Andrew's tour of Yorkshire and the Humber A cup of tea at Betty's

Date Published:

26/08/2008

Map user, Jon A, describes Betty's as: "A large but traditional tearoom in the heart of historic York." He's not wrong. I went along to meet the family firm behind it

A cup of tea in the morning is the reason most of us get out of bed. I don't know about you but I can't function until a cup's crossed my lips. This morning however the cuppa in front of me is part of an afternoon tea served in Betty’s tea rooms and I'm here early so as to beat the rush. Sat opposite me is Claire Wray who's talking me through what constitutes a proper afternoon tea at Betty's.

Laid out in front of us on a couple of three-tier displays are sandwiches (crusts off, cut into fingers), scones with Yorkshire clotted cream and strawberry preserve, and a selection of cakes including fruit flan, chocolate profiteroles and lemon madeleines. Along side this is a hot teapot containing loose leaf tea, a small jug of milk and two cups.

Betty's is something of a Yorkshire institution with branches in five locations across the county. Also part of the parent company is Taylor's of Harrogate who know a thing or two about tea. After I've drank a couple of cups and sampled the sandwiches and cake (admittedly an unusual breakfast) I follow Sam from Betty's PR team to the firm's head office and factory in nearby Harrogate.

"Our founder, Frederick Belmont, believed that if you wanted to do something properly you had to do it yourself. That's why we bake and make everything here and send it out to the shops daily," says Sam. We have a tour of the bespoke cake making room where a trio of ladies are doing some delicate things with royal icing. The atmosphere is one of serious concentration, almost surgical. A lady called Emma talks me through making a sugar rattle for a christening cake - there's even crystallised sugar inside so it actually 'rattles'.

Tea time

We move next door to the Taylor's factory and the tea tasting room. Guiding my taste buds on a tour of tea is Suzy Garraghan. She's selected four different teas for me to try, any of which would be a great accompaniment to the sandwiches and cakes. First up is Betty's own afternoon tea blend: "Great after a day on your feet," says Suzy. I opt for adding milk and then have a slurp. It's strong, tannin-rich and tasty. Next is the single estate Darjeeling that Suzy describes as: "the champagne of teas." Then there's Blue Sapphire, which has a sweet honey taste that's totally unexpected. Suzy says this is all down to the soil. Finally we try a green tea that's incredibly subtle. Taylor's taste their tea with specially brought in hard water, the water around Harrogate being soft as a baby's cheek. "It so we can judge the flavour better," says Suzy. Consequently their Yorkshire tea blend comes in hard and soft blends.

I'm a huge fan of tearooms. A proper cup of well-made tea and maybe a slice of cake is surely up there with the rule of law, freedom of the press and democracy as a hallmark of civilisation, don't you think? OK that maybe a little grand, but time taken for tea, a nibble and a sit down is time well spent in my book, no matter what time of the day.

Watch me sampling some tea and cake.

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