We were looking for somewhere to have that quintessential English experience, the afternoon tea. We discovered the Bantam Tea room on one of our first afternoons in Chipping Camden. We were literally lured in by the mouth watering display in the bow window. All the baked goods are made on the premises daily, there is no guarantee what you will find but rest assured it will be fresh and delicious. The building itself is a historic 300 years old and was formerly the Guild Hall. The current owners have been here since 2001.

You have several choices. You can get one of their set teas, The Bantam Afternoon tea offers your choice of one scone, butter and jam and cake with coffee or tea; The Cream Tea , two scones, jam, whipped cram and coffee or tea or The Cotswolds Cream Tea which is two scones, clotted cream, jam and coffee or tea. You can always add clotted cream for an additional price.

You can always order al la carte and buttered crumpets and toasts are also available for teatime. We had tea here on two separate occasions. If you arrive early enough they also serve lunch. The first day we could have ordered a more substantial meal of soup or sandwiches. We opted instead for the Bantam afternoon tea it didn’t include the clotted cream but you got to have a scone and your choice of cake. As much as we love clotted cream we love cake more.

The atmosphere here is very warm with a large fireplace and wooden tables and chairs. The waitress took our orders and then we went over to the bakery section to pick our cake. Chocolate won out on one occasions and I had the walnut cake on both visits, it is always my favorite. Al had a crumpet and apple cake on the second visit and Joe had hot chocolate and toast which wasn’t exactly toast but was more like a raisin roll. Anyway it was delicious. They have several choices of tea, I always prefer English breakfast but Earl Gray and Darjeeling were another of the options along with herb and fruit teas. It was served in a small pot which allowed for three tea cups. Natural sugar was available on the table. We were never rushed but rather allowed to relax and enjoy the whole process. This is a casual establishment so no need for formal attire.

There is also a bed and breakfast. To check it out visit their website at www.thebantam.co.uk