Hey Little Cupcake, Spinningfields, Manchester

Environment

Laura: I loved the colour scheme! The chequered hot pink and white floor tiles were just so striking and the artwork on the walls (Available to buy by the way!) couldn’t help but catch my eye. There were also various table top games and reading materials dotted around which I thought was a lovely touch. The only thing I would point out is that it wasn’t entirely pristine. The primarily white furnishings made every coffee ring and chip stand out so I would have liked to have seen more attention paid to maintaining its squeaky clean look.

Caroline: With its cute works of art and shocking pink and white themes, you can't help but be excited when visiting Hey Little Cupcake, and on the whole it doesn't disappoint. It's everything you'd expect from a cafe of this kind - small in size, but perfect for having a girlie chat and afternoon tea. Like Laura, I too was a little disappointed by the coffee rings on the table, but alas white will be white and with daring designs, comes great responsibility. A quick wipedown between customers would be sufficiant enough to boost the overall table aesthetics!
I was particularly impressed by all of the custom artwork for sale on the walls (and greeting cards by the till) and thought it really added that little personal touch.

Food

Laura: There was a good range of cupcakes available with some unique flavours, particularly the After Eight design with its sandwiched effect. I stuck with old faithful and tried a pink vanilla cupcake. Beautifully decorated and super soft buttercream but I can’t help but feel it was a little lacking in the sponge department. Top marks for presentation though! Alongside this I chose a bottle of dandelion and burdock, a great little addition in old fashioned bottles and again with my new favourite accessory… red and white paper straws!

The prices are a little on the steep side with a cupcake averaging at £2.40 but I do feel this is due to their attention to detail which I couldn’t really fault.

Caroline: Presentationwise these cupcakes are flawless, and you can really tell that lots of love and care has gone into the creation of each one. I had the Vanilla Good Girl Cupcake, with sugar pearl and glitter topping. I have to say that the butter cream on these cakes is some of the best that I've ever tasted (and I've tasted a LOT of buttercream!) Their selection is varied and is really striking when presented all together.

I also had the pleasure of tasting one of their brand new marmite and cheese savoury cupcakes, which although not as good as their sweet cousins, were certainly something different and well worth a try if you get the chance!

Service

Laura: Our server was very friendly and when I enquired about the samples available she was incredibly informative and enthusiastic about their new creations. Again to go back to my main criticism, although there was only one member of staff present, it wasn’t very busy, therefore I would have liked to have seen the tables maintained just a little. Other than that, very pleasant staff!

Caroline: The staff were polite and friendly and gave us prompt service with a smile. Very Good!

(It was also nice to have them say goodbye to us as we left - it's always a nice touch!)

Overall Thoughts

Laura: Overall I enjoyed our afternoon at Hey Little Cupcake. It was a satisfying way to spend an hour with good company. I just felt that the general flair was much more interested in cupcake presentation rather than quality of environment and flavour.

Caroline: I liked this place, I really did. My only note would be a damp cloth on the tables - but I've said that already - otherwise everything was exactly as I'd expect it to be. Pretty little cafe with pretty little cakes!

Cupcake Rating

Sugar Junction, Tib Street, Manchester

Environment

Laura: If I had a pound for every time we uttered the word ‘Cute’ at Sugar Junction, I could buy a lot of cake right now. Set out as a 1950’s style house you will not be able to stop ‘Ooh’ing and ‘Ahh’ing at the Laura Ashley – esque wallpaper, jam jar centrepieces, floral tablecloths and gorgeous chandeliers.

Caroline: This place was absolutely adorable, or as one indiscrete customer shouted out upon entering the cafe - 'it's SO cute' - Ahem! The 50s style really takes you back to a time of good ol' fashioned comfort, as the livingroom-esque decor, invites you to settle in with a cup of tea for a nice relaxing afternoon of tradition, with a modern twist.

Food

Laura: Given the sweet name, I was surprised to discover that the choice of cakes was quite limited but what they did offer was all homemade and infused with unique touches. I decided to be daring and go for the Banoffee milkshake which was delicious! It even came with a vintage style red and white paper straw: Adorable!

The prices were a little bit more on the expensive side with a milkshake costing just under £4 but it was really yummy.


Caroline: Like Laura, I was a little surprised at the limited choice of cakes etc. on offer - although perhaps this can be attributed to a busy morning, which resulted in them selling out of some of their favourites. That said, the desserts on offer were certainly interesting, with quirky combinations being a theme, really making their menu something special. Being the traditionalist that I am, however, I opted for the apple crumble and custard. In a word: Delicious. Served in a heart shaped ramekin, their presentation was flawless and is really to be commended (the same can be said of the cute parrot tea cups used for the coffee - which I really loved, and now want!)

 
Service

Laura: The staff were all really friendly but the service did seem a little bit dispersed with our drinks arriving at different times. However, it did appear to be very busy and I’m sure the staff were all just rushed off their feet!

Caroline: Service was very amiable, with all staff offering polite and friendly conversation. My main criticism (and it's only a small one) would be the nature of the pay at the counter policy, which forces a downstairs customer to walk upstairs and through the ground floor seating area, in order to pay at the back of the cafe. However, like I said, it's only a small thing, and certainly doesn't take anything away from the overall efforts of the staff!

Overall Thoughts:

Laura: Beautiful place, I’d love to try out Bunty the Kitsch Caravan, their travelling vintage café. For a sweet treat every once in a while, Sugar Junction is just delightful.

Caroline: I really enjoyed my afternoon at Sugar Junction and wouldn't hesitate to go back there again in the future!

Cupcake Rating:

Blue Daisy Cafe, Oldham Street, Manchester

Environment

Caroline: In a word: Bijou!
Small in size, but abundant in ambiance, this petite cafe combines an eclectic mix of kitsch and retro surroundings, with classic floral tea services, making it the perfect environment to while away a lazy afternoon with friends.
Personal highlights included: the selection of pretty tulips which decorated each table and the ever so colourful array of paper butterflies, lining the interior wall - Simply Beautiful!

Laura: Paper butterflies just should not be that impressive… but they’re just so pretty! I loved the garden style furniture and the comfy patterned cushions made me feel right at home. From chalk board menus down to the tiny accents on the teaspoons, this tiny little coffee heaven is a gorgeous place to spend a lazy afternoon.

Butterflies!

Food

Caroline: Although their menu was not extensive, what they did offer was delicious. On this occasion, I opted for a cafe latte and a slice of their home made chocolate tiffin, which I must say was some of the best tiffin I've ever had.
Prices were more than reasonable, with a cake and coffee costing just £3.90 - bargain!

Chocolate Tiffin - Yummy!

Laura: I was sold when I saw the cute array of rocky road triangles stacked in all of their marshmallowy goodness on adorable floral plates. Being the chocolate fiend that I am, I just had to try the hot chocolate which came with a more than generous helping of cream and yet more pink marshmallows. The menu here may not be the biggest but with the delicious treats they do offer and a hot choc and cake costing under £4, it’s definitely a contender for the best.

Rocky Road

Service

Caroline: How can you fault service with a smile?
Their staff were polite and friendly, and went that extra mile to make you feel at home - Delightful!

Laura: I’ve got to agree with Caroline here. The ladies even laughed along when a customer dropped a tip into what she thought was a tip jar but actually was a cup of cake… Who would do such a thing? (Note to self: Must bring disguise next time!)

Overall Thoughts:

Caroline: I absolutely loved this place and wouldn't hesitate to go back again. The service was great, the food was yummy and the environment was relaxing - What more could you ask for?!

Laura: I think I would feel at a loss if I didn’t get to sip on one of their creamy hot chocolates again! Perfect kitschy surroundings + lovely cake = Bliss.

Cupcake Rating:

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:

Hello, Welcome to The Afternoon Tea Club!

Hello,

We're Laura and Caroline - two students from Manchester... Nice to meet you!

Welcome to our brand new blog The Afternoon Tea Club

'Wow, that sounds interesting, what is it?'

In its essence, The Afternoon Tea Club, primarily functions as an excuse to eat cake... Yes we won't deny it - we love cake - but really, who doesn't? We also like tea, coffee, milkshakes and hot chocolate, as well as sitting in cute places and having a natter!

* (Of course, this isn't all we like doing - we wouldn't want you thinking that all we do is eat cake - (it is, but we don't want you thinking that!) We also enjoy to write. (Evidence of which can be found here and here))

So one day we thought why not combine the two?

We did our sums... Cake+Writing= ?

and then it hit us... 'lets have a teashop review blog, where we go to tea shops and review them!'

So yes, Ladies and Gentlemen, we present to you The Afternoon Tea Club, tea shop review blog extraordinaire....

Follow us each week on our teashop travels, to find out which we think are 'Cupcake Heaven' and which just make us say 'Oh Crumbs!'

We look forward to seeing you here again soon!

theafternoonteaclub@hotmail.co.uk

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