Cafe 1809 - Hildenborough

Café 1809 (pronounced ‘one eight oh nine’ after its founders winning race number) has come to be called simply ‘Kelly’s Café’ (again, after its founder and probably because it’s easier to remember.) and is one I have been meaning to visit for a while. So when a friend suggested popping in there for lunch I had to say yes.

The main room is on two levels, the counter and majority of tables on the same level as the door and a raised platform with a few more tables on one side of the room. The room is well spaced and light, partly owing to the beautiful borrowed light that takes up a third of the room (with a view of the clear sky today that brings to mind countless inspirational quotes I'm sure founder Kelly Holmes would be proud of) and fills the room with natural light, it is under this light that I sat for the first half of my meal, enjoying the light and looking at all the interesting items in the stacked crates serving as a display case next to us. The whole room is dotted with interesting knick-knacks from paintings to clocks shaped like bikes and different shaped and sized mugs. The space in decorated in earthy browns and greys giving it a half earthy half industrial feel, large bare metal girders helping the latter.

For the first half of my lunch (while sat under the borrowed light) I had an amazing hot chocolate with marshmallows and here is the first thing I love I want to point out. Café 1809 not only does hot chocolate but the very smart waitress informed me that they do milk hot chocolate (at 58%) and not one but two types of dark hot chocolate (at 70% and 85%) AND white! Choices, choices… As always, I accompanied my hot drink with a cheese sandwich but since the plain cheese sandwich only seems to be on the children’s menu, when it arrived I got a surprise. Whilst my friend’s sandwiches were accompanied by smart salads covered in a lovely dressing MY sandwich came cut into triangles and separated by piles of popcorn! This is certainly a first for me but a tasty first!

It was at this point in the lunch that the table next to us got up and left, this table was surrounded by sofas so of course we switched tables immediately (don’t pretend you wouldn't  do the same!) to eat our second course in comfort. My second course was another hot chocolate (70%) and a piece of Rocky Road from the gorgeous dessert bar up on the counter, full of all sorts of home-made desserts that make it very hard to choose! Next to this is also a juice bar for juicers of you out there!

All in all I really enjoyed my lunch at Café 1809, the smartly dressed staff are a pleasure, the food is delightful and the space aesthetically pleasing, highly recommended! 

Twitter: @Cafe1809
Facebook: facebook.com/Cafe-1809-Hildenborough-891302637566330
Website: cafe1809.co.uk
Address: 152-154 Tonbridge Road, Hildenborough, TN11 9HW

In The Mix - Morrison's Double Chocolate Cupcake Mix

Name: Double Chocolate Cupcake Mix

Company: Morrison’s Own

Bought in: Morrisons

Preparation: Another easy one, grab a bowl and spoon and a muffin tray and enjoy these delicious treats!

What is better than chocolate? That’s right, double chocolate, this wonderful pack not only comes with the chocolate cupcake mix but the chocolate icing mix AND chocolate sprinkles to decorate. All the chocolate you could wish for! You need an egg and a small amount of water and butter.

Part 1) Mix the extra ingredients (egg and water) and the cupcake mix in a bowl, I would recommend using a hand held or free-standing mixer if you have one because it took me quite  while to get the lumps out of my mix mixing by hand.

Part 2) Pour your cake mix into a tin, making sure its flat on top and pop it in the (pre-heated) oven. The mix says 12-15 mins so I set the timer for 14 minutes and they were perfect, really fluffy and soft!

Part 3) While they are cooling, mix up the icing mix and the butter. Be so, so careful while doing this as I managed to cover myself and the table in powder by mixing just a little too quickly. Don’t worry if it seems like there is too much powder and not enough butter at first, just keep mixing and folding that powder in.

Part 4) Finally, cover your, now cool, cupcakes in icing. Don’t be stingy, there is plenty of it, we even ate it out of the bowl after (because you have to, don’t you?!). To top it all off, sprinkle the chocolate curls on the top for a gorgeous professional look and enjoy.

Notes: This is the first baking kit that I have made that isn’t Betty Crocker and I am very pleased with it and if you’re very careful not to cover yourself in icing powder like I did and you smother your cakes in icing they will be absolutely perfect! 

Chocolate No-Bake 'Fridge Cake' or Tiffin in 5 Easy Steps

This is the first recipe I ever learned to make AND the first recipe I learned by heart, my mother taught me to make Tiffin when I was younger and needed something to take into school for my birthday and cake fairs and I continue to make it for birthdays and special occasions today. Anyone who loves chocolate (with chocolate on top) and sweet treats and wants an easy bake will appreciate this one pan mix.

You will need:

A medium knob of butter

2 tablespoons of sugar

2 tablespoons of coco powder

2 tablespoons of golden syrup

200 grams of plain digestive biscuits

200g of milk chocolate

Step 1) Crush the digestive biscuits to crumbs, I pop mine in a deep bowl and crush them with a potato masher and my mother seals them in a plastic bag and crushes them with a rolling pin, you can do either (or even come up with your own method of crushing!)

Step 2) Melt the butter in a pan and add the sugar, coco powder and syrup (hint: run boiling water over a spoon before using it to add the syrup, that way it doesn’t stick to the spoon and it all goes in the mix). Use a wooden spoon to blend the mix and then leave it to boil and froth about half way up the pan.

Step 3) Take the pan off the heat and fold the digestive crumbs into the mixture, make sure you run your spoon right around the bottom of the pan and coat all the crumbs or your tiffin will have dry patches. When you’ve mixed it completely press the mixture into a medium depth baking dish making sure to flatten the top and pop it in the fridge

Step 4) Put some water in a clean pan (or clean the one you were using) and grab a heat-proof bowl, break up your chocolate into squares and leave them in the bowl to melt, stirring every few seconds to stop it burning.

And…

…Step 5) Take the chcolate off the heat and your tiffin mix out of the fridge and spread the chocolate on top, pop it back into the fridge for a couple of hours and leave out on the side for about ten mins before cutting into squares and serving.

Enjoy!

In The Mix - Mix it up!

In The Mix – mix it up!

Those who have been keeping up with my posts recently will have noted my new series ‘In The Mix’, the first of which (Betty Crocker’s Chocolate Fudge Brownies) which you can find here: http://time-for-tea-blog.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/in-mix-betty-crocker-chocolate-brownie.html was posted November 6th and I have since done more mix pack reviews. It all began when my brother, who is a student and wanted to learn how to make cakes but in the quickest, easiest way possible bought the Betty Crocker Chocolate Fudge Brownie Mix box packet. As an avid baker I saw this as an opportunity both to bond with my favourite (and only) brother AND making and eating cake!

Since my first one, I have fallen in love with these mix kits, they make baking easy and assessable to everyone no matter what age or status. I would full recommend some of the Greens and Wrights kits to lone bakers or bakers making party food, the Betty Crocker and themed kits to families and parents wanting to give their children an easy way in to baking, there are themes such as  Minions, Star Wars, Frozen, Pepper Pig and Shaun the Sheep. Even if you are feeling a little extravagant and preparing for that posh dinner party, the Thorntons chocolate baking kits are for you. So I thought I would have a look at the top supermarket websites and see where you can get your kits. I did all of my research online and though I know a lot of the kits I found are available in stores, not all of them will be.

Iceland – 3

I have to say, sad as it is, I was really excited when my local (rather small) Iceland made space for a baking section because it’s the closest supermarket to my house and what’s better than all the baking supplies you need, on demand, just a couple of minutes away?! However when I looked on their website I was disappointed by what I found. They do have some baking kits, including two amazing looking Thorntons chocolate packs but apart from that there was just one Victoria Bakery pack makes three which, while they all look delicious, isn’t the list of options I had hoped for. Iceland is also the only supermarket I looked at that doesn’t stock Betty Crocker kits, well, not according to their website anyway.

Sainsbury’s – 21

Sainsbury’s was a little better, I have seen a larger collection in store and even bought the Despicable Me Minions cupcake kit I made in there. So I was quite happy to discover all the other kits they do as well including some lovely plain traditional kits from their Sainsbury’s Own range and Wrights some tasty different options from Helens and Greens and the ever popular Betty Crocker, who I absolutely love because its perfect for anyone, no matter what age or what reason they have chosen to bake, party or fun… or just hunger!

Waitrose – 25

Although there isn’t a Waitrose close enough to me to use as a weekly supermarket (plus it’s a little expensive) I have used them in the past and fully appreciate the great choice they offer, their website told me the same with great options from Greens, and not one, not two but three types of Waitrose own, Waitrose Love Life, Waitrose Essentials and Waitrose Gluten Free. These icude some lovely Christmas packs including one that comes in a sweet little glass seal-top jar. They also sell the Betty Crocker cake and cookie sets.

Morrisons – 42

I have seen the huge baking section in my, rather large, local store and was impressed with all the Betty Crocker and kids themed baking its they have. I thought Waitrose’s 25 different cake and biscuit packs was impressive but it only gets better with Morrisons 42 include themed kits like (deep breath) Frozen, Spiderman, Mickey Mouse, Star Wars, Despicable Me, Disney Princesses, Pepper Pig, Shaun the Sheep and Hello Kitty. They also sell branded kits from Maltesers for a lovely chocolate cake and M&M’s for choclate (or M&M) chip cookies. I really love the look of the Dr Oetker mug cake mixes as I have never made a mug cake before but have always wanted to try! (I sense another blog post or three!). Of course Morrisons also sell the Betty Crocker kits that seem to be the staple for supermarket cake kits.

Tesco – 44

It just keeps getting better, with Tescos incredible 44 cake and biscuit mix kits they too have thir own kits from the Tesco’s Own line, all simple traditional recipes, the ever present Betty Crocker mix packs, some themed ones from Symingtons such as the Minions pack I have used and a few by Victoria Foods and Greens that look so good.

Ocado – 70

Ocado seem to have snuck in in recent years and taken internet shopping by storm and looking at their website its not hard to see why, they sell EVERYTHING. As well as the fantastic choice they have for everything (and I mean everything) else they had 70, yes SEVENTY (I counted) cake and biscuit mix packs available on their website. If nothing else there are some fantastic company names in there, such as Devilishly Delicious and Hale and Hearty. Wrights, who seem to be not far behind on the popularity run and Betty Crocker (the obvious fore-runner) are in there too but it was this last one that surprised me. If you read the Waitrose section above you will see they do three different types of packs; essential, gluten free and Love life, Ocado stocks all of these.

Asda – 84

Whilst Ocado’s score of 70 mix packs is really impressive there is one place that takes the cake (pun intended) Asda, a magical name in easy baking for everyone. The spectacular 84 (I counted each and every one) their range naturally starts with their own brand ‘Chosen by you’ with some classic and some gorgeous Christmas specials (its nice to know that if this brand lives up to its name there are plenty of bakers and wannabe bakers out there, who shop at Asda anyway.) there is, you guessed it Betty Crocker packs in there and some Greens mixes, as seen in Tesco, Waitrose and Sainsbury’s as well as those gorgeous looking Mug Cake kits from Dr Oetker and the chocolatey Thorntons kits. A round of applause is truly in order for the amazing Asda and their inadvertent aiding of the amateur baking world.

So there really is no excuse not to give baking a go because nowadays its even easier to just give it a go with these super simple kits that are almost everywhere! Enjoy your baking and please feel free to send me pictures and comments at my Twitter: @TimeForTeaBlog1

In The Mix - Disney Star Wars Cupcakes

Name: Disney Star Wars Cup Cake Kit

Company: Fiddes Payne

Bought in: Tesco

Preparation:  All you need to prepare for this is an egg, a teaspoon of butter and some water. Don’t forget to pre-heat your oven!

Star Wars has always been a very popular franchise but with the fast-approaching release date of the new Star Wars film in December, it is everywhere. There are adverts on television, toys and costumes coming out in stores all over and even Star wars foods popping up everywhere. I couldn’t resist when I saw this awesome cupcake kit in the supermarket.

Part 1) Mix the mix and extra ingredients – simple as that, mix your mix and egg, butter and water in a bowl until smooth. Make sure all the ingredients are well combined and there are no lumps, lumpy mix makes bitty cakes! The mix is still quite runny but have no fear, it still makes amazing cupcakes.

Part 2) Separate the mix – separate the batter out into the cupcake cases provided and make sure its even. Pop them into the (pre-heated) oven. The pack says 12-15 minutes in the oven, I set it for 13 and they were still a little moist inside so 15 was perfect, golden and spongey.

Part 3) mix the icing – put the icing mix in a bowl and add water half a table spoon at a time till the icing is well mixed and sticky. Then all you have to do is wait for the cakes to cool and cover them in the icing. The pack also comes with rice paper  stand up figures of famous Star Wars characters that you can stick in the top of your cakes!

Notes: these cakes are perfect for Star Wars fans young and old and really good for birthdays parties or premier parties!

In The Mix - Symington's Despicable Me Minion Cupcakes

Name: Despicable Me Minion Cupcakes

Company: Symingtons

Bought in: Sainsbury’s

The minions say: if you are under 13, make sure an adult helps you with the baking.

                                                  

Preparation:  Not much preparation for this at all, you just need to have a mixing bowl, spoon, cupcake tray and pre-heat your oven!

My brother, Adam, and I are more than a little obsessed with Despicable Me’s minions, small yellow monsters in dungarees and goggles who help villains and seem to have taken the world by storm with their own movie and merchandise in almost every shop you go into nowadays. So when I spotted this mix in a supermarket, we had to have it! This cupcake mix is as simple as any, all in requires is an egg and less than a cup of water (75ml to be exact).

Part 1) Prepare mix – Mix the cake mix, water and egg in a bowl till “lovely and fluffy”, which really means ‘mix till more fluffy than watery if you don’t want your arm to fall off’ don’t worry too much about making it fluffy, as long as all the mixture is fully combined. Slop it into the cupcake cases (decorated to look like the minions dungarees) and pop them into the oven.

The cakes came out much lighter than I expected, so don’t worry if this happens to you, they are still perfectly baked and really tasty!

Part 2) Mix the icing powder – mix the icing powder and water in a bowl and as if by magic a little bag of white icing sugar-like powder becomes a fair amount of yellow icing. Make sure you don’t mix too quickly otherwise the powder will go everywhere and that just means less icing! Pop the icing on top off all of the cupcakes once they have cooled.

And finally…

Part 3) Add the face decorations – pop out the rice paper pieces, in the shape of hair, eyes and mouths and (making sure the front of the dungarees is at the bottom, its marked with a ‘G’ for Gru the villain of ‘Despicable Me’ and the minions’ boss) put them on to the cakes. Have fun with it and make the silliest faces you can or look the minions up and copy their faces.

Notes: This is by far the most fun I have ever had baking and they look and taste fantastic when done. The icing mix does create a lot of icing, don’t feel like you need to use it all or your cupcakes will be far too sweet and sticky (if there is such a thing). This kit is fantastic for everyone, kids, friends, parents and families. I know a father who said he had great fun making this with his son only a week before me and my brother enjoyed making them so much. Just make sure you face the little ‘G’ forwads to it doesn’t look like your minions are wearing their uniforms backwards!

In The Mix - Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix

Name: Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix

Company: Betty Crocker

Bought in: Tesco

The Betty Crocker website rates this recipe a level 1 (of 4) difficulty.

Preparation:  Not much preparation for this at all, make sure you have a mixing bowl, spoon  and baking tray ready and have fun!

My brother and I really enjoyed making Betty Crocker’s Chocolate Fudge Brownies (the review can be found here: http://time-for-tea-blog.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/in-mix-betty-crocker-chocolate-brownie.html) and we enjoyed eating them even more, so we decided to try another of their packs. The cookie mix was the obvious choice, who doesn’t love cookies?! Whether its plain chocolate chip, double chocolate or triple chocolate and orange peel (to name a few). Cookies are a staple for any age group and perfect for a snack and a nice addition to any gathering. This recipe is lovely because it is so simple, this means you can create almost any time of cookie you like, just by adding in extra ingredients.

Part 1) Mix the cookie mix and water – that’s it, water, simple as that. The easiest of easy recipes that creates a really wonderful thick dough and comes with plenty of chocolate chips. Though feel free to add more if you like, maybe even some different types of chocolate, white, dark or orange, go nuts and add some nuts, make your cookies appealing by adding orange peel or even spice things up and add a touch of cinnamon.

Part 2) Separate the mix and place it on a baking tray. – make sure that the chocolate chips are evenly distributed; you don’t want a cookie with no chocolate in it! Separate the mix into balls and squash them into rounds, bigger and thicker if you want more chunky cookies or smaller if you want regular ones maybe even mini ones (remember that they will expand in the oven.). Place them on a baking tray with quite a bit of space between them and pop it in the oven.

Part 3) 12 minute cooking time - They smell amazing in the oven but by the 12 minute recommended cooking time they just  don’t look done to me. I must be really bad at judging this because by the time they do look done they are, of course, bone dry and taste burned… oh dear.

Notes: This is the easiest mix in the world, using just the mix and 2 table spoons (yes two table spoons) of water you can create perfect cookies if just you trust the recipe, it says 12 minutes for a reason, take them out at 12 minutes like the recipe says and try it! This recipe, like a lot of the Betty Crocker mix packs is available in the US in gluten free.

In the Mix - Betty Crocker Chocolate Brownie Mix

Name: Chocolate Brownie Mix

Company: Betty Crocker

Bought in: Tesco

The Betty Crocker website rates this a level 1 (of 4) difficulty.

Preparation: make sure you have the correct size tin and grease-proof paper and pre heat your oven!

Though I love tea every good cuppa deserves a lovely sweet to go with it, so when my brother (who is too lazy even to ask me to make him brownies, let alone make his own) brought me a Betty Crocker Brownie Mix, my new series ‘In The Mix’ was created!

My brother and I LOVE our cakes and sweets especially those with chocolate involved (and as the packet says, these brownies are ‘total chocolate heaven’) and though I love to bake he is a little lazy so these ‘make your own’ baking kits seem a lovely middle ground for us and something fun we can do together. I’d recommend these kits to anyone, from the hungry student, couples and parents to families looking for an easy weekend activity as they are relatively quick and very easy plus a little messy! Because I love to bake from scratch and have control over the whole recipe I was a little wary of these kits with most of the ingredients already measured out and bunged into one bag, (how can you tell what’s in there?!) but I put these worries aside for the love of brownies and we gave it a go.

Part 1) Measure out the remaining ingredients then mix it all together – though most of the ingredients come with the pack, you do have to add three more ingredients (the perishables they can’t put in the packet) to complete the recipe but don’t worry, they are everyday things that you will probably have in your kitchen (I did): a small amount of Oil and water and an egg. It is surprising that so little of all the ingredients serves 16! The instructions say that the mix will be lumpy, it will, but just keep going and you can wear those lumps down a little bit. Don’t worry about them too much it just makes the cake a little denser in those parts.

Part 2) Pour the mix into a lined tin – first you need to make sure the tin isn’t too big (like the first one I tried was) otherwise you will end up with wafer thin brownie crisps (which doesn’t actually sound that terrible, its just not what we’re going for). Tin hopping aside, my new tin was deep enough to create lovely thick chewy brownies so I reached for my grease-proof paper… only to discover I didn’t have any! I cant stress enough the importance of preparation when doing ANY baking (or cooking for that matter) ALWAYS make sure you read the recipe early enough before you bake (or cook) to be able to grab all the ingredients and any extras you will need before its too late! So, make sure the tin IS lined with grease proof paper (an easy but a vital step if you actually want to be able to get the brownies out of the tin!) and that the mix is level in the tin for perfect brownies! However with the mix already prepared I popped the mix in the tin and hoped for the best.

Part 3) Pop the mix in the oven and wait! – simple. The instructions say 20-25 mins, I took mine out at 20 mins and they were still they really do need that extra 5 minutes for the perfect squishy inside, crisp on top treats! The instructions also don’t mention the amazing smell that comes from the oven which is torture if you haven’t eaten since breakfast and its rather late!

And finally…

Part 4) Remove them from the oven, leave to cool (if you have the patience) and enjoy – as you can probably guess, we didn’t have the patience to cut them out of the tin let alone let them cool so we cut it out a slice at a time(with a little bit of difficulty owing to the lack of grease-proof paper and the brownie having a really strong hold on the bottom of the tin) and enjoyed it with a movie. However if you aren’t an animal like us I would suggest waiting for the tin to cool, cutting the brownie into squares, dusting with icing sugar and serving piled up on a plate. Despite losing the bottom of the brownies to the sticky tin they were amazing, sweet and soft, just perfect!

Notes: this is an easy recipe that goes from packet to plate in no time at all but do make sure you have everything you need before starting so you don’t have any mishaps like I did! The box says this kit serves 16 but the two of us finished it off in one sitting (it was really, really good!) Another piece of great news is that if you are in the US you can get this mix gluten free!

The Black Dog Cafe - Tunbridge Wells - ...Again

I know what you’re thinking, I wrote about The Black Dog café back in August last year and though I wouldn’t usually write about a place more than once I feel like this place, since its recent refurbishment, it needs another look as it isn’t the same café it was last year.

The first thing I notice upon entering the café is the back wall, which has been covered in shelves and stuffed with books giving the café a ‘chill-in-a-corner’ feel (if anyone ever picks one up that is, I am sure that if I was sitting closer I would at least scan the titles). I like that these shelves have also been matched to the shelves behind the counter that are covered with teas and coffees. The new look is minimalist grey and black with lovely bare wooden accents such as the shelves and the tables. It gives the whole place a very professional look (though at my chosen table, two from the open door, the grey tile does nothing to help the cold breeze, pleasant for the hard-working staff, I’m sure but more than a little chilly for us static customers. My tea is great, even if it cools a little faster that I’d like (my fault for sitting so close to the door!)

A couple of things I really love about the new look are the three giant chalk boards that take up most of one wall (barely filled with the menus and messages that I written on them) and the half shades over the front windows fashioned from coffee bean sacks and look really good. Along with an impressive looking coffee machine a glass cabinet full of treats sits on the counter and of course I am tempted by crisp croissant (even more when the lovely man behind the counter asks if I want it with jam!)

Even though the new-look Black Dog Café is much more stark and modern it brings a professional feel to the café with personal hints such as the messages on the black boards and the books on the shelves. I am so happy with the friendly staff and lovely tea, I can't wait to return (and sit further away from the door!)

Bookshop Cafe - The Sevenoaks Bookshop - Sevenoaks

I have to admit, this isn’t my first time at the Sevenoaks Bookshop, I love the idea of combining a bookshop and café, one which was taken up by Waterstones and Costa in 2012. However, here in this independent bookshop with homemade café simply named ‘Bookshop Café’ it works so much better. The feeling is very different in here, with the staff not under the strain of a big company name and a three-floor mega-bookstore they have time to chat with customers about books, their tea choice, the gorgeous tiffin on the shelf or anything else. The crockery cabinet to one side is laden with gorgeous home-made treats, towered over by shelves of cafetieres, teapots, milk jugs and take away cups. That’s all this café needs, plus three small table and chair sets, it’s perfect. The one corner of the world and the shop that feels calm and genuine, run by genuinely friendly people who are there because they want to be. It’s a blissful rest from the heat today and a lovely cup of tea in this lovely shop. Here at the front of the shop, the front window is full of books and leaflets about Sevenoaks and Kent, another sign of the homely feeling this shop gives out.

I really love the tea here (however, unfortunately I’m not sure what company it is, the symbol is a tea cup and saucer with steam curving from it) and the elegantly slim sugar packets from ‘Allpress Expresso’, makes you think about just  how much goes into running a café and ordering all the necessary bits in and making all the tasty things. I don’t think I think about what really goes into making a café often enough, just appreciate how lovely that effort makes the places I write about.

All in all a lovely shop, perfect for a cup of delicious tea and home-made cakes, surrounded by the smell of books and some truly great people. Delightful.

Twitter: @7OaksBookshop

Website: Sevenoaksbookshop.co.uk

Address: 147 High Street, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN13 1XJ

The Zed Music Cafe - Sevenoaks

Hidden down the far end of Sevenoaks high street, almost (but definitely not) too far to walk is The Zed Music Café. Bigger on the inside than it looks from outside (yes Doctor Who fans, that’s what I said) the café feels different from the moment you see the sign outside. ‘Zed Music Café’ sounds so interesting and fun not to mention the gorgeous 450 year old listed building itself, once the home of the Sevenoaks Tearoom (visited by the Beatles when they were filming in nearby in Knole Park). Once you step foot inside, the interior does not disappoint. Painted in a variety of colours, with a sound desk and stage at one end and a table groaning with gorgeous-looking cakes in the middle, I instantly feel happy here. The staff are friendly and polite and as I receive my huge slice of Victoria sponge and pot of tea I wonder if I’ll ever leave!

The room, which was obviously two rooms and one point has floor to ceiling beams splitting the serving area and the performance area. I love the way they have used the odd shaped space by putting tables with comfy chairs in some corners and using the space to its fullest. The slogan ‘By music lovers, for music lovers’ pasted on the wall sums up perfectly what this café is about (if the drum kit, piano, sound desk… and the name didn’t give it away!) sharing music. A cause I can really get behind. There are posters all over the café advertising lessons taught in the rooms up stairs and all sorts of gigs played in the café itself.

A true (almost) hidden gem and one of the best places to visit in Sevenoaks, the Zed Music Café is wonderful. If the countless gigs and opportunities for musicians aren’t enough, the lovely atmosphere and selection of great cakes and Tea Pigs tea are so great, you’ll want to stay here forever!

Twitter: @zedmusiccafe

Facebook: Facebook.com/zedmusiccafe

Website: www.zedmusiccafe.com

Address: 28-30 High Street, Svenoaks, Kent, TN13 1HX

Varie-tea

My last blog was about why we love tea and the first point was ‘Varie-tea’, we love tea because of all the different flavors it comes in, all the weird and wonderful tastes you can find and you don’t have to spend a fortune to try them, here are some recognizable supermarket brands that may just surprise you.

Twinings: (www.twinings.co.uk) The most recognizable name in herbal and fruit teas, Twinings sell so many different flavors its impossible not to be surprised by one or two and hardly surprising that they are the first on my list, they include some real gems, such as:

-The ‘Indulgence Green Tea collection: Gingerbread Indulgence (‘with real ginger pieces and natural golden syrup flavor’ a must have for the sweet-toothed tea lover!), Salted Caramel Indulgence (‘Sweet but somehow slightly salty’ and ‘rich and warming’, perfect for a winter night in) and Caramelized Apple Indulgence (‘with notes of golden toffee and a touch of spice from real cinnamon’ a tasty cup of sugary goodness.)

-Chamomile and Maple (‘a soothing amble into sweet indulgence’ calming, with a  sweet taste? Where do I sign up?!)

-Cucumber Extract, Nettle and Aloe Vera (‘the true taste of beauty’ also an entrant for the ‘lets-throw-random-things-together’ contest, though I’m sure its lovely.)

-Liquorish Allsorts Earl Grey Whole leaf (‘a sweet, yet floral, refreshing taste’ for when chopped up leaves aren’t good enough and you don’t want to put actual sweets in your tea.)

Teapigs: (www.teapigs.co.uk) Founded in 2006 and now found in most new cafes, Teapigsis like Twinings younger brother who has grown up without anyone noticing, some of the interesting flavors they offer are:

                -Chili Chi (Chi with a ‘hot twist’, sounds interesting, if you can take it!)

                -Chocolate Flake (‘Assam with real chocolate chunks’, anything with chocolate is ok with me.)

                -Popcorn (Green Tea with toasted rice’ sounds odd in an ‘I really have to try this’ way.)

                -Rooibos Crème Caramel (‘infused with real caramel’ sounds sweet!)

-Chocolate and Mint (‘a super retro pairing’ for lovers of mint chocolate chip ice-cream…melted.)

                -Rhubarb and Ginger (‘rhubarb lovers, this is for you’ enough said.)

PG Tips: (www.pgtips.co.uk) So called because it was originally marketed as ‘Pre-Gest-Tee’, meaning if you drank it before a meal it would help you digest. They have long been known for their breakfast tea but did you know they also produce these beauties?:

-The Premium Range: The Strong one, The Fresh One, The Mellow One and The Rich One (in no particular order and all pretty self-explanatory, so you can have your breakfast tea just the way you like it!)

-Smooth Red Bush Vanilla (‘a beautifully smooth taste and a gentle aroma’, not strong but smooth and easy.)

-Aromatic Spices and mint (‘a complex exotic infusion of fragrant mint, warming cinnamon, subtle orange and aromatic spices’ and another contender for the ‘lets-throw-random-things-together’ contest…)

-Vibrant Mandarin Orange Green Tea (along with a host of Green Teas Tetley supply. This particular one is a ‘fun and interesting flavor’ that ‘will have you savoring every last sip.’)

Tetley: (www.tetley.co.uk) Another tea company who have a famous breakfast tea and has branched out into these lovelies:

-The Blend Collection: Extra Strong, Blend of both (with refreshing Green Tea) and Kenyan Gold (‘only the best leaves’ from ‘the finest tea estates around Mount Kenya and The Great Rift Valley region’ Ooo fancy!)

-Green Teas: With Raspberry and Pomegranate (leaves you ‘feeling a bit super and fruity’, when was the last time you felt a bit fruity?) With Peach and Apricot (mmm ‘a delicious taste of summer’!) With Mango and Passion Fruit (gives you ‘that tropical feeling’. You can feel fruity or tropical, its up to you.) With Apple and Blackcurrant (to ‘get the taste buds tingling’, I say!)

-SUPER Green Teas: Berry Burst, Tropical, Lemon and Honey and Lime. I bet they all make you feel fruity AND tropical!

Whatever brand you like and whatever flavor you are looking for, don’t worry, its out there somewhere, if its not, why not contact your favorite tea-makers and suggest it to them? Either way, it definitely pays to check the websites because there is a chance your favorite brand is making the perfect tea for you and you don’t even know it was there!

Why Do We Love Tea?

Winston Churchill said “tea is more important than ammunition” and with 52% of Brits loving tea more than any other hot drink, why do we love tea so much?

Varie-tea: There are so many different types of tea for any tastes, sweet, plain, strong or weak, if you want it, there is a tea somewhere that has it. Ginger bread or caramel apple? Twinings can help you there. Chilli or popcorn? Tea Pigs has some teas you’ll love.

Cruel-tea Free: With Fair Trade teas everywhere it is even easier to give back when you buy a cuppa. That plus the great taste makes drinking tea great.

Tea-riffic: Tea is good for you! Without milk, tea has zero calories and half the caffeine of coffee. Plus because it’s mostly water its hydrating and healthy.

Swee-tea: A lot of fruit teas are sweet and taste great by themselves and by adding just a spoonful of sugar to a plain tea you will get a boost and a lovely sweet taste.

Creativi-tea: There is so much you can do with tea, as shown by this Buzzfeed article on recipes you can make using tea: http://www.buzzfeed.com/danncastle77/18-amazing-treats-for-tealovers-ka8b#.axNjEXD8 and this one on the uses for a used tea bag: http://www.buzzfeed.com/samimain/7-random-uses-for-used-tea-bags-5pfv

So whatever type of tea you love they are all quali-tea which is why our cups are always left emp-tea.

I Know What I Like - The Dryathalon

I know what I like, I like breakfast tea, milk and one sugar maybe a peppermint when I need a pick up ad recently I have tentatively branched out to Vanilla Chai tea because a friend introduced me to it but that is it, I certainly don’t drink alcohol. However, when I heard about the Cancer Research ‘Dryathalon’ a sponsored event that means you have to give up alcohol for the entire month of January, I knew I had to get in on it and give to this worthy cause but I don’t drink so what could I do?

So I pledged to the Dryathalon yesterday, not to give up alcohol but to grudgingly give up my familiar and comfortable breakfast tea and try a new tea every day for a month. I promise to try a different tea every day AND to document it on my twitter and Just Giving page so you can follow my progress. I started yesterday, January 19^th, and since I’m starting late I will go on until February 19^th, not just the end of January. I began with Twinings Lady Grey tea and was off to a shaky start but I will keep it up if you help me, sponsor my pain in just a few easy clicks at

Justgiving.com/TimeForTeaBlog1

and follow my updates on Twitter at @TimeForTeaBlog1.

Wish me luck!

The Perfect Cafe

Smack in between my house and work is a lovely independent café that sells, in my opinion, the best hot chocolate ever, not too sweet, the right amount of froth and with extra chocolate sprinkled on top. Its one of the best cafes I have had the good fortune to visit. The staff are so friendly that I find myself in there chatting to them and buying my favourite hot chocolate regularly. This is the place I recommend to people looking for a light lunch or hot drink with friends and I’ve taken several friends there myself.  Its lovely to find a place that you can share like that but what does a place have to have to be recommend-able?

The question of what makes a café worth recommending will, of course, have different answers for everyone depending on who you are and what you enjoy. Some like a quiet place to escape for some silence and a corner to read a book in. Others prefer somewhere with music where the pace is slightly faster, somewhere they can take their friends. However, some people need a family friendly atmosphere where rowdy children (and possibly pets) won’t annoy the staff!

I think, for cafes (as opposed to pubs or restaurants), I fall firmly into the first category; I love a café I can sit and write in, especially if I’m writing for this blog! As someone who visits a range of cafes regularly I have seen cafes from all the categories and I enjoy them all immensely but as a writer and blogger, the best ones for me are quieter, with a table in the corner where I can see the whole room and write in piece. There are things that recommend-able cafes, no matter what type, have to have so I asked some readers, friends and fellow travellers on the tea journey and here are a few things we came up with:

1) Friendly Staff

Friendly staff are very important, they represent the café to the customer and make up a large part of the first impressions of a place, if the staff are rude or moody then you feel less comfortable being around them and therefore at the café at all. Some café staff are wonderful, going above and beyond to make customers happy and comfortable and help them with anything from finding the loos to changing the menu to suit dietary needs. Those are the ones who will chat you as they serve you, remember you when you come back and maybe even remember your order, these are the staff we love.

2) Variety

A good variety is always good, in food, teas, coffees, cakes and everything else. Most of the time you’ll find one or two things you love and always order those but that has to work for you AND everyone else so a full and varied menu is the way to… more customers.

3) Who’s Catered For

Depending on who you’re taking with you, a business meeting, work mates, a date, friends, family, (pets?) and with dietary requirements (natural or chosen)being so different for everyone. It is hard to please everyone. Being a really fussy vegetarian I know it’s easy to say no to a nice looking place just because you can’t find anything you like.

4) Comfort

The place has to be comfortable, metal chairs with slatted seats and weird curvy frames may be retro and ‘cool’ but they are not nice to sit on for an afternoons relaxing with friends and lunch with family can be uncomfortable enough! A sofa or a comfy arm chair, even a big comfy cushion is better than a bit of wood or metal.

So whatever makes your perfect café, your perfect cup of tea or coffee and your perfect lunch, enjoy them and enjoy the journey!

Mars Bar Cake in Four Easy Steps

Another thing that I’d really love to start doing this year is blogging things other than reviews, my thoughts on brands of tea, my monthly favorites, new cake recipes I love etc etc. So without further ado, the first in my new blog blogs!

Mars Bar Cake in Four Easy Steps

I love to bake and make sweets(especially with chocolate!) almost as much as I love to go out and drink tea so I thought I’d share with you one of my favorite recipes for a quick, no-bake snack! This recipe is the easiest one I know and if you do it right the results are delicious my mars bar cake is famous amongst my friends and yours will be too! The trick is to STAY WITH YOUR MIXTURE! This recipe is also great for kids to make and eat!

You Will Need:

75g rice crispies

75g butter

3 full size Mars Bars

1 large bar of chocolate (I use dairy milk)

And Then You Just…

1) Melt the butter in a saucepan.

2) Cut the mars bars in to 3 or 4 pieces each and add slowly, stirring as you go to melt them in. STAY WITH YOUR MIXTURE! Keep stirring!

When it has completely melted…

3) Take it off the heat and mix in the rice crispies… (carefully, this is messy!) and press the mix into a container, flattening the top.

Finally…

4) Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of boiling water and pour it on top.

Put it in the fridge for an hour and voila, Mars Bar Cake in four easy steps!

I really hope you like this recipe, it is a little moreish so I’m sorry if it disappears too quickly but you know, its so easy, you can always make another one!

Time For Tea is One! (and a bit...)

So I only realised yesterday that over a year since my first post on this blog, it has in fact been a year and 23 days since I started this blog and it has brought me some really great times and introduced me to some fantastic people, some of whom have become good friends of mine. I love visiting all the different places, seeing the variety, the different way different people take serving food and drink. Each café is a new experience with new foods to sample and new people to meet. Some things are always the same though. There is always food and drink, there is always tea and coffee and the people are always friendly, it seems to be a café thing. In some retail shops you might find grumpy staff who are fed up with angry customers and selling the same things to the same people but café staff are a different breed, they are always smiling and helpful. I have made great friends among them.

The creativity of some cafes is amazing. Themes I have seen in some of them this year include Comic Café- the comic book/memorabilia shop and café, Itailan style Gusta and French La Roche, the flower shop café, The Collonade, and Scallywag, the café and antiques shop. I love all these diverse styles and themes and exploring the tea, food and decorations. One that really stands out for me in Mrs Tea’s ‘pop-up’ forties tearoom that was in Tunbridge Wells for just a month and eleven days but made an impact of everyone who visited including my friends and I.

So here is to a belated one year celebration and many more to come. This year I would love to go into London more often and visit some cafes and tearooms out there, I am especially looking forward to a trip to Lady Dina’s, the cat tearoom (that’s a tearoom…plus cats! Cats and tea AND CAKE!). If you are a regular reader thank you so much for sticking with me if you are a new one welcome to our tea journey but regardless of who you are tea lover, love tea.

Thank you

Georgie

Mrs Tea - Tunbridge Wells

On Mrs Tea’s first day, back on the 29^th November I was there as soon as I could be (…unfortunately this was at 5, after I finished work but I was there to celebrate with her!

Entering the tea room is like going back in time. The Mrs Tea herself, in costume behind the counter, with perfect forties hair and red lips, the music floating out of the ‘gramophone’ (well, a cd player that looks like a gramophone) and the war-time posters that cover the walls all draw you in and you can relax in retro heaven. Behind the counter are two shelving units full of teapots of all different shapes and sizes and the counter itself is covered with the most delicious home-made cakes, mince pies and scones. The blackboards behind the counter list the gorgeous foods on offer including an ‘Evacuee’s menu’ for kids.

I love the atmosphere in this gorgeous theme café, which is perfect to the last detail and includes sweet things like ration book leaflets on the tables and as loyalty cards. Unfortunately Mrs Tea’s café is now closed but she is still running pop-up tearooms for all occasions. So if your party is in need of some traditional tearoom tea and cake and an extra friendly face (which all parties are) you can contact her with the details below, I know I will!

Twitter: @VintageMrsTea

Facebook: facebook.com/mrsteasvintagetearoom

Website: mrsteasvintagetearooms.co.uk

Tree Of Hope - Tunbridge Wells

The Tree of Hope charity has combined with Javabean café to create ‘The Tree of Hope Café’, as they put it, “a charity shop with a twist!” (the ‘twist being that there is a café, charity shop and therapy rooms all in the same building). The now, not-so-new shop is a great addition to the Café-and trend that seems to be a big thing at the moment housing all the above under one roof, the charity shop and café on the ground floor are open plan so you can see each from the other, great if you’re in the café munching on a slice of cake and eyeing up the toys and games across the room, not so great if you’re in the charity shop and can’t concentrate because the chocolate cake is calling you!

Sat across from the sense wall that takes pride of place in the centre of the shop, which contains multi-coloured bubbles and wheels spinning and bubbling away and it is really distracting me from writing, I can understand how it takes the attention of young children! (but what does that say about me?!).  I’m also surrounded by the lovely staff what seem to genuinely love what they are doing here and be behind the cause one hundred percent. I love that from where I am sat, in the middle of the cafe, you can see everything: The counter full of delicious looking cakes, the distracting sense wall, the charity shop with its treasures and the stairs leading to the therapy rooms upstairs. You really can see the world from the comfort of your tea and cake. Coincidentally, I chose a lovely breakfast tea and slice of chocolate cake (it really was calling me!) and though it’s a little dense its delicious and way too much for me (though as I write this much later on, I wish I had the bit I left behind…it really was lovely).

As well as copious amounts of delicious looking cakes the café has a healthy side as well as catering to vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free very well. The Tree of Hope offer so many lovely things to eat and drink as well as friendly staff and a comfortably environment that makes you feel right at home. All for a good cause! A very belated welcome to you!

Twitter: @treeofhopecentr

Facebook: facebook.com/treeofhope.childrenscharity?fref=ts

Website: treeofhope.org.uk

Address: 61-63 Camden Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 2QE