While at the train station in Leeds, I met an English woman. I asked her about the train schedules to York and she politely told me that my hunch was indeed correct. I am quite used to travelling by train and I knew that popular destinations can often be reached earlier by taking a much faster option: the intercity or long distance trains. The Netherlands is perhaps the most densely train and tram populated country in the world so that is where I gained my knowledge and experience. In the Netherlands, it is easier to survive without a car. A car is a major liability here especially in the urbanised areas.
Anyway, we strike up a conversation about York. She told me not to miss Bettys Café explaining that it is a Yorkshire thing and that the waitresses are dressed in black & white uniforms with aprons. I told her tea and scones are in my agenda in this York trip. She beamed and repeated herself, ‘You simply cannot miss Bettys, you will bump into it as it’s in the centre of town!’
So that got stuck in my head—Do not miss Bettys.
Apparently, what she didn’t tell me is that Bettys is like the holy grail of English café tea rooms. Everyone, and I mean the locals and the tourists, they all come to take part of this classic English treat that you can always guarantee a loooooooooong line of eager and patient patrons at the foyer waiting to be seated. Especially at the Saint Helen’s Square branch, the queues stretches outside of the café you would think they have a 80% off sale on all their confections. I hate queues and I obviously do not have a dose of patience in me, but luckily, Bettys has another smaller branch in York at Stonegate.
So I went to their Stonegate branch and I was second in the line. Not bad eh =). Before I knew it I was seated and pouring over at the menu looking for the best quintessentially afternoon English tea and scones set. I ordered the—‘Yorkshire Cream Tea’ afternoon tea set which consists of a pot of steaming tea, 2 scones with sultana raisins, Stamfrey Farm clotted cream and strawberry jam. A few minutes later, my Yorkshire Cream Tea order arrived, in a silver tray.
My rating? 5 stars! I cannot get enough of the scones, the clotted cream and the jam. Simply delicious. Just thinking about it now makes me want to jump on the next plane to the UK.
Sharing you below some fotos of this heavenly afternoon experience at the Bettys Stonegate branch.
Travel Period: May 2011
Destination: York (North Yorkshire – England), United Kingdom
Keep in touch and follow me on Facebook: Travel & Lifestyle Diaries by Dutched Pinay Travels
Happy Travels! Enjoy Life =)