Tiptree Tea Rooms, Heybridge, Essex

I must start the report of this little adventure with a confession, dear reader!  Although I am writing this at the very end of September, the delightful adventure which I am about to recall actually took place during August.  The summer holidays afforded more leisure time for such pleasantries, and I was keen to share this one with you as again it offered something quite different.

And after that little preamble,  I shall begin..... Our journey into Essex and up the A12 to Maldon is one that is undertaken a number of times in the year in order to visit our very dear friend and godmother to our two sons, and her delightful daughter. After enjoying a particularly fine home-cooked chicken curry, it was then suggested that we might like to take a little drive out to Heybridge for a wander along the tow-path of the Chelmer and Blackwater canal and to conclude with tea.  And so ensued the particular pleasure of an unplanned afternoon teatime adventure!

Having basked in endless days of glorious sunshine, we sallied forth unprepared for the torrential downpour that awaited our arrival at Heybridge.  However, we were quietly determined and sat in the car for about 25 minutes until the rain had eased sufficiently for our adventure to begin.  Your writer is exceedingly fond of rivers and canals and the peace that they exude, and our stroll along the towpath was a perfect precursor to an afternoon tea.

The tearoom is located at the Heybridge basin affording lovely views of boats bobbing gently on the water and in the flat landscape, some beautiful big skies.  The tearoom is run by Wilkin & sons who make the Tiptree jams & preserves.  It is located in a long clapperboard building right by the basin, and we entered and selected our table.




The menu comprises the usual cream tea, an afternoon tea special which includes a sandwich, and the traditional English afternoon tea which is the full works of sandwiches, scones, and patisseries. However, after such a tasty and filling curry, we mostly opted for cakes, except for hubby who as you will anticipate, dear reader, opted for a cream tea!

As one might expect, the choice of jam to accompany the scones was myriad, and husband was very satisfied with his little scarlet strawberry preserve.  I chose a St Clement's cake which came in a large slice, but was slightly disappointing in it's lack of citrussy flavours.  Our companion had patisserie which again was large and very creamy.  The tea was a pleasant afternoon blend and all was served on plain white china.

Our tea concluded, we then took a further stroll across the lock and along the basin to observe the plentiful water fowl and dramatic skies before returning, with grateful thanks to our dear friends,  from yet another delightful teatime adventure!