Watercress Festival

Today was the 10^th annual Watercress Festival in the little Hampshire village of Alresford.  We made use of the Festival Park & Ride at Ropley and hopped a very crowded and warm stream train on the Mid Hants Railway for the short journey over.

The Watercress Festival is an annual street festival celebrating the locally grown watercress. The festival also draws together other food producers from all over the local area to create this free food festival.

The colourful Morris men and women were performing at top of Broad Street and attracted a good crowd, both young and old.

The Food Market was situated in Broad Street and had over 40 stalls from Hampshire Farmers Market.

There was plenty to tempt even the steely-willed of us from olives to handmade breads.

For our mid-morning “coffee” we popped into Caracoli Café and Food Store also located in Broad Street.

We have been meaning to visit this café since seeing the chefs participating in day time bakery competition on ITV a few months back. The coffee I am told was impressive.

For our journey home we could not, not purchase one of these naughty fresh fruit cupcake.

Afternoon tea on New Year’s eve

We had afternoon tea this New Year’s eve at Courtyard Tea Rooms in Alresford, Hampshire.  The Courtyard is a stylish shabby chic tea room serving delicious cakes and afternoon teas. 

Displayed on each of the window sills where lovely tea-themed books like this one.

Tiffin Tea Rooms

A civilised afternoon out in the Georgian town of Alresford in Hampshire, with lunch at Tiffin Tea Rooms.

This gorgeous tea room with its delicate cream and blue china inspired decoration is a pretty little…

…escape for home-baked cakes (just like your mother made) and award-winning speciality teas or even homemade lemon aid.  (I can highly recommend the Chocolate cake.)

The tea rooms has been awarded The Tea Guild’s Award of Excellence three years in a row (2010, 2011 & 2012), so this is a definite destination for the tea drinking connoisseur.

Hardy souls

As the rain came down we dashed for shelter towards Winchester Cathedral‘s Refectory. We stopped for a moment underneath the archway between the Cathedral shop and the Refectory and caught sight of these hardy souls still enjoying their lunch outside.