Review - Afternoon Tea at Dobbies, Orton Grange

I have always though that the British tradition of afternoon tea is one of our best, but Dobbies garden centre isn't the first place you would think of to go to for it, but if you go along and sample their tea you will be pleasantly surprised!

Our Afternoon Tea

Dobbies has a choice of four different afternoon teas and we went for the luxury one. There is an area that is separate from the main cafe which is solely reserved  for people having afternoon tea. Tables are nicely spaced out to give privacy but we did find it a little cold - it was a very cold day outside, and we had to move from our original table to one that was warmer.

We were served quickly and had a choice of sandwiches, we chose salmon and soft cheese and egg mayonnaise, and drinks and we did not have to wait long for our teas to arrive. The tea was served on the traditional three tiered stand. The sandwiches were freshly made, crustless and very nice. There were two large plain scones - so fresh they almost fell apart - with butter, jam and double cream. We followed this with the strawberries dipped in chocolate which were delicious. There was a good selection of cakes, a meringue with cream and raspberries and blueberries, a strawberry tart, a toffee eclair and a carrot cake, all very fresh and tasty. It was more than enough, in fact my friend took one cake home for her husband.

The service was pleasant and quick, though the tea spoons were forgotten and we had to get our own from nearby, but not a big complaint. 

In conclusion, this is a really good value afternoon tea. Prices start from £8.00-£20.00 for two, and our luxury one was £15.00 so it was only £7.50 each, which was an excellent price for what we had. They are available every day from 2pm.

Address:  Dobbies,

                Orton Grange,

                Carlisle CA5 6LB

                Cumbria

Website:  http://www.dobbies.com/