Afternoon Tease? Yes please!
Today was a sunny autumn day spent perusing the streets of Cambridge with my good friend E. We worked up an appetite on our non-urgent mission to find pom-poms (for my knitted blanket) and a necklace (for her birthday) and so retired to Afternoon Tease for…afternoon tea!
The sounds of busy shoppers and ringing bicycles faded away as we arrived at number 13 Kings Street. Tucked away behind one of the main shopping areas in Cambridge, the relaxed, echoey space in which Afternoon Tease is situated, deceives its central location.
On entering the cafe, which is illuminated by natural light and a minimalist colour scheme, your eyes are immediately drawn to the chalk board filled with tea and coffee options and the counter, laden with an array of delicious homemade cakes. There are old favourites (an award-winning chocolate brownie or a slice of carrot and walnut cake), as well as something interestingly flavoured to try (chocolate and Guinness cake with cream cheese icing or a pear and sultana bunt with caramel icing). The choice of cake attracts an equally wide range of customers; a cluster of students sit out the front chattering over cups of tea or coffee. Inside, a young professional types away on his MacBook, stopping every so often for a sip of coffee and a bite of cake, while a little girl in school uniform is enjoying an after-school treat with her Mum.
We represented the ‘two young ladies catching up’ demographic. I chose the chocolate and Guinness cake with an English breakfast tea while E went for the carrot and walnut cake with a latte. We chatted for hours, admiring the mis-match crockery, the charming 1950’s sideboard and the display of fresh flowers and I was very satisfied with my choice of cake until, as we were leaving, I saw a lemon and pistachio loaf arrive on the counter, which only reaffirmed my desire to visit again, and soon!