Afternoon tea for two at the Wensleydale Creamery

I had a treat last month when I went to sample a tea with a twist, and if you’re either local to, or travelling to Yorkshire, get yourself booked in for one of these absolute treats.

Wensleydale cheesy afternoon tea for two

I was more excited about this than I was about my birthday, and that’s saying something. Some of my favourite things in this world involve cheese, so discovering on a recent camping trip that there is a place that serves a cheesy afternoon tea…well, I couldn’t settle until I’d got that event locked in.

On a sunny September morning, I set off over the Pennines with fellow cheese enthusiast, my Dad, to sample the cheesy delights of the Wensleydale Creamery.

Set in a working factory, the Creamery is based in the Yorkshire market town of Hawes, which after a couple of trips this year, is quickly becoming one of my favourite parts of the Yorkshire Dales.

The creamery is a day out in itself if you wish – and judging by the coach parties arriving, we weren’t the first ones to think this!

They run regular tours of the factory where you can see a cheese making demonstration and take part in a guided tasting, most of which you can book online before you visit. Blinded by our enthusiasm for the feast ahead, we didn’t pre-book and weren’t able to take part, but we weren’t short of other things to do.

A beautiful outside seating area looks out onto the Wensleydale countryside – and a short walk down this field takes you into the town. We had a cup of tea in the café before strolling into town for a mooch, returning about an hour before our afternoon tea booking.

Alongside the café and restaurant, Calvert’s (where tea is served), is a huge gift shop – another of my favourite ways to while away an hour. I left with a highland cow tea tray, a map of the Dales and a Feathers McGraw pen…none of which I needed. It’s brilliant.

There is also a separate, chilled room where all the cheeses are sold, each with a tasting plate and some carefully selected accompaniments – think artisanal oils, luxury crackers and every flavour combination of chutney you can think of – don’t forget to pick up a basket on your way in, because you won’t leave empty handed.

Before we spent up and ate too many cheese cubes, we made our way next door to Calvert’s for the afternoon tea.

Great value

First things first, it’s £19 a head. If you’re a regular afternoon tea-r, that’s incredibly good value. For that, a plethora of cheese dishes head your way, sweet and savoury, and a big pot of Yorkshire tea to wash it down with.

The bottom shelf of your slate display board contains a delicious slice of three cheese quiche each, and a piece of the ultimate Welsh rarebit, oodles of cheese heaped onto a sliced bread cake (let’s not get started on what it’s called across the country – in Yorkshire it’s a bread cake and that’s that!).

You might not be there for the salad, but I enjoyed the crisp, tangy garnish and pot of chutney on our board, it went perfectly with the quiche, as did the portion of fat, home-cooked chips. I have never had chips on an afternoon tea, and I may never do so again, but I can assure you it works.

And the savoury treats didn’t stop there. A piping hot griddle pan of Mac n cheese arrives with your board, and as one of my ultimate comfort foods, it was a welcome sight.

As I was pretending it actually was my birthday, Dad threw in a glass of Prosecco for me to add to the sense of occasion, which I enjoyed whilst giving myself a break for the dessert course.

This was a sharp square of Wensleydale and ginger cheese cake, the huge chunks of stem ginger providing a beautiful contrast of flavour, and a fresh strawberry on top to add some lightness.

The final piece of the puzzle was a small slice of local fruitcake, topped with a slice of, yes, you’ve guessed it, Wensleydale cheese. We opted to wrap these up to take home, lest Dad fall asleep at the wheel in a cheese stupor.

The staff were incredibly attentive, they’re a well-oiled machine when it comes to these teas and they had branded paper and bags at the ready to wrap up our leftovers. It was a pleasure to be there, and we enjoyed the busy mix of customers, friends and families with young kids, alongside plenty of older day trippers. A nice touch is that they offer free entry to children during the school holidays and at weekends, and it felt very family friendly.

A good few hours after arrival, we headed back to Lancashire, bellies and bags full of cheese and both looking forward to the little rumble in a couple of hours’ time, signalling that it’s time for a decaf and that piece of cake. It didn’t disappoint…

Want to extend your trip to Hawes? Why not try…

• A walk out to Hardraw Force – around a 3 mile circular from the town. You have to pay to access the land around the force, which is around £12 for a family of three.
• A pint at the Green Dragon pub at Hardraw – aka the best pub in Yorkshire. If you like your Timothy Taylors and open fires, it’s the place for you.
• Making a weekend of it at Hawes caravan and motorhome campsite. It’s located on the road out of town heading to Hardraw, and just a short 5 minute walk to the shops, pubs and cafes. It’s a well maintained site with great facilities.

By Amy Blackburn

Images by Amy & dreamstime