Hello Lion Rock Tea Rooms

I have to confess we are very partial to tea rooms, and our favourite which we have visited countless times and brought friends from far away has been Derrick’s Tea Room, in Cheddar, at the foot of the famous gorge. However when we visited the other day we found that it was no longer Derrick’s but the Lion Rock Tea Rooms, named after the huge jutting rock above the little old building.

Now painted pale blue and with a jolly bright yellow bicycle leaning against what was the old entrance, it looked just as nice and inviting as it had under its previous name. We went in and were greeted by a friendly young man, and then led through to a nice table in what had been the little entrance room, counter and shop. Now it had three tables, a nice featured fire, and old photos of the place in former times. There was another little room just off this, in what had been, I think a small kitchen area. Now it was a cosy and intimate little space… with another couple already there so we sat by the stove.

We were soon served by a young woman in a nice jolly red apron, who brought us menus which had most of the delights Derrick’s always had, but some seasonal ‘specials’ and a few other things as well. Two of us had cream teas, one was a cherry delight and one a chocolate chip, and one of us had a pasty. The leaf tea came in individual pots with a strainer, and pretty china.

We had a lovely afternoon treat, as did other customers, including a slim young person on the next table who had an enormous breakfast (at 3 o’clock in the afternoon) and a couple who had a Christmas high tea, which included a mulled drink, Christmas cake and mince-pies as well as the usual sandwiches and scones as far as I could see!

So farewell and thank you Derrick’s – we enjoyed many a fine cream tea, lunch, snack and meal with you, but hello Lion Rock Tea Rooms – look forward to seeing you again!

You can just see the lion rock peeping over the roof.