The Steyning Tea Rooms

A few weekends ago, we decided to take a break from city life for some afternoon tea and cake. The Steyning Tea Rooms is nestled in the heart of a quaint little town of Steyning and it sits between independent shops bursting with antique furniture and boutiques filled with vintage gems.

It's deliciously British and the exterior alone is inviting enough to escape from our technology-filled lives for an hour or two, right? Spot the colourful bunting and flower baskets in front of the pastel painted door. Shall we go inside?

As soon as you step in, you're welcomed with the sweet smell of freshly baked cakes and a warm smile from the waitresses. It was completely full but we perched on a side table and waited for an available seat whilst drinking in the shabby chic inspired interior.

Shelves were adorned with hand painted ornaments and different shaped teapots. The wooden chairs didn't match and were gathered around tables decorated with flower pots and bowls of sugar.

I felt like a character from a fairy tale: Little Red Riding Hood at her granny's humble abode for a slice of cake or two. It was magical.

We were presented with a laminated menu of sweet and savoury choices ranging from a hearty fry up, hot bowls of homemade soup to a medley of baked goods. It would be a crime to not indulge in a slice of cake before washing it down with some tea served in a delicate teacup and saucer, eh?

I opted for a teapot of lapsang souchong and Jordan had his caffeine fix with a cappuccino. We shared a generous slab of Victoria sponge and were told upon ordering that it was a customer favourite. The sponge was light, the filling had the right amount of sweetness and it tasted home baked in the best possible way. I wanted to curl up in a quilted blanket and read my favourite book stopping only for a bite of this. One slice was plenty and left us room for the giant fruit scone that arrived with its accompanying pots of clotted cream and strawberry jam.

The picture above doesn't do this sultana filled scone any justice. It was huge and even sharing half of one initially seemed difficult to finish (until we slathered it with the spreads and realised that we'd make room in our stomachs for this). It was still beautifully warm from the oven and no crumbs were spared. It wasn't dotted with delicate sugar roses or piped with a ring of rich buttercream icing but it didn't need the fancy frills and decorations. It's a classic staple of British afternoon tea in its own right, it tasted decadent yet was still comforting.

Whilst I wouldn't complain of sampling fruit tarts and an assortment of macarons at a posh hotel, I have a feeling that it'd have a hard time beating the overall experience of a quick stop off at a tea room like this.

You won't be greeted with glasses of champagne or a cake stand filled with the very best fondant fancies and carefully decorated fruit tarts but you will feel like you're surrounded with the loveliest home comforts with rickety furniture and a roaring fireplace all served with a china teapot and a mismatched teacup and saucer.

Who needs 5* hotels when you can feel right at home?