The Bettys Blog

With the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee nearly here, we thought we’d look at how Bettys marked royal occasions in days gone by and share a few treasures from our own archives…

You could say that every cup of tea bearing the Bettys name is worthy of the title Royal Tea. After all, it all comes from a distinguished family. Our teas are provided by Bettys’ sister company Taylors, whose experts have long travelled the world in search of the finest quality leaves to make up our exclusive blends.

It was learning the baker’s craft that first provided the young orphan Frederick Belmont with a way to escape his harsh upbringing in Switzerland more than a century ago. But it was confectionery – the creative yet demanding art of making and decorating cakes, biscuits and chocolates – that was to prove his real passion, taking him to France, then to England and the opening of the first Bettys café.

This is a summer like no other, with the sunshine and holidays joined by a very special occasion – the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II. And while the focus is on honouring the Queen's 70 years' service on the British throne, you don't have to open Parliament, entertain world leaders at dinner or become an icon of coordinating hats, handbags and statement brooches to enjoy the celebrations. Whether you're throwing a street party with neighbours, having a garden gathering with family or just want to toast Her Majesty's reign over a majestic teatime spread, our new limited-edition Jubilee collection will add a royally delicious touch.

It may not yet be warm enough for alfresco dining, but you can bring the joy of spring indoors to your Easter celebrations with these styling suggestions from Bettys ‘Head of Beautiful’ Robyn Cox, the creative mind behind our Café Tea Room window displays. With these easy but eye-catching ideas inspired by the season’s flowers, leaf buds and new life, your Easter gatherings will look and feel more delicious than ever.

Writers from some of our favourite magazines and websites have been cracking open our Easter eggs and getting under the lids of our gift boxes and hampers. Read on to find out which of our treats made their lists of this year’s Easter essentials.

Mother’s Day is nearly here, and if you’re planning to spend precious time with Mum, you may be looking for ideas to make her day extra-special. Perhaps you already have flowers and a cake ready. So how about raising a toast to her with a delicious Bettys-inspired cocktail?

Robert Tomlinson’s family has been growing forced rhubarb on their Pudsey farm for over 100 years. Each year we devise a special menu that celebrates his uniquely Yorkshire crop. But why is Yorkshire forced rhubarb special?

Maybe it’s time to fall back in love with Valentine’s Day. Leave the grand romantic gestures to the films: who has enough vases to find room for a hundred red roses? Here at Bettys, we think of Valentine’s more as a day celebrating all kinds of love, a time to show kindness and understanding, whether that’s to your other half, beloved best friend, a special auntie or even yourself.

This year, we had the chance to see the lovely Fred Sirieix come face to face with our famous cake for the very first time, when baker extraordinaire and Bettys fan Nadiya Hussain brought him to visit us for tea.

With spring in the air and new life all around, the natural world outside provides perfect inspiration for brightening up things indoors. As Bettys’ ‘Head of Beautiful’ and the magpie mind behind our lovely window displays, Robyn Cox has a wealth of crafty tips and styling suggestions up his sleeve. Now he’s turned his attention to beautifying your home with these easy but eye-catching Easter ideas.

Our Easter eggs have always had something of a sense of adventure. But these two go further than most. With their slim profiles, our Dark Chocolate Flat Egg With Glacé Orange and our new Milk Chocolate Flat Egg take the idea of a traditional egg and, well, flatten it.

It feels good to make somebody smile. Easter is a wonderful chance to do just that, by handing a gloriously gift-wrapped chocolate egg to a person you love. And if that feels good, imagine how it feels to make somebody not just smile… but jump up and down with delight, run around the room excitedly and grin with sheer, delicious satisfaction every single time they snap off a piece to enjoy. That's what makes Bettys eggs the most beautiful gifts this Easter.

If you’re a fan of Easter as much as we are here at Bettys, you’ll understand when we say how for us there’s no such thing as ‘plain’ chocolate. From creamy white and silky brown to dark and glossy – not to mention all the ways it can be stippled, brushed and lovingly adorned by our chocolatiers – the quality of our chocolate makes every one of our Easter eggs a beauty to behold.

Chocolate may get the lion's share of the attention at Easter, but there are a few other classics that we think are just as delicious. Take Simnel Cake, for example - a rich, fruity classic that's a marzipan lover's dream. And in this recipe from Lesley Wild, founder of Bettys Cookery School, we'll even teach you how to make your own marzipan from scratch.

It's chocolate season - and from eggs to cakes to gift hampers, we've got delights for everyone. To switch on the perfect Easter, just press the "Bettys" button.