Monastic Abbey opens teashop!

Photograph shows Ampleforth Abbey in Yorkshire, home of monks and a new teashop.

Every year Ampleforth Abbey in Yorkshire receives 6,000 visitors but has never been able to stretch to a cup of tea for them. Not any more! The once spartan guest refectory is now a stunning teashop offering some amazing home-made cakes and pastries, courtesy of the Benedictine monks who live there.

While the Monks are not charged with the task of running the teashop – that's left to the lay community – they do get involved in the production of the cakes and other goodies on sale. How about a slice of Father Rainer's apple cake. The apples come from the Ampleforth orchard and there's a dash of Father Rainer's cider in there too – and all for just £2.25. Or how about Father Hughes cheesecake, lovingly made using fresh vanilla pods and crumbled fudge for a recession-busting £2.55. Also available, pear and almond tart at £2.65, made to an old Ampleforth recipe, and chocolate fudge cake, a heady mixture of fudge topped with milk and white chocolate flakes for £2.45.

The tearoom is closed on Monday but open between Tuesday and Saturday from 10am to 5.30pm. On Sundays it opens at noon and closes at 5.30pm.

Sounds amazing and you can bet that teashopandcaff will think of some excuse to go there pretty soon.

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