Today I was hoping to be telling you all about the Chocolate Tasting Selection Plate I had at Betty’s in Harrogate yesterday as part of their Chocolate Week celebrations. Unfortunately I got my dates muddles up and I was a day too early!
Chocolate Week does in fact start today and the Chocolate Tasting Plate should be available now until 17th October. Priced at £4.95 it sounds absolutely delicious
Miniature Hot Chocolate: Bettys Chocolate Sauce whisked with hot milk, topped with fresh cream and chocolate flakes.
Cru Sauvage Truffle: Rich dark chocolate made with rare cocoa from the Bolivian Amazon, filled with smooth chocolate ganache.
Miniature Chocolate Brownie: A moist, all butter cake made with finest Swiss chocolate.
Chocolate Macaroon: A crisp, delicate shell filled with rich chocolate ganache.
You can also get you hands on a a limited edition tasting selection of Bettys handmade chocolates put together by Claire Gallagher Bettys Executive Confectioner, which will be available in all Bettys cafes for the duration of Chocolate Week (11-17 October). There are also several meet the chocolatier events at Bettys tea rooms around Yorkshire. http://www.bettys.co.uk/EventsMain.aspx
To find more events to celebrate chocolate week in your area check the chocolate event calendar http://chocolate-week.co.uk/calendar/2010/10/11/
Back to Bettys, since I’d driven for 45 minutes to get there and paid £4 parking I thought I might as well stay for a cuppa and a cake. A slice of chocolate and raspberry torte was reasonably priced at £3.95 but a pot of Darjeeling tea set me back £3.75 (only 20p cheaper than a glass of wine!). But you are paying for the Bettys experience so I tried to lap it up. Waitresses in full tea shoppe uniforms, cool marble top tables, I loved the tea tray with its silver tea pots, sugar cubes, a large cup that wouldn’t have looked out of place on the set of Friends, but made of china, light and delicate.
The Montpellier bar didn’t have the best view and there was an overpowering smell of vinegar wafting past, not to mention the clink clank of cutlery on crockery from the tea counter. (And a high ratio of couples, so don’t go if you’ve just been dumped!) The afternoon tea room looked like it had a better view out over the park but was busy and loud with the hum of conversations, and drop down a level to another dining room without windows, I don’t think I would’ve been happy to be cooped up down there at those prices, but the toilets were very nice.
Bettys is one of those 'must visit' places, but there are a plethora of other cafes in Harrogate, maybe for all the punters who are put off by the queue to get in, queue to be seated and then the queue to order at the counter! I've been, i've seen and i've eaten, now i can cross it off my list...if i'd put it on the list that is!
