Tickton Grange is a hotel and restaurant just outside of Beverley in East Yorkshire, that is the perfect venue for a girly mummy-daughter afternoon in traditional country style.
I took my mum there for an early mother’s day treat and found it so calm and lovely, a huge contrast to the wind and rain howling outside! The room we were in for afternoon tea was quaint and pretty, and pleasantly spaced out when comparing it to other famous tea rooms (hem hem Bettys). The staff were so lovely, making us feel special and being really helpful in terms of topping up our teapot and explaining what was on offer- even offering us to upgrade to a champagne or gin and tonic afternoon tea which we unfortunately had to decline as we were driving.
The food itself was so tasty and filling, we honestly didn’t need to eat it all, but we totally did as it was that good! They only told us afterwards that they can bag an extra up for you to take home…
We started off with dainty smoked salmon, ham and mustard and egg mayonnaise sandwiches, along with the added bonus of still warm mini sausage rolls, cheese straws and fruit cake with wensleydale cheese just for the bottom tier! The scones were so soft and crumbly we had trouble spreading the cream on them without it all falling apart, and despite their small size, felt very decadent. The cake tier was the highlight though- shortbread with raspberry kiss meringue, mini lemon drizzle cake, orange macaroons, chocolate brownies and mint chocolate shards. We were so full by the end we had to stay a while longer just to digest it all like overfed pythons! All of this was only £16 each, yet another reason why I actually preferred it to Bettys.
Before leaving, we had a sneaky look around the rest of the hotel under the pretence of looking for a venue for my upcoming wedding (the boyfriend doesn’t know yet that he’s proposed and I’m planning already, but it was a good excuse to be nosey!) I can see why so many people choose Tickton Grange for their weddings, as they not only do a very nice reception by the sounds of it and for a very reasonable price, but also have the license for a civil ceremony and 21 bedrooms to accommodate all your guests, so they really can give you the whole package.
We had a lovely girly afternoon, and will definitely be something we will be repeating- mum even said that she’s going to try and persuade my dad to take her there for dinner as their restaurant menu sounds equally good, so there may be another review coming soon!
While wandering around York today, I stumbled upon Lucky Days Cafe in an effort to escape the rain and satisfy my sweet tooth. Located off the main streets in York a bit, I have never seen it before but will definitely be heading back!
I went for a pot of tea and their toffee and butterscotch cake while was simply divine. It was so moist and gooey and butterscotchy all without being so sweet it made you feel ill. Honestly, I can’t remember the last time I had cake this good. They also seem to do lunches which I can imagine are equally tasty and I will be back to try soon! The staff were very nice considering I turned up around 20 minutes before closing, and didn’t rush me to leave even when I had finished my tea but didn’t want to go back into the rain.
This cafe also has an interesting reward scheme- get a loyalty card and every time you return you roll a dice when ordering. If you roll a 6, every item becomes just £1. I’m no mathematician so have no idea about the odds of this ever happening (I guess it is always 1/6 no matter how many times you visit?) it still seems a good idea to me, as I would return anyway to sample more yummy cake! I would definitely recommend this place, and they have 2 cafe’s in York so there’s really no excuse!
On a last minute shopping trip before going away on my adventures for three weeks, we headed to 
I had the small version of the smoked chicken risotto, with chorizo and mango salsa which was really tasty and still quite filling despite only being the small dish. To be honest, I couldn’t really taste the mango very much over the smoky flavours of the chicken but nevertheless, I enjoyed the mix of smokiness and spice from the meat, and the rice was creamy and indulgent feeling. The slim down juice (pineapple, lemon, orange, apple and strawberries) I had with it was brilliant and fresh too- most of the other juices had veg in them like celery and broccoli which I find a little odd as I like my juice to be sweet, but each to their own.
We then decided to indulge in dessert, a slice of beetroot and chocolate cake. It did feel rich without feeling bad for me, and the sweetness of the beetroot really did work well with the chocolate and nut topping. However, I have to admit the boyfriend’s banana and blueberry muffin was the winner- incredibly moist and full of fruit and yummy-ness. Yes, that is a word.
Exploring Yorkshire 