Happy Birthday to The Afternoon Tea Club!

It's hard to believe it's been a entire year since The Afternoon Tea Club began - and what an exciting 12 months it has been! 

Since January 2012 we have sampled some of the best afternoon treats from Manchester and beyond, taking us to the quirky little boutiques of the Northern Quarter, the iconic Central Perk sofa and York's famous Betty's Tea Rooms. 

We celebrated our first birthday with an invitation to afternoon tea at Brown's Manchester which has inspired us to indulge in a monthly spot of traditional afternoon tea at various tea rooms across the UK - of course we will report back to our fellow tea-lovers - Send us your recommendations!

Thank you so much to all of our readers and the lovely people of our Twitterverse for your support and suggestions.

Here's to another cake-tastic year!

Laura and Caroline x

Home Sweet Home, Edge Street, Manchester

Environment

Laura: Well when they named it ‘Home Sweet Home’ they got it spot on. Immediately we were welcomed into this lovely environment that felt like someone’s humble yet modern kitchen. A refreshing style based on home comforts sets the perfect ambience for an afternoon (or evening as it’s open ‘til late!) with friends. Little accents of household objects such as board games, books and even cereal boxes made me feel like I was dining in a really kooky B&B. I really loved it!

Caroline: This café is one of the loveliest places we've visited so far on our travels. Its off beat, homely style, blends the modern with the traditional, providing the perfect atmosphere to enjoy one of their numerous edible delights! This home from home is accentuated wonderfully with various quirky features, including book lined archways and an ever so cool Kit-Kat Clock!

Food

Laura: I was super excited about trying the freshly baked chocolate chip cookies at Home Sweet Home. They take about 15 mins to be made but are most certainly worth the wait. Perfectly moist and still gooey warm from the oven, served with a glass of milk for dipping. For just £3 you get five cookies, now you can hardly argue with that! I also chose a cold drink to end our visit which came in the form of a retro Coca Cola glass bottle. A lovely touch and surprisingly cheap again at £2.20 a bottle.

Caroline: This week I moved away from cupcakes and opted for a traditional fruit scone with Jam and Cream - Needless to say it was lovely. I particularly liked the fact that it was warmed through before service, which made it extra delicious. Like the cookies, it was also very reasonably priced at just £3, and was definitely worth the money!

To drink I also had a bit of a change, opting for a sparkling water at £2 a bottle and as far as water goes it was very nice!

Service

Laura: I certainly felt right at home when we were greeted the minute we stepped through the doors. Our server was very quick to ask for our orders and made sure to inform of the wait time for my cookies. The friendly and enthusiastic staff were extremely polite and attentive to our needs. Smiles all round!

Caroline: The service at 'Home Sweet Home' was everything I could have asked for and more. All of the staff were incredibly friendly and greeted us as soon as we entered, offering prompt service and looking after us throughout our entire afternoon. Top marks!

Overall Thoughts

Laura: I will certainly be making another visit to Home Sweet Home. Where else can you get freshly baked cookies for such a great price in Manchester? Next time I’d love to try one of their fabulous sharer desserts which looked ever so tempting. Gorgeous place, a great mix of people, why wouldn’t I want to go again?!

Caroline: This has to be one of the best places to spend an afternoon in Manchester. Warm, friendly and comfortable - I can't fault it at all. I will definitely be back!

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Sparkles, Tib Street, Manchester

Environment

Laura: It’s like if my mum (who makes very nice cakes) owned a café and I was in charge of decorating it. It’s homely but still modern and I really like that they’ve shied away from the obvious vintage style that we see all too often at the moment. I love that it remains kooky with its bursts of pink, original artwork and cute polka dot glasses.


Caroline: I loved the dressed down feel of this cafe with its plain wooden floors and the old tiled walls, which were complimented perfectly by the cute pink accents of the wallpaper and chair cushions. Sizewize it's only small, but this works to its advantage, allowing for a much more intimate environment for your afternoon chit-chat.

Food

Laura: Normally during our little visits to these various lovely establishments, I will limit myself to a cake and a beverage (Yes it is because I am cheap!) but a mix of a good choice of light bites and super cheap prices was enough to tempt me to indulge in a jacket potato which came with a generous helping of salad. It was lovely! Of course I topped this off with a vanilla cupcake which was perfectly light and fluffy – Delish!

Caroline: In my opinion, this place is selling itself way too cheap!
The food is absolutely delicious and their prices are more than affordable. For just £7.10 I got a cheese and ham toasted sandwich with a side salad and coleslaw pot, a can of Coke, a Latte (in an adorable flowery mug) and one of the best cupcakes I've had in a long while!

The standard of food here is really supurb and the little added extras just make it all the more special :)

Service

Laura: The staff were very attentive and greeted us as soon as we walked in. We were served promptly and care was taken to make sure we had everything we needed. Friendly faces are always a welcome plus in my eyes and definitely add to the ambience of Sparkles.

Caroline: The staff were lovely and really went out of their way to make sure that our lunch was as enjoyable as possible - Top marks!

Overall Thoughts

Laura: It speaks volumes about the food and service when a café predominately coated in shades of pink is frequented by an equal number of male and female customers. I will definitely be making a visit again soon!
Caroline: Everything about Sparkles entices you to come back again. From its friendly staff, to its scrumptious cupcakes, this cafe performs on every level to give you an enjoyable teashop experience!


Cupcake Rating: