I was by myself in Monmouth and looking for a quick sit-down and a tea, before I did the serious business of shopping. The very first street I walked down from the river had lots of cafes and bars - but one had a phrase I don't think I'd seen before.
"The Scone Specialists" is something that is pretty exciting to me. I grew up on a diet of Irish Scones and the idea of a place that specialises in them is more than a little exciting.
So while my partner went off on a river adventure...
...I had tea at Valerie's! Good tea too - big spacious tea-bag in a lovely little pot that didn't leak when poured.
And look at that magnificent scone! This is a pretzel and chocolate chip scone, and my recommended sides were Nutella and clotted cream.
Irish style switch-toppings so that both Devon & Cornwall write angry letters.
And it was amazing. Everything about this was quality, from the detailed menus and options, to the ingredients in my final choice. This is a passion project, and if we gave out stars I'd just hand them the packet.
The balance is great - the pretzel adds a touch of salt and a little chew. The chocolate chips gave their flavour and the mix of Nutella (which I'm currently on a massive fad of having for lunch) and clotted cream was pure luxury. And I was a mess after eating it too which was great. If I hadn't had bad experiences with home made scones (usually either being huge, or terrible) I'd have got two for a big lunch - but this was a reasonable light-lunch portion seeing as I'd promised my partner dinner once she'd finished.
I did however get a cheese and chilli scone for my partner which was "very tasty, and nicely warming" for lunch the following day.
Like the best little cafe's near me in Lichfield, these sway my decision on where to go shopping really easily. Not only would I encourage a return to Monmouth to get supplies of these I'd probably take a little box so I could take 4 home too. I look forwards to adding to the options I've tried in future months.
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