Confiserie Tea Room Fredy's, Montreux, Switzerland

Confiserie Tea Room Fredy's, possibly named after Freddie Mercury
who lived here and has a statue to his memory in Montreux.

No more than a stone's throw from the shores of Lake Geneva, this excellent caff offers everything a caff aficionado is looking for: good value, high quality food, pleasant, efficient service and a decent atmosphere.

I'd walked from central Montreux for about one hour, following the pathway that hugged Lake Geneva until it ran out and I was forced to hit the road. The road follows the route of the 201 heading towards Vevey (in the direction I was travelling). After about an hour of walking I left behind suburban Montreux with it's old and seemingly empty mansions, some overlooking the lake, others overlooking the road. I was in a small town not that far from Vevey. I think it was called Vaud and the only reason I've worked that out (if I have) is that I've gone on to Google Maps and retraced my walk from central Montreux.

My soup and tea – lovely!

The address, according to Google, is 19 Grand-Rue, La Tour-de-Pielz, Vaud, Switzerland so I'm saying that's where this excellent little café is located.

It's fantastic as it sells everything from high quality cakes, pastries and bread to chocolates and has a small but cosy little restaurant area out back.

I chose a bowl of soup and bread (I can't remember the variety of soup, possibly leek and potato) plus a cup of tea, all for about seven Swiss Francs. The place was busy and, to be honest, I could have stayed there all day, but I only had enough money for the soup and tea so I savoured the moment, paid up and took the 201 bus back into Montreux.

If ever you find yourself in Montreux, there are a lot of places like this and they are truly magical places. I just wish I'd had a newspaper or my book with me as that would have been true bliss.

TV star beats Starbucks to buy coffee chain

Patrick Dempsey

A report on Yahoo! Finance today states that Grey's Anatomy star Patrick Dempsey, better known as McDreamy, has won a bankruptcy auction to buy a small US coffee chain.

For more details, click here.

Boycott Starbucks today...there's plenty of independents out there!

Who needs Starbucks? The answer is nobody. Why? They don't pay any tax. Think about it. All those people who work at Starbucks pay tax (at least I hope they do) but the big boss man, who must be based over in Seattle somewhere, birthplace of the coffee chain, pays nothing on the earnings of his UK-based stores.

And think about this: you have to pay tax so why can't Starbucks?

In short this is outrageous, especially when you consider that there are many independent coffee retailers out there on UK high streets who offer a superior product and ambience but do have to pay tax.

Starbucks represents 'the man' and if you want to stick it to the man, there's only one thing you can do: boycott Starbucks. By all means enjoy a cup of coffee in a Caffé Nero, a Coffee Republic or a Costa Coffee, but steer clear of Starbucks. The best thing to do, of course, is to support the UK's independent coffee houses, of which there are many.

It's really simple: you're walking down the high street, you need a coffee. You see a Starbucks. But don't go in. Remember, they don't pay tax! Look around you. Is there a Costa or a Nero or an independent coffee shop in sight? If yes, then make your way there instead. You'll feel a lot, lot better.

TeashopandCaff won't be visiting Starbucks anymore and was never that impressed with the coffee chain. 

Let me know your thoughts and I'll happily publish them on my blog.

Click here for more...

Teavana adds 105 stores....

According to World Tea News, Atlanta-based Teavana, now a 284-store specialty tea retailer, added 105 stores in the past 12 months and is ramping up its marketing efforts with the hire of John Aylward, former brand director at GAP Europe.

Source: World Tea News.

Teashop celebrates birthday with free pastries

FREE pastries will be given away at a tea room to help mark its first birthday.

Visitors to the Douglas Macmillan Hospice-run Carmountside Tea Rooms will be given pastries with every tea or coffee purchased on September 22 and 23.

The shop, which is open from 9.30am until 4.15pm, was taken on by the cancer charity in conjunction with Stoke-on-Trent City Council last September.

Guy Clarke, business development manager at the Blurton-based hospice, said: "We would like to thank the supporters that have allowed the tea rooms to go from strength to strength over the past 12 months.

"The volunteers have also been exceptional, and we're always on the lookout for more people to help. Catering experience isn't required as training is given."

Anyone wishing to volunteer should contact Louise McCartney on 01782 344332 or email volunteernow@dmhospice.org.uk.

Source: The Sentinel.

Flowers Farm Café in Godstone, Surrey

This is a caff I've reported about before, but have never experienced. Today, my pal Andy and I ventured down there on the bikes and found an excellent café offering unlimited amounts of tea (once you've purchased a cup they give you refills for nothing) and a decent almond croissant. There was plenty more to choose from; all the usual caff fayre, such as scrambled egg on toast, burgers and so on plus a range of decent cakes and all within the farm shop environment.

Inside the Flowers Farm Café near Godstone, Surrey. Note the woodburning

stove in the corner. Imagine that on a cold, winter afternoon!

I liked the woodburning stove in the corner, the views outside the window and the general ambience. There were plenty of magazines to read (even farming trade titles!) and, well, TeaShopandCaff recommends this place without reservation. Think about it: a farm shop, so you can go there and get lots of decent farm produce – a million times better than a supermarket – and then enjoy a decent cuppa and a bun or whatever afterwards.

Flowers Farm Shop is on the A25 near Godstone.

Starbucks expansion through partnership in India

Starbucks bound for India in deal with Tata Global Beverages

RTT News writes: "Starbucks, America's iconic coffee brand, has teamed up with India's Tata Global Beverages to open 50 Starbucks cafés across India in 2012, starting in Delhi and Mumbai.

The company also plans outlets at select properties within the Taj group of hotels, which is under the Tata Group. The stores will be cobranded "Starbucks Coffee: A Tata Alliance."

Click here for more.