general well-being, no doubt than with the tea.
Yes, I agree! 🙂
🙂
The quality of the water certainly makes a difference to the taste of tea.
It does. I think the water and the sunshine contributed to an excellent cup of tea.
Hmm, the prepacked scones seem dodgy even to me as an American who is supposed to fall for that stuff and think it good–
I won’t argue with you there. 🙂
Well, they look delicious, even if they were too dense. I’ll be making scones this weekend. Pictures on Monday.
I’m on the edge of my seat. I’ll be looking for crumb and texture… 🙂
Excellent, and clearly expert, review. The tea might be something to do with a combination of the right blend of leaves for Yorkshire water. I only mention this because I noticed some tea bags on sale in Scotland recent, “specially made for Scottish water”. Or something. Who’d have thought, eh?
Yes, I’ve seen Yorkshire Tea discussed in the context of the water. It might be true, rather than more advertising hype.
Hmmm…
🙂
Scones in the sunshine on a spring-like day! That is a good report, even if the scones weren’t quite up to expectations. 🙂
Cold and heavy wet snow here.
If it wasn’t for the need to report I’d have been knocking crumbs out of my beard before I’d noticed there was anything wrong with them. 🙂
I hope your weather improves soon. I’m sure the cats are adjusting to sitting in the warmth.