George Orwell wrote the essay, “A Nice Cup of Tea” in 1946. In it, he describes the rules for making the perfect cuppa...
As you’d expect, many are controversial… The type of receptacle, a mug or bone china cup and saucer, boiling water or just off the boil, the strength of the tea, cow juice or no cow juice! Most contentious of all is milk before tea or after, a question that divides more families than Brexit.
No matter how you take your tea, George is right, “tea is one of the mainstays of civilisation in this country”.
So, if you’re out and about here are some suggestions for a nice cup of tea in the St Albans, Harpenden, and Radlett areas.
106 St Albans Road, Sandridge, St Albans AL4 9LJ
The Potting Shed is an offshoot from the expanded Carpenter’s Nursery & Farm shop. Pre-pandemic, the owners made a significant investment in the garden nursery and added a Farm Shop and Café. Café is probably under-selling the place. It would be fair to call it a restaurant as they serve wholesome breakfasts, brunches, lunches, and tea-time meals.
The Potting Shed can treat you to a range of Sri-Lankan teas from the Hertfordshire tea company, Mortier’s of Hinxworth and if the weather is good, you can take your tea on the patio with views across the fields.
https://pottingshedcafe.com/he
Run by foodies, Rita and Irina, the Street Café sits on the corner of Catherine Street and Drover’s Way in the centre of town. Rita describes the café as “a place where local characters can sit and simply watch the world go by”.
In addition to their selection of ‘Specialist Teas’, the café serves fresh, natural, locally sourced and seasonal food. A lovely place to rest after ambling around the shops.
13 Catherine Street, St Albans AL3 5BJ https://www.streetcafe.com/
Set in the Market Place, Gail’s is part of a chain, whereas our two previous suggestions are proud independents. We’d like to support local businesses, but Gail’s is special.
If you’re drinking coffee, then there are a range of croissants, pastries etc. that are a great compliment. However, we’re talking tea! What goes well with tea – cakes and buns of course. Gail’s offer a selection of sumptuous cakes and buns that will make you happy!
6 Market Place, St Albans, AL3 5DG
If you are in St Albans city centre and feel hungry after wandering around shopping, a visit to Abigails Tea Rooms overlooking the Clock Tower will help satisfy your needs. They have a menu full of British dishes the cooks freshy prepare such as mouth watering poached eggs, welsh rarebit, sandwiches, and delicious sweet treats such as home cooked scones, fresh cream cakes and a wide selection of other flavoursome cakes that will go perfectly well with a cup of tea. There is a choice between indoor and outdoor seating depending on the weather this cafe provides you with a great choice of dishes for attractive prices.
Open 11am till 5pm seven days a week pop in and see them -you won’t be disappointed!
Village Arcade, 7 High Street, St Albans, AL3
Sumpter Yard, St Albans, AL1 1HY
The Abbot’s Kitchen Cafe, a stone’s throw away from the nearby park, is the perfect place to enjoy tea after you visit the Cathedral or to enjoy lunch and refreshments throughout the day. Outside seating is also available when weather permits with a lovely view of the Norman Tower.
Their philosophy of food is based on three principles; provenance, craft and quality. They create their food with imagination, love and with great attention to detail. They believe their food should be a joy to eat, made with fresh seasonal ingredients, healthy and from sustainable sources. It is all cooked freshly on site, and prepared and served by a team dedicated to giving their guests a special experience.
Open Daily | 10am – 4pm
Tel. No. 01727 890270 or email [email protected]
Situated within the historic Verulamium Park just a short walk from the town centre and the Roman Verulamium Museum and car park. The café overlooks the beautiful surroundings of 100 acres of parkland where there are many amenities including a childrens playground, childrens splashpool (summer only), tennis courts, crazy golf, the Adizone outdoor gym, basketball courts and a large lake which attracts a wide variety of wildlife.
The café serves a wide variety of wonderful home cooked food, both savoury and sweet and drinks including several different varieties of tea. They even have a separate “Hideaway” that you can book exclusively for a delicious Afternoon tea.
Verulamium Park, St Michael’s St, St Albans AL3 4SN Tel. No. 01727 838246 Website: Inn on the Park
Everything is made better by a nice ‘cup of tea’. St Albans, Harpenden, Radlett and the surrounding villages enjoys a host of ‘pit-stops’ for that essential beverage. Get out there and give them a try. Let us know how you get on.
If you want to find out about the benefits of home care in St Albans, Harpenden, Radlett and the surrounding villages, please click on the link below or call us on 01727 895941.