Joanne Goodwin samples the afternoon delight at the nationally acclaimed Davenports of Cheshire.
*Warning: This review of a quintessential English tea room contains a word that may never have appeared in Cheshire Life before, in its 89-year history
There is something very very nice, and just a little naughty about spending an afternoon at Davenports, set down a pretty country lane at Bartington, Northwich.
The very very nice bits are as plentiful as the multiplicity of regional and national awards Davenports has to its name. There are the vintage bone china cups and saucers, lace tea clothes, Alice in Wonderland memorabilia (as a nod to the nearby birthplace of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, aka Lewis Carroll), the William Morris wallpaper, polished antique tables and chairs, a pretty cat wandering in and out and waitresses straight out of a scene in Downton Abbey. This is a place where phones should be turned to silent and children on their best behaviour; a place to celebrate with friends or family, perhaps with a glass of bubbles.
And that's before we start on the 52 teas, and the cornucopia of sweet and savoury treats cooked up in-house or sourced from Cheshire makers and bakers. Afternoon tea Davenports style can come traditionally with delicate sandwiches, scones and a delightful choice of cakes – some old-fashioned, some with more contemporary flavours. Or as a combination offering for guests with a not-so-sweet tooth, with savoury items such as pâté, pork pie, cheese and biscuits, mini soups and cheese scones. The family business also holds private afternoon tea cruises for groups of up to 12 on a narrowboat, sailing gently along the Trent & Mersey Canal or River Weaver.
So where does the naughty bit come in? Well, afternoon tea always seems a little decadent and indulgent, and especially so when it is as theatrical as the one served up at Davenports. Indeed, where would Downton, or Bridgerton, or Upstairs, Downstairs be without a frisson of mischief
At the helm, on dry land, and on water, is Belinda Davenport, (specialist subject tea), whose knowledge, enthusiasm, passion and good humour are as effervescent as the Davenport’s Champagne Afternoon Tea (£40pp – choose either Traditional or Combination, but this afternoon tea includes a glass of champagne).
She arrives at your table in her Edwardian costume, pushing a trolley of teas. And then, and this is meant entirely as a compliment – 'spouts' forth about those 52 loose leaf varieties on offer. Imagine this hostess with the mostest as a fine brew combining the experience and wit of Downton's Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, the all-seeing eye of Lady Whistledown of Bridgerton, and the culinary prowess, efficiency and hospitality of Mrs Bridges of 165, Eaton Place.
The Davenport connection with Bridge Farm began in the 1920s with the arrival of the renowned Cheshire baker Harry Davenport, grandfather of Belinda's husband Ian.
The family diversified when Ian's father, Harry Fry Davenport, founded what was to become Davenports Florists. The flowers are now sold by Ian at Bridge Farm, alongside the tearoom, which opened in 2007.
Belinda, though, is not one to live in the past, despite her years of dedication to developing her quintessentially English tea room at Davenports of Cheshire. She is responsible for the detailed content of the davenportsofcheshire.co.uk website, where bookings can be made, and is forever seeking ways to maintain the gentle evolution of a brand that thrives on nostalgia but always looks to the future. Promoting the tea cruises to corporate clients is high on her 2023 agenda.
And so to the part that summed up the joy of a Davenports visit for me and my fellow guest. Before the arrival of the scrumptious spread of savoury and sweet treats, visitors are not only asked the strength they like their tea to have but are given a rundown of some of the 52 varieties.
Among those Belinda told us about on the day Cheshire Life visited were:
Dao Hong Pao – 'A rock oolong and cloned version of the most expensive tea in the world. If this tea was from the mother trees (only six left in existence) and approximately 360 years old, it sold for the equivalent of $1.2m for a kilo the last time this tea was available'
Northern Tea Merchants Breakfast Tea – 'A perfect cuppa for those a good strong breakfast tea.'
White Elixir, from a Cheshire-based company, Quintessential Teas – 'Bernadine Tay does some fabulous blends and this one has delicate notes of jasmine, a white tea that is the least processed of all the teas, so full of antioxidants.'
Chocolate/Mint Rooibos – 'Naturally decaffeinated, this delicious drink smells like an After Eight mint, but tastes more minty than chocolatey.'
Japanese Kikucha or twig tea – 'Did you know that research published last year that drinking a cup of green tea per day minimises the risk of dementia, counteracts the brain ageing from stress and can lower high blood pressure? If anyone has tasted green tea and found it to be bitter, that is down to incorrect brewing.'
Then tastiest of all... and Belinda told us about this in a whisper, but with a look of pure delight and mischief on her face: Organic Phoenix *Duckshit – 'Named by the farmer to hide his beautiful tea from tea poachers, actually nothing to do with ducks.'
'But you won't be able to say that in Cheshire Life will you?' she asked.
Well, only when it's served in a bone china teacup, at the very very nice, and a little bit naughty Davenports of Cheshire.
Davenports afternoon tea prices range from £20 for a children's special afternoon tea, to £40 for the champagne afternoon tea.
Bridge Farm, Warrington Road, Bartington, Northwich CW8 4QU
Book online: davenportsofcheshire.co.uk
