The Geordie Tourist.

Corbridge has been on my list of places to visit for as long as I can remember. There is just something about the quaint village that speaks to me. Maybe it's the beautiful 17th-century Corbridge Bridge, the River Tyne seamlessly flowing beneath it. Plus I’ve heard that the legendary curry train is coming back too. That’s definitely worth a try at some point.

Myself and my buddy Nic jumped on a train from Newcastle and set on the 30 minute (or so) picturesque journey. We passed many places on the way that looked oh so gorgeous from the carriage windows. 

To me, afternoon tea is a sophisticated affair. When I think about it, it reminds me of posh ladies who lunch. I, myself am not a posh lady, I rarely lunch, but sometimes when I go for tea I like to think that I’m just that. There’s nothing better than going to a luxurious place to have it. (It really adds to the effect of it all.)

That’s exactly what happened when I went with my mam for a spot of high tea at the Copthorne Hotel in Newcastle.  I’d never been inside before, only just seen it as I cycled past on one of my bike rides. (This makes me sound like a keen athlete, If only. I've been once or twice.) The lobby is gorgeous, huge and airy, just sleek and expensive looking. I felt a bit out of place, like pretty woman. (Minus the hooker though.)

The restaurant (Quay 7) part was lovely too, we were one of the only ones in there and we were given a table right near the window so that we could look out onto the Tyne. It was gorgeous if I’m being honest.  

The table itself had a clean white tablecloth and some fancy looking salt and pepper shakers and a flower in a stylish white vase. They were resting on top of a piece of slate. Honestly it’s the little details that change something from good to amazing. They really put the effort in and made the experience great.

Yes, you've probably guessed it already. I had a Living Social Deal to use so we got it for a fraction of the cost. It was just £17 for the two of us, which is just crazy. This time we went for the sparkling afternoon tea. Unfortunately (for her) my mam was driving, so I stepped up to the plate and drank both glasses. (When duty calls)

It was a total change to what we normally have. I don't know it just made it feel all that more special. It was a treat too as I didn't realise we had actually booked the sparkling option in the first place. Don't you just love it when that happens?

The sandwiches were great. You could tell that they were fresh. No hard edges or stale bits in sight. The ingredients were good quality too like the ham and things. I liked that they weren't too exotic. Sometimes you get flavours that just don't go together. It was good that they just went with the classics that most people like.

The scones were fab too. I'm not usually a fan of fruit scones but they tasted nice. I loved how the cream and jam were served in individual shot glasses. Again, it was a little detail that made a difference.

The cakes looked amazing. I'm not going to lie I only tried one and then we took the rest home. It seems to be a repeat pattern that's happening at the moment. I don't know if I've just had too many afternoon tea trips recently or if my sweet tooth isn't what it was, but I just can't seem to eat cake like I used to. Plus I think I'd rather not struggle and then enjoy them at a later time. I also like letting people at home try them too. (I'm just too nice eh)

Afterwards we went and sat outside for a bit and just watched the world go by. It was a nice sunny day and just being next to the water relaxes me. I like just people watching and thinking about things. 

Afternoon tea is served between 2pm and 5pm seven days a week.

Have any of you been for afternoon tea recently?

Have you tried what the Copthorne has on offer?

A couple of Saturdays ago, a group of us got together to go for afternoon tea to celebrate a friend’s birthday. Steph turned twenty six and following on the tradition from last year, we just all had to go for a bit of cake and a nice little catch up.

So we jumped in the car and took a little trip to Felton, Northumberland. One of Steph’s friends recommended a place called the Running Fox Bakery/Cafe. She has had afternoon tea in so many places and obviously knows her stuff.

When we got there we found ourselves in a gorgeous little village. The bakery was on a corner right beside a river. The first thing you could see were lots of fresh bread and cakes in the shop window. Inside there was just so many cake stands with gorgeous looking cakes on them. If I could have just started eating them there and then I would have.

We got given our menus and straight away I knew we had made the right decision. What I loved about this place compared to other places I’ve had afternoon tea is the choice. You are allowed to pick all of your own things. You know when you go and there’s always that one sandwich filling you hate, or that weird pudding concoction that you just cant get on board with. Well this had none of that it was just straight to the point tasty, good food.

I decided to have tea for my drink. I’m not really a tea person but when I’m being all posh and having afternoon tea something about me just gets on board with it. I think a few sugar cubes helped the matter.

Next were the sandwiches. You could even pick which kind of bread you wanted. I went for the smoked salmon and cream cheese on white bread. It tasted amazing. The bread was fresh and soft, it had a nice bit of salad in it too. I think I made the mistake of eating it all though. Not realising how much food I had to actually eat.

After the sandwich you can choose between a slab of pie or quiche. I say slab because my god it was huge. I love food though so I wasn’t complaining. I tried the corn beef pie. The pastry was top notch and I could have honestly eaten the whole thing but at that point I was worried I wouldn’t be able to finish the rest.

Next course was a massive fruit scone filled with jam and cream. I think if I go back I’d get the plain scone as I’m not too keen on the currants/raisins. It still tasted great though. The challenge was just eating it without getting cream all around my face.

By this point I couldn’t even attempt to eat my cake. It was the classic Victoria sponge. I’ll tell you now, the list of cakes that you could get was massive. So there’s definitely something for everyone. Luckily we were allowed a little box to take our cake home in. Everyone was defeated by the scones so we all needed boxes. 

Afterwards we took a little walk by the river and just tried to calm our bulging bellies. 

It cost (wait for it) £10 each for afternoon tea. A tenner to try and eat a mountain of delicious food. Honestly I can understand why the place was so packed. Definitely book in advance if you're wanting to try it out. They serve it from 3pm everyday. Plus what do you have to lose, you can take the leftovers home.

I was even nice and bought my mam a slice of cherry bakewell tart for £2.50. We shared it along with the leftover Victoria sponge cake later on that night.

I'd definitely recommend this place I don't think I can fault it. Maybe if it was closer to where I live, but hey, I can drive, I have a car. Plus I think it is the perfect setting looking all quaint in the countryside.

Have any of you been to The Running Fox Bakery?