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.
–>

It’s a tough one this. Hard to judge by simple cream tea standards, since we plunged in and had the full afternoon. This included a range of sandwiches and quite insane numbers of cakes as you can see in the picture.

But let’s stick to what we know and discuss the scones and tea. Tea - perfectly nice, but the pots were small and we had to ask for extra. The first jug of milk had unidentified floating black bits in it - but was changed without argument.

Scones - both fruit and plain were provided. With lashings of clotted cream and gallons of jam - but the jam was blackcurrant - and a tart blackcurrant at that. Pleurgh! Scones themselves, could have been plumper, moister and more generous with the fruit - especially considering this was a high-class establishment. But you can’t fault the presentation. Look at that sprinkling of icing sugar, embrace the scattering of genuine strawberries!

The rest of the tea - sandwiches and cakes were excellent - the lemon drizzle and shortbreads proved particularly popular with our party - so I don’t like to be too mean. But I’d be pretty narked if I’d paid £6 for the simple cream tea and got those scones.

£12 for full afternoon tea - if you wanted the regular cream tea - £6 –>

A choice of fruit or plain scone - I chose fruit. Chosen scone whisked into the back kitchen and filled up with raspberry jam and whipped cream, given a shake of icing sugar and presented as shown. Very good.

Tea in a pot. Jug of real milk. And it all came with an extra pot of water, so I got many cups. Hurrah.

£2.15 –>