Cafe Review - Orton Grange, Cumbria

Last Sunday my friend and I went to the cafe at Orton Grange for a late lunch. The cafe is part of a complex containing a shop, a branch of Cumbria's well- known Cranston's butchers, a hairdresser, a pool and holiday accommodation. The building is a converted farm building (Orton Grange takes its name from the working dairy farm next door) which has been tastefully renovated with the original stone walls and oak beams alongside more modern decor. The cafe is on two levels, the lower one with tables and chairs and the counter and upstairs a mixture of the same and comfy leather couches. We managed to grab one of the leather couches even though the place was very busy.

Photo from Orton Grange Website

We chose what we wanted and I went downstairs to order, there was a queue and it took a long time to get served, they could have done with more than one person serving. But after ordering we didn't have to wait too long for our food, I had the Soup Combo, a bowl of  vegetable soup and a ham sandwich. The soup was definitely homemade and absolutely delicious, bursting with all kinds of vegetables. I had chosen ham for the accompanying sandwich, as I'd hoped, it had thick slices of Cranston's roast ham in it and again was very good. My friend Jayne had a baked potato with tuna and onion and she enjoyed that very much too.

The cafe has a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere, upstairs especially and, if you want it, there is the bonus of free WiFi. We sat and chatted for a long time, it's the kind of place where you can take your time.

The prices are reasonable, my soup and sandwich with a pot of tea cost £7.50, and Jayne's meal was a similar price. The menu isn't big or fancy, but Orton Grange is an excellent place to go for good wholesome and fresh food. The cakes looked good too but we were good and resisted!


Address:   Orton Grange
                Great Orton
                Carlisle CA5 6LA

Website:   http://www.ortongrange.co.uk/

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/