Afternoon Tea at St Mary’s Inn

 

A new contender for Best Afternoon Tea in the North East

Last weekend was spent doing one of my favourite things: stuffing my face with cake. We were off to try out a new spot in the North East and it didn’t disappoint. Just 20 minutes outside Newcastle City Centre, St Mary’s Inn near Morpeth is a bit of a hidden oasis. As well as serving tasty food and drink, it’s also a B&B, making it the perfect venue for a romantic weekend getaway.

We did a bit of window-shopping for houses as we drove through Stannington Housing Estate, then rolled into the B&B’s welcoming entrance area.

I’m partial to creepy buildings and St Mary’s Inn has a history to raise the hairs on the back of your neck. Until 1996, it was the admin building for an asylum, but there’s no sign of that today. Sprawling, airy rooms maintain their cosiness with roaring fires and cheery wallpaper. The building almost has a farmhouse feel with a modern design.

The dog-friendly building is strewn with these unique doggy ‘floornaments’ (floor ornaments, get it?), which are crafted locally. The quirky art on every wall is also done by locals. This is a truly independent Northumbrian pub and the General Manager, Victor, is as welcoming as he is humble.

You’re greeted by a vast oak bar boasting craft keg beers, ciders, speciality lagers, over 15 wines by-the-glass and locally made soft drinks. This place manages to keep the feel of a traditional local boozer and combine it with the elegance of a more upmarket eatery that’s modern enough to instagram. Isn’t that all we want in life?

Presented on wooden boards, the Afternoon Tea at St Mary’s was a sumptuous affair. Wonderfully fresh white bread made crustless finger sandwiches of roast beef and horseradish, soft cream cheese and cucumber, and ham and pease pudding – a nod to our North East setting. The cooked meats were thick-cut and fresh, the cucumber so thin it was fit for Buckingham Palace. Side note: do you think the Queen has ever tried Pease Pudding?

Next, we fought over the scones, although we didn’t really need to – there were six of them! Served warm, we had three flavours to munch on. The spiced apple and blackberry were the winners for us – wonderfully fruity with just the right amount of wintery flavour. I didn’t actually know I liked cheese scones until I tried the ones at St Mary’s Inn. Where have these been all my life? Even the plain scones, when layered with lashings of clotted cream and strawberry jam, were delicious. Of course, ingredients are sourced locally where possible and everything is baked on the day in the kitchen.

I live for desserts, and the selection on the top deck of our wooden vessel of treats didn’t disappoint. We lingered over decadent bakewell tarts, rich chocolate cakes, double shot glasses filled with Banoffee goodness, and the thing that really stood out: white chocolate and orange macaroons! Everyone knows bloggers love Macaroons.

Is your mouth watering yet?

The baked goods were washed down with a decent latte (this coming from a coffee snob) and a pint of shandy for Tom. Can’t take him anywhere.

The staff at St Mary’s don’t mind if you leave crumbs – which was fortunate for us! I was determined to try everything, and left absolutely stuffed. I always worry that Afternoon Tea will be far too dainty to properly satiate my hunger, but there’s no fear of leaving St Mary’s Inn feeling unsatisfied. I especially liked that we didn’t have to bravely let each other have any of the best stuff, because there were two of each tasty morsel. Okay, you can hardly call them morsels – the servings make for a substantial meal for two hungry mouths.

I needed a nap after stuffing my face, and if you do too, you might like to check in to one of the Inn’s 11 rooms. There’s plenty of seats outside too, and they’ve just bought a little patch of land opposite which will be perfect next summer for BBQs!

Afternoon Tea is served every day from noon until 5pm and costs £14.95 per person. I’ll definitely be taking my mum next time she comes to the North East, and I’d quite like to sample the ‘proper food’ menu too.

Did you know about this wonderful North East gem? Let me know in the comments, and if you have any suggestions for our next day out in the area, I’d love some inspiration!

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