New Tastes...

And The Dish Ran Away With The Spoon - Didsbury

Yesterday I went to see my friend Kirsty in Didsbury, as she has just moved into a new flat there. We have been meaning to get together for a while, as we are friends through mutual friends, and have never actually met up just the two of us. She recommended a cafe on Burton Road that we could go to that specialises in cakes and afternoon teas, and never one to turn down some baked goodies, I was looking forward to it all morning.

We arrived at about half past one, and were the only people in there. The cafe is fairly small, with four little tables, and has a cosy vintage feel, with chequered tablecloths and decorative glass cake stands displaying the wares available to buy, and various mismatched jars of tea leaves and sweets along the walls. We had a look at what was on offer, and I eventually went for a salted caramel hot chocolate and a cupcake named 'The Nutty Professor'. The hot chocolate was delicious, very creamy with a tantalising froth on the surface, sprinkled with salt flakes (don't knock it until you've tried it!) and was the perfect temperature to dive straight in. The cake was chocolate flavoured, with a Nutella filling in the centre, topped with  Nutella buttercream and sprinkled with chopped nuts. The actual sponge was slightly smaller than in previous establishments I have visited, but it was the perfect portion as combined with the topping and centre would have been too sickly any larger.

Kirsty had a pot of Fruit Punch tea, which was very pretty as it was served in a glass teapot, displaying the bright pink brew inside with dried fruit floating in it. She accompanied the tea with a slice of Chocolate Beetroot Cake, which despite the name apparently didn't taste of beetroot, nor was it pink, yet the addition of the vegetable made the sponge very moist. 

After finishing and chatting for a while, we decided to be naughty and opt for a second treat. We both chose the Lemon Bakewell slice, which was exactly the same as a traditional Bakewell (pastry, jam, and almond sponge topped with icing and almonds) except for the replacement of the usual raspberry jam for lemon curd. It made for a more refreshing version of the classic, with a pleasant zingy aftertaste. I ordered a pot of English Breakfast tea to accompany the slice, which complimented the flavour really well.

I realised that we had got carried away and had to dash off to collect Aum from school, but I was very impressed with the quaint little tea room. Despite it's emptiness initially, a number of people came whilst we were there, some for takeaway orders, and a couple who sat in as well. The waiter behind the counter was continually busy cooking in the kitchen in the back, so even alone we didn't feel intruded upon at all. 

Overall mine came to £9.20 which I thought very reasonable for two cakes, a drink and a full pot of tea (I got nearly 3 cups out of it), though I did have to pay 50p to use my card - not that that is worthy of grumbling! It's a lovely place to meet with friends, I think I'll take my mum here sometime, especially as I am currently flathunting, and one potential is conveniently around the corner...

Candid Article 15

Best Of British

With this year not only being William and Kate’s firstwedding anniversary, but the Queen’s diamond jubilee and the Olympics, Britainis high in the talking point stakes, and patriotism is everywhere. Despite HerRoyal Highness hardly being at the top of the list when we think of modernfashion icons, no one can deny that she is always immaculately turned out. Shehas a team of designers on hand to make sure she looks her best at all times,armed with a budget that would make women everywhere turn green with envy. Withthis in mind, I thought I’d take a few styles that the Queen frequentlypartakes in, and show how they have been inspiring various designers recently.

Tailoring

The Queen is a fan of the two piece suit, and it is a trendthat is gaining in popularity amongst women for everyday wear rather than justin the office. Design houses such as Dolce and Gabbana, Vivienne Westwood, TomFord and Stella McCartney have all featured suits in their catwalks, inmaterials varying from simple plain white cotton (Tom Ford) to the more bulkytweed (Stella McCartney) to black brocaded fabric at D&G. Suits are nolonger restricting and uncomfortable, but can be sexy, by incorporating a pencilskirt with a risqué slit, or add a bit of edge as was achieved with grey designsat Vivienne Westwood, which were worn with ruffled shirts.

Countrywear

For the Queens’ trips to the countryside, she is often seenin the more muted shades of brown and green, donning a hat or thick woollencoat. We have already witnessed a rise in people clamouring for Barbour jacketsand Hunter wellies over the past couple of years, and rural chic has now spreadto other garments, with tartan, felt and tweed becoming more common fabricchoices among designers such as Burberry and Ralph Lauren, and riding bootsmaking a comeback. Quilted and belted coats were worn by models on the Mulberrycatwalks, and tailored trousers paired with knee length riding style boots andtrouser clips were on show at Gucci, where dark purple and navy blue gave thetrend a gothic twist.

Diamonds

Obviously Her Majesty is not short of a gem or two, and deepjewel tones have been on the colour palette for the past few seasons. Recentlythough, a more simple approach has been taken, with silver and gold shades appearingon catwalks for Marc Jacobs and Diesel Black and Gold, using gorgeously shinyfabrics to create an ethereal shimmer like that of metal. Gold colouredjewellery is also top of the list of things to buy ready for the summer, thechunkier the better.

These are just a few trends that nod towards Britain’smonarch in the style stakes, showing her surprising influence on the fashionworld; and together with more old-fashioned British traditions such ascrocheting being revived ready for summer, it is clear we are a nation not tobe ignored.