What better place to sample a great festive cake than at Heydon Village Tea Shop, winner of the Best Afternoon Tea award, sponsored by Castlemeadow Care
The Heydon Village Tea Shop is as quintessentially British as it gets – nestled in the idyllic Norfolk countryside serving sumptuous traditional afternoon teas, mouth-watering cakes and meticulous, miniature bakes in the prettiest of settings.
Almost everything served in this quaint little shop is made on the premises and ingredients are all sourced locally wherever possible from nearby butchers, fishmongers, farms and bakeries.
With Christmas on the way, Cindy and Karl Watson, who took on the teashop in 2011, are turning their attention to more festive flavours – adding some wintry treats to the menu.
“In our house, Christmas cake has never been very much loved, I know, the shock and horror,” laughs Cindy. “We’ve always preferred my dear Nanna’s boiled fruit cake recipe. It never fails and is delicious and moist.
“We would like to wish all of our customers past and present a very Happy Christmas and New Year and to also say thank you for your support. Finally, if you are looking for a present for someone – we do gift vouchers in any denomination whether you want cream tea for two, a traditional afternoon tea or a Prosecco one! What nicer gift than ‘The Best Afternoon Tea’ in Norfolk.
Recipe: Cindy’s Nanna’s boiled fruit cake
Ingredients
- 250g butter
- 150g light brown sugar
- 1 teacup cold water
- 350g dried fruit (your choice, but cranberries are lovely!)
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- 300g self raising flour
- 2 eggs
Method
Put all the above ingredients except the flour and eggs in a pan and simmer for 10 minutes. Allow to cool and then add the flour and eggs, mix thoroughly. Line a deep 8 inch cake tin and pour in the mixture. Bake on 160C for between 60 and 90 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Then simply enjoy!
Heydon Village Tea Shop, The Street, Heydon, Norwich, NR11 6AD; www.heydonvillageteashop.co.uk
