Afternoon Tea in a Vintage Caravan in Northumberland - Discovering Circa in Amble

Having recently enjoyed afternoon tea on a steam train, I think it's safe to say that if someone is serving up a cake somewhere a little bit different I'm going to want to check it out.  So when I discovered that I could get afternoon tea in a Vintage Caravan in Northumberland I knew I had to get myself to Circa in Amble to experience it.

I must admit (and maybe this is a confession that will make some of you laugh) I quite like the idea of one day owning a caravan. Every time we pass one on the road I mention it to Simon who always responds with a very quick "no!" so for now having afternoon tea in a caravan is the closest I'll get to having one of my very own.

Circa is the most curious shop located in a very unexpected place (right next door to a petrol station!) on the outskirts of Amble. It sells a variety of nick nacks, bits and bobs, some vintage pieces and antiques - it's quite the treasure trove and worth stopping by just for a little look if you're in the area.

You wouldn't know from the outside but Circa also has a cafe and at the back of the cafe you'll discover the cutest little courtyard, the perfect sun trap and home to Annie and Daisy, the Vintage Caravans.

As predicted, the second we stepped outside I was giggling with glee, the caravans were everything I'd hoped they would be and as the only people booked in for the afternoon I got to fully indulge my inner hippy and have a good look at Annie and Daisy.

Each caravan seats 4 people and Simon and I had a table booked in Annie the blue caravan who was decked out in gorgeous wallpaper covered in pink roses with floral cushions, green cupboards and the prettiest bunting.  If I could own a caravan this would very much be it. Just imagine having a space like this to call your own!

After I'd finished playing caravan owner I finally calmed down enough to take a seat (taking full advantage of all the squishy cushions to get myself really comfy!) and take a look at the sandwiches on offer. When you have afternoon tea at Circa you can pick out a sandwich each from the menu which we really liked, it's great to be able to choose your favourite filling. I went for Mature Cheddar and Pickle and Simon opted for Ham with Caramelised Onion Chutney.

We were then asked to pick between a Cherry, Fruit or Cheese Scone (we both picked Cherry) and then chose a slice of cake from a selection of four - I chose a piece of Lemon and Raspberry Sponge and Simon went for a Chocolate Cake.

Our afternoon tea stand appeared a few minutes later (we were seriously impressed by the skills our server had for getting it through the door of a tiny caravan in one piece, I definitely would have dropped it all!) and was packed with some delicious looking goodies as well as the cutest teapot decked out in a large knitted tea cosy.

Sandwiches first and we were very impressed with the size of them - nice big wedges of fresh bread packed full with a generous amount of filling. We realised after a couple of bites that unfortunately there was far too much pickle and chutney in each sandwich. I'm a huge pickle fan but even for me it was a little over the top. The amount of relish really overpowered the sandwich, I couldn't taste the cheese at all! Simon ended up scraping most of his off onto the cake stand.

Next up were the scones which were absolutely huge, quite possibly the largest scones we've ever had on an afternoon tea. Cutting into them we were quick to discover that they were really dry. So dry they crumbled to pieces as soon as our knife touched them. Gutted! We packed them out with jam and cream which made them better but we were a bit disappointed.

Luckily the cake saved the day! My lemon and raspberry cake was really moist, full of flavour and a delicious end to the afternoon tea.  Simon's chocolate cake was also lovely but far too rich for me after that mammoth scone.

We weren't overly surprised that the afternoon tea at Circa wasn't the best we've had in the North East. In all honesty I was going for the experience of eating in a vintage caravan rather than for the quality of the food and it really did live up to my expectations.  It wasn't awful but it wasn't anything special. I defintely don't regret our visit as I absolutely loved spending a beautiful afternoon in a cosy caravan with my husband. We were very lucky to have Annie all to ourselves and with the Beatles tunes playing quietly in the background we had the most blissful time in a caravan for two. It's quite a romantic way to spend a Saturday. Not going to lie, I did consider hooking Annie car up to our car and driving home with her - I can dream!

Circa serve afternoon tea between 11:00 am and 4:00 pm and if you want to book into one of the vintage caravans its worth calling in advance to book a table. Afternoon Tea costs £25.00 for two with a £3.00 per person supplement for dining in a vintage caravan.

Find Circa at:

Mark's Bridge
Amble
Northumberland
NE65 0NG

01665 711 735

http://www.circa-amble.co.uk/