The Rock, Bury
Afternoon tea is one of my
favourite British customs and has an
incredibly long history. It heralds all the way back to the 1840s, when it was
invented by the upper classes as a light meal to bridge a gap between lunch and
dinner, consumed typically between 4 and 6 o’clock.
Fast forward to 2017 and it’s
still as popular as ever, with many modern twists on the classic sandwiches and
scones now available. There are few things in life more enjoyable than tea and
cake, so I’m sure you can imagine I’ve sampled a fair few versions of this
particular afternoon delight. In general, I do tend to find it overpriced for
what it actually is. At most places, you’ll achieve far better value for money
if you order your lunch followed by a cake, in comparison to the selection of
miniatures you receive on your cake stand.
Liberty Cake Company proves the exception to this theory. Whilst
many cafes and hotels charge upwards of £20 for an afternoon tea (you can
expect to pay much more if you opt for a glass of champagne or prosecco which
are now common accompaniments), this quaint little teashop on The Rock in Bury
offers a superb afternoon tea for just £13.95 per person.
 |
| Liberty Cake Company's afternoon tea |
I was most impressed with how
much was included in the price. First
off, you could choose your own sandwich fillings, which cleverly widens the
appeal. Afternoon tea is viewed by many as slightly pretentious, and the
sandwiches often contain unusual fillings, so being given the choice is
guaranteed to attract more custom. However, the fillings are plain and simple,
your average day-to-day lunchtime choices. I would have preferred something a
little more adventurous, but they were, in fact, delicious, oozing with tuna
mayonnaise and egg mayonnaise. Cut into the traditional triangle shape, the
bread was soft and fluffy, without the dry, curly edges.
We were eased gently into the
sweet side with a scone, served with jam and clotted cream. The scone was
served exactly as a scone should be: lukewarm with a crunchy outside, albeit
without any fruit.
The cakes on Liberty’s
Traditional Afternoon Tea were a mini Victoria sponge cupcake, a small lemon
meringue cupcake, a chocolate brownie, a chocolate-dipped strawberry and a
slice of cheesecake, which you could also choose from a range of five different
flavours. I opted for white chocolate with milk chocolate chips. The cupcakes
were a very generous size, a good four or five mouthfuls worth.
The lemon meringue cupcake was
delightfully zingy, with the soft, gooey layer of meringue on the top melting
into the middle. I’m not normally a fan of chocolate cheesecake, as I tend to
find it’s a combination that doesn’t and shouldn’t mix, however, this white
chocolate cheesecake was a lovely flavour, and perfectly tipped the balance of
chocolate and cheesecake without being overly rich and sickly.
Included in the price was any
hot or cold drink from the menu, of your choice, refreshing given that normally
on an afternoon tea you’re limited to good old English Breakfast or standard
coffee; though, with the amount of cake, you’re bound to find yourself gasping
for a second round.
Liberty’s afternoon tea was
one of the best I’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing. It offers
incredibly good value for money at just £13.95, and proves that charging
upwards of £20, as many other places do, is completely unnecessary. There’s
plenty of choice too, and something to please everyone, as they also offer children’s,
gentleman’s and gluten-free afternoon teas, as well as a chocolate one for
serious chocoholics.
Liberty Cake Company is an island of calm within Bury’s busy town
centre, and makes for a relaxing mid-shopping pit-stop. If you don’t fancy
going the whole hog, they also offer a range of freshly prepared sandwiches and
an impressive selection of cupcakes, with flavours changing daily.
For more information on the range of afternoon teas available, visit:
http://www.libertycakecompany.co.uk/
No comments:
Post a Comment