Melinsey Mill, Veryan, Cornwall

Now I know that there are some of you who have taken to visiting the tearooms which I have written about, and so far these have all been in Kent - with the exception of last month's London adventure.  However, you may be seriously challenged with August's teatime adventure as it took place during the family holiday to Cornwall.  We were first introduced to this particular tearoom a number of years ago by friends who live in Cornwall, but even they found great difficulty in actually locating it and after driving around the area for quite some time, I recall that directions were finally requested.  However, once found - never forgotten and we have made a point of visiting regularly since.

 The tea room at Melinsey Mill is located on the beautiful Roseland peninsular on the south Cornish coast.  It is now well signed from the Tregony-St Mawes road and a dark winding lane takes you down to the secluded valley bottom where suddenly you come upon this little treasure.  It is beautifully unkempt with tables made from mill stones and rustic chairs arranged haphazardly around the mill pond.  There are a couple of wooden shelters, but otherwise some simple tarpaulin is the only defense against precipitation.  There are no menus, but the wide range of simple excellent homemade cakes is on display in the little kitchen building.  On offer today were carrot, coffee & walnut, Victoria sponge, scones, brownies, chocolate cake, treacle, bakewell tart, and almond slice. 








We chose to sit in one of the shelters and ordered tea for two and elderflower for two.  The tea came with a pot of hot water.  All the cakes that we ordered were well received - the chocolate cake is dark and not too sweet, a light sponge with very chocolatey buttercream filling; the bakewell tart was described as lovely and sticky. We also had a brownie and an almond slice.  All the cakes were generously proportioned.

I must say that Melinsey Mill counts as one of my absolutely favourite tea places, because it is nestles comfortably in it's wild natural surroundings; it is unpretentious and although the menu is not as extensive as some (no varieties of tea or coffee for example); the quality of the home-baking more than amply makes up for this.  The toilet facilities are housed in the mill where you can also see the mill workings and purchase some local crafts.  

So if, like me, you enjoy an excellent cake and a really good cuppa served up in friendly fashion in quirky, wild surroundings, then do make the trip down to Cornwall!  You will be rewarded.