The Bettys Blog

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.

Every little detail has been thought of in creating the brighter, more spacious shop at Bettys in Ilkley. We're particularly proud of our partnership with Peter Thompson of York whose hand crafted furnishings you can see being created by Master Wood Carver Graham Gamble in this short film.

Our new shop at Bettys Ilkley is causing a bit of a stir - for all the right reasons. From the magnificent macaroon towers and elegant loose chocolate counter, to the world of flavours awaiting in our magical tea drawers, it’s truly a place to discover the best of Bettys.

As part of our Trees for Life work, we’ve created a pack designed to support primary school teachers who want to help their pupils learn about trees and discover the joys of their local environment.

All sorts of magical treats go into a Bettys Christmas Hamper, and some have a mind of their own...

Today, Champagne is more popular than ever before, but its history has followed a rich and varied course. Made in the eponymous northeast region of France, Champagne emerged as a sparkling wine in the mid-17th century. The region’s short growing season and cold climate meant that the wine had to referment in the bottle, producing the carbonic gas. But the bubbles were not desired – they were seen as a symptom of bad wine-making. Due to its propensity to explode in the cellars, Champagne became known colloquially as ‘the devil’s wine’. Benedictine monk Dom Pérignon tried hard to remove the natural fizz, but his efforts instead went on to aid Champagne production for centuries.

When we were looking for a British manufacturer to produce a bespoke set of fine bone china for our Bookable Afternoon Tea, one name stood out: Royal Crown Derby.

For the last 12 months, in a room marked ‘Top Secret’, we’ve been planning something … well, top secret. But today it’s a secret no more: on 15 May we will be proudly launching our Bookable Afternoon Tea – a brand new reservation-only dining experience in the Imperial Room, Harrogate, and the Belmont Room, York.

In 1936 Frederick was a passenger on the maiden voyage of the Queen Mary, and he must have been thrilled that the luxury liner also had an extensive collection of marquetry. He had these pictures recreated in the Belmont Room at Bettys York with the large mural depicting ducks flying over a lake.