Guest Reviewer: Ann

My reason for being in Cheddar was to attend the Big Green Gathering, a hippie festival, and a very good one too. But after three days of vegan fritters and scrumpy cider, I had extreme cream tea deficiency, so we caught the rattly old hippie bus into Cheddar to search one out.

60% of the establishments in Cheddar are tea shops, the other 40% are cheese and/or cider shops, or caves. The choice was wide, but we plumped for the modest Holly House. At first the decor - plain white with many pictures of tea or coffee - put me off. But the prices were right - £2.50 for single cream tea, comprising scone, cream, jam and pot of tea (enough for two and a half cups, so three with the hot water.)

The scone - plain - was excellent. Warm, moist, fresh baked, it could not have been better. Cream - very good, served in a little pot. Only the jam let things down, being a single portion serving, of strawberry, yes, but wrapped in plastic. My partner had not planned to have a cream tea, but on seeing mine insisted on having a bite. Oooh, that’s nice, he said, then ordered his own, mostly on the strength of the scone.

£2.50 Full cream tea
£1.50 Scone, cream and jam without tea.