Show me a girl who doesn't like cake and I'll show you a fibber.
To me, there is nothing better in the world than curling up with a steaming mug of tea and a lemon drizzle cake, my favourite people surrounding me.
Of course, as with anything, the lemon drizzle cake and mug of tea taste all the better if someone has made it for you. Better yet if the tea is served in delicate bone china, with chintzy, vintage prints to brighten your cuppa.
Oh, and better still if you serve the lemon drizzle cake with lots of other mouth-watering goodies and delicate finger sandwiches, all nestled onto a pretty cake stand. Rather like this one at 34 Windsor St:
Anyway, last week, we enjoyed this rather scrumptious meal and, let me tell you, afternoon tea at 34 Windsor St in Burbage, Leicestershire, was just what I needed. Following a hectic week arranging hubby's birthday celebrations, I was ready to drop.
The restaurant itself has had a delicious revamp (before, when it was known as The Butlers, it was pretty dowdy, dark and dingy and full of old people gobbling down their beloved roasts). In fact, I am so impressed with it that this was the second time in the space of a week I had visited. The lunch menu, by the way, is scrummy.
Tucked away on Burbage's high street, 34 manages to be an oasis of calm. With its chic grey interiors, lovely staff and inviting armchairs, you feel completely at home. Collapsing gratefully into one of the chairs (loved it so much, I wanted to steal it), I never wanted to leave.
However, I can always be relied upon to move for cake. So, move we did, choosing the afternoon tea for two at just over £30, although you can add a couple of glasses of Prosecco for extra.
When it arrived, my belly did a little flip. I was expecting a few sandwiches and a couple of tiny slithers of cake. Not all of this:
We had a selection of finger sandwiches, including ham and mustard, smoked salmon and cheese and pickle. Then, hiding beneath were the cakes. Oh, the cakes!
There were delicate petite madeleines, light and fluffy lemon drizzle cake, beautiful almond and orange cakes, and sugary apple turnovers. Oh, and to top it all, a light and fluffy scone, with clotted cream and jam. YUM.
Did we eat it all? No, but we tried our hardest! Each bite was more delicious than the last, with every morsel causing us to make various, inaudible sounds of pleasure.
My highlights though were the almond and orange cake (soft, light and wonderfully flavoured), the apple turnover (just like eating a doughnut, I could not resist from licking the sugar from my lips!) and the ham and mustard sandwiches, which had a real depth thanks to the heat of the mustard.
Just an hour after arriving, and I was falling into a deep sleep and my face was threatening to smack the cake stand. I honestly thought that the lovely maitr'd (French accent, very nice!) would have to carry me out of the door.
Next time, I'm coming prepared. I will finish that afternoon tea, even if I have to starve myself all day to do it.
Sam x
