Bettys Café Tearooms

Last week I popped home, sadly to see attend the last mass at my parish church before it shut down. It was't the nicest reason to be going home, and although the mass was really a wonderful celebration of what had been it was also helpful in providing positive thoughts the for future and it did mean I was home for the last day of my mum's holiday! So my Dad took the day off too and we went on a rare family trip out.

We're not always the most organised family, so it was nearly lunchtime before we decided to drive over to Harrogate to have some lunch at the famous Bettys Tearooms (they spell it without an apostrophe. It makes me nervous) and a wander around the Botanical Gardens (handily, there is a Bettys at the gardens, and we are all garden and cake lovers).

When we arrived we were greeted by this wonderful window display of some of the most beautifully decorated chocolate eggs I have ever seen. It's just a shame it was a very bright day, so the reflection is pretty terrible. I think you can see the big egg in the middle well enough though.

We tucked into a delicious lunch, and if I'm honest I think we were surprised at how good it was, for a place renowned for it's afternoon tea and sweet treats rather than it's food. My Mum went for a prawn omelette, which when cut open was the thickest, fluffiest omelette I've ever seen, and she was very impressed.  I had the open steak sandwich, and my Dad had the eggs florentine. We also had a salad between us, which had beetroot and blood orange in, which was an absolutely delicious combination, and has triggered a bit of a cake thought in my head. More on that in a few weeks hopefully. 

Regardless of how good the mains were, the sweets rightly took centre stage. We had a choux pastry heart filled with fresh cream and berries, a bakewell slice and a treacle tart. The pastry on all three was absolutely perfect, and I love how pretty the heart is - I wish I could be that precise with a tiny piping tip! 

Unable to resist, we also took a box of treats away with us, and guys. The fondant fancies were just something else. Sponge with a layer of jam and icing, and then, unusually, a thin layer of marzipan on top before the fondant icing. Truly spectacular.

Finally, a little disclaimer. We spent so long in Bettys we didn't actually make it into the gardens before last entrance. We had a lovely, lovely day but we effectively drove for two hours in each directin for cake. Don't tell me that isn't dedication.