A new study has revealed that Whitby is home to the best afternoon tea room in the UK, beating other spots like Manchester and London.
Tourist Tr-eats: Afternoon Tea, created by Dorset Coastal Cottages, reveals the top tea rooms in UK tourist destinations, based on customer ratings and review counts.
The research also revealed the average price for the indulgent British treat in both the North and the South, as well as the most popular menu items, according to available menu data.
With the nation’s love around the quintessentially British treat peaking during warmer months, and more Brits going on staycations, the study looks to name tourist destinations’ best and affordable tea rooms around the UK – including York, Glasgow and Dorset.
The Whitby tea room, located above the famous W Hamond jewellery boutique, scores a fantastic 4.5/5 according to review data, and has earned some great reviews from happy customers praising the quality of their afternoon tea and great service.
And it isn’t just Whitby who represents the Northern afternoon teas – when it comes to the North-South divide, it’s the North who takes the clotted cream crown.
According to review data, tea rooms in the North score an average popularity score of two, compared to the South’s score of one.
The other most popular tea rooms in the North included the Cup Merchant City in Glasgow, Tea On The Green in York, and the Harvey Nichols Bar & Brasserie in Manchester.
In the South, The Garden in Cornwall, the Garden Gate Tea Room in Dorset and Pencil Cottage on the Isle of Wight proved to be the most popular amongst afternoon tea fans.
The study also looked at available price data across the top tea rooms, and found that the average price for an afternoon tea in the UK is £27 per person. In the North, it was higher at £28pp, while the South matched the average at £27pp.
Debate is rife amongst Brits on what constitutes a proper afternoon tea – is it cream first on scones or jam, and should it be strictly a cup of tea on the menu?
According to the study, which ranked items by how often they appear on menus, the top most important afternoon tea items included scones (with clotted cream and jam), cups of tea and cakes.
Shannon Keary, Digital PR Manager at Dorset Coastal Cottages, commented on the study: “With the hit that many local businesses have taken over the last year, it’s really encouraging to see that Brits are still actively supporting tea rooms and shouting about them online.
“With staycations at an all-time high this year, now is a great time for people to explore different parts of the country and enjoy a quintessential part of British culture – whether you think that scones should be topped with jam or cream first!”
The Tourist Tr-eats study also looked at the top recipes for Brits looking to make their own afternoon tea, where classic scones with jam and clotted cream proved to be the favourite amongst home cooks.
To see the full results of the Tourist Tr-eats: Afternoon Tea study, please visit https://www.dorsetcoastalcottages.com/guides/afternoon-tea
