The Bettys Blog

Come closer. We want to tell you a secret. It’s called Bettys Stonegate and it’s our hidden gem. Locals know it well – it’s where they head to skip the queues. Step inside and step back in time – into the shop with its beautifully arrayed treats, then up the winding stairs to roaring fireplaces, window seats and intimate nooks. Romantic, cosy and unmistakably Bettys. Let’s just keep it between us, shall we?

Summer has now finally gone and autumn has come in with the trees showing fantastic colours beneath clear blue skies. Temperatures are dropping and it feels that all creatures are either starting to get ready for winter or preparing to leave.

New Year's Resolutions come in many flavours. One of our very favourites is the kind which involves discovery - the decision to explore something new. From learning Italian to picking up the piano to getting to grips with breadmaking, it's the kindling of a new love which could last a lifetime.

If we may be so bold, we have a suggestion: make 2018 the year in which you truly discover coffee. With a flavour profile more complex than wine and a great wealth of origins, roast styles and brewing methods, it is a topic which becomes more delicious the deeper you explore.

The picturesque Bettys at RHS Gardens Harlow Carr has a touch of magic about it. Why? Because it changes with the seasons. Take a chair in the Café Tea Rooms or on the terrace, and look out over the majestic gardens - lovingly maintained by the RHS - where the rich, abundant flora celebrates the four seasons with stunning displays of colour. It's never more spectacular than during autumn, when a visit to Bettys with a friend is best followed by a stroll amongst the bright, uplifting fall trees.

Jack D March is a Bettys fan and a hugely talented photographer and Instagrammer. In fact, we love his photos so much we wondered what would happen if we sent him some of our Halloween treats with the simple message, ‘Work your magic!’ These are his wonderful creations.

As part of our Trees for Life work, we support the Hagge Woods Trust, which manages the 25-acre Three Hagges Jubilee Wood, and are helping them achieve their aim to develop it into a beautiful and thriving community woodland. Biologist, Lin Hawthorne, is helping to lead this pioneering approach to woodland creation and shares progress from the project through her ‘Nature Notes’ blogs for Bettys. Read her latest words from the wood.

We’re really happy to announce some brand new enhancements to your online shopping experience, making it easier than ever to shop with Bettys for delivery to your door.

Announcing our new and redesigned range of chocolates, presented in luxurious new keepsake boxes with decorative patterns by York artist Emily Sutton. The only thing more perfect than what's on the outside, is what's on the inside.

It’s a hard job, you’ll agree, but Jamie Ball and Rick Tingley, two of the coffee experts from our sister company Taylors of Harrogate, have been busy working their way through some of Bettys most delicious confections. Their mission? To use their finely honed tastebuds and in-depth bean knowledge to come up with the perfect pairings of chocolate and coffee. That’s two of our favourite things, made even better.

Set the cauldron to warm and draw up your ghost-lists – it’s not long now until Halloween. And for us here at Bettys that means the opportunity to share some of our favourite designs: from witches to spiders, pumpkins to frogs.

Our skilled friends at Royal Crown Derby produce bespoke fine bone china for our Bookable Afternoon Tea. Like us, they care a great deal about craft and draw upon their long history for inspiration. But the similarities don’t end there...

Some things about our Lady Betty Afternoon Tea are timeless. The silver cake stands and bespoke bone china from Royal Crown Derby. The finest rare teas sourced from around the world for you to discover. The setting, a table reserved in our elegant Imperial Room, Harrogate or our Belmont Room York. All waiting for you, whether it’s your first visit to Bettys or your 50th.

The famous Bettys at St Helen's Square, York, means different things to different people. For some it's a must-visit destination during a trip to this historic city, to many a place to celebrate with friends and loved ones, and to others an everyday oasis of calm in a chaotic world. But whatever the reason for your next visit, we hope we help you create a treasured memory.

At this time of year, our development chefs and craft bakers start to look excited. Maybe even a little impatient? That’s because winter means a special menu at our six Café Tea Rooms across Yorkshire and, after all the dreaming, tasting and tweaking that’s taken place behind the scenes, it’s finally time to unveil the season’s most delicious dishes.

There are a host of new flavours and seasonal treats to be found at Bettys this autumn. Enjoy tempting specialities and inspiring events in our Café Tea Rooms, or take home your favourite goodies from our shops.

There’s no denying it: autumn is peeking around the corner, heralding a more crisp and colourful world. With senses sharpened, it’s time to relish rich flavours and tantalising aromas, or to indulge yourself with treats only found at this time of year. So dig out your favourite jumper and prepare to dive into our leaf-pile of new season delights.

Everything that leaves us is wrapped and boxed by hand by experts in the Bettys by Post team, which is why we promise that your order will arrive with you in the same condition it left us – that’s our Perfection Guarantee.

Once a year, twin sisters Gabriella and Anthea come to Bettys to celebrate their birthday. To them, it’s not just a get-together – it’s a moment to put the real world on hold. We joined them as they took tea on their 23rd birthday to find out why they love Bettys so much.

Whatever your personal picnic style, our tips will help you enjoy this most seasonal of delights to the fullest.

Whatever your personal picnic style, our tips will help you enjoy this most seasonal of delights to the fullest.

During the war the Oakroom became Betty’s Bar, a popular haunt among servicemen from nearby air bases. Some left a permanent reminder of their visit by inscribing their name onto a mirror which still hangs in the basement café.

What role did a journey to America play in the design of Bettys York? What calling card did servicemen leave in the Oak Room during the second world war? And what happened at Bettys during the swinging 60s? Find out in our brief history of Bettys York.

What’s that thwack we hear? It’s the gratifying sound of tennis ball on racket – Wimbledon is here! To mark the occasion, we set Bettys Cookery School genius Lisa Bennison the task of devising a Wimbledon-inspired mocktail based on our new Strawberry, Cherry & Rose Tisane. After all, Wimbledon and strawberries go together like Bettys and afternoon tea.

Cafés don’t ordinarily contain fully functioning traffic lights flashing from green to amber to red. Ours certainly don’t. But this one does. I try not to look confused. There are lots of regulars here enjoying tea and homemade cake. I don’t want to look like a tourist – I act natural and scan for an explanation.