Being British we never really need much of an excuse to have a ‘cuppa’ do we? But National Hot Tea Day 2023 seems like a good one.
Had some bad news? Stick the kettle on! Having friends or family round? ‘Who wants a cup of tea’? Taking a ‘tea’ break at work? Builders in doing some work? ‘Can I get you a cup of tea’? Tea and biscuits, tea and cake, cream tea, high tea, a lovely pot of tea for two, a big old mug of tea, milk in before or after the bag? (AFTER)! Whatever the situation or however you take it….we LOVE tea, and now with all the wonderful flavours available and the health benefits some teas have along with the natural comfort it brings to snuggle down with a steaming cuppa on a cold night, we really should have a whole day dedicated to this quintessential pastime and for it to be celebrated, well now we do! Giving us an even better reason to get the kettle on!
There are some fabulous cafés and tearooms dotted around the Island where you can celebrate National Hot Tea Day 2023 and tea in all its glory by pairing it with some of the best scones, cream teas and homemade bakes the Island has to offer. Or maybe you could just stay cosy at home and invite some friends around to sample some teas from around the world, experiment with flavours and of course the best biscuits to pair them with. However you decide to celebrate, National Hot Tea Day 2023 is certainly a date that needs to be in your diary.
Some very popular and highly recommended cafés and tearooms to try are;
The Highdown Inn, Totland
Enjoy a tea in a traditional country pub setting at The Highdown Inn. Set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and close to the Tennyson Trail, it’s the perfect stop-off for walkers and cyclists who have worked up an appetite. Choose from a selection of speciality loose teas in the Tennyson Tearooms overlooking the vibrant surrounding fields. Accompany your tea with the choice of a two-tier tray of sumptuous homemade treats, scones or sandwiches.
Dimbola Tearoom, Dimbola Museum & Galleries
Dimbola Tearoom is housed in the iconic Dimbola Museum & Galleries, the former home of Julia Margaret Cameron, one of the most important early photographers and a pioneer of photography as an art form. The teas, scones and cakes here are legendary. Enjoy them in the cosy tearoom, once the salon of Julia Margaret Cameron and where she entertained guests, or in the pretty, sunny garden with views to Freshwater Bay and the sea.
The Pearl Café, Brighstone
The Pearl Café is a real hidden gem of a place. Prepare for some of the most breathtaking views on the Island as you sit down with your tea. Choose from a classic cream tea with the choice of homemade fruit or plain scones or even try their breakfast scones served with sausage, bacon, eggs, baked beans and a cup of tea.
Bluebells Café, Briddlesford
Make like celebrity chef James Martin and visit Bluebells Café at Briddlesford. He recently popped in whilst filming the popular ‘James Martin’s Great British Adventure’. Enjoy homemade scones, served with their very own golden Briddlesford butter plus raspberry and loganberry jam from The Fruit Bowl in Newchurch. The part that makes it really special is adding their own clotted cream made in the Bluebells’ kitchen with the cream from the award-winning herd of Guernsey cows. Couple this with a refreshing pot of breakfast tea served with Briddlesford milk (naturally).
Chessell Pottery Café
Chessell Pottery Café has been celebrated for years for its cream teas. Here, scones are plain, fruit or lemon and poppyseed, and (much to our delight) two scones are served. Generally, the fruit and plain are served with strawberry jam and clotted cream, and the lemon scone is served with lemon curd and clotted cream… although people are very welcome to choose what they prefer.
Vernon Cottage, Shanklin Old Village
If you are frequenting Shanklin Old Village, there are more than a few reasons to visit Vernon Cottage, but the homemade strawberry cream tea has got to be number one. Generous portions are served up in a picturesque thatched cottage with pretty, sunny gardens. Try one of the Isle of Wight shaped scones for Instagram-worthy pics.
Grazers Café, Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary
Enjoy a cup of tea with some furry friends, at Grazers Café at the Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary. Free to enter, say hello to over 100 donkeys and ponies before settling in the café and indulging in a cup of tea, tasty cream tea or even a savoury tea.
Needles Old Battery Tearoom
Add in a bit of history with a trip to the National Trust’s Needles Old Battery Tearoom. When you step inside you will be transported back to the 1940s. Tea is served in real china cups and period newspapers are rolled up and ready to read. Enjoy your tea with some of the best views of the Needles – the tearoom is located in the Port War Signal Station which was built to give the clearest, closest views of shipping in the Solent and around the Needles.
