Oh Dear...looks as though Bettys has succumbed to complacency...let's hope someone from Bettys sees this and initiates some kind of action to rectify these matters!
Yes, Dave, I do think they are complacent. I doubt they will watch a tiny channel like mine... but I do hope that they choose to improve their quality. It was so disappointing!
Scones - in my view the order of application. 1st butter, 2nd jam, 3rd cream. This gives a better colour contrast between the scone/butter pale colour, against the red of the jam then the final white cream.
OK, but please tell me that you are not like Dave (the other Yorkshireman) who uses squirty cream instead of clotted cream. I DO NOT APPROVE! I was served squirty cream in Texas at a tea... but they have a good excuse. No excuse in Britain!!
There's another Betty's in Harrogate at Harlow Carr Gardens that usually avoids the queues. If you were early I wonder if they'd had a fresh delivery? Betty's is now part of the same company that does Yorkshire Tea & Taylor's coffee & they have a large facility on the edge of town where they bake.
Interesting! I naiively thought they baked there, since I thought it was the original bakery? But yes, those scones definitely seemed like day old scones that had been shipped in the day before. I'll be sticking to smaller tea shops which bake their own fresh scones from now on I think ;-) Thanks so much for your comment!
Scones are supposed to be serverd warm and fluffy. They should be gently broken by hand and light clotted cream applied before the jam. Tea is sipped in between the other food eaten. It's supposed to be a light meal.
If you take afternnon tea too early you're getting yesterdays bake .. in this type of establishment you're just another tourist . Sorry it is what it is . .todays bake was in the oven when you arrived.. and theres 100s of customers waiting for todays bake guaranteed . Complaicancy comes to mind.. l have to say the whole tea platter looked quite mundane to me .. cakes looked basic and scones looked like a dropped scone...its a type of scone thats made wetter and spooned on a skillet...dropped on a skillet hence dropped scone . No not upto scratch as we say...4 out of 10 and l didnt even taste it .lol
That’s really disappointing. Betty’s is usually excellent, and I’m guessing it might be better in the afternoon when you don’t risk getting yesterday’s stuff. We’ve never been disappointed at Betty’s but you really pay for it! Not sure the Parliament Street one is the best to go to - too many tourists! - my personal favourite is ‘Little Betty’s’ in Stonegate, York and my ‘local’ is Ilkley. When in Harrogate we head for the newer one at Harlow Carr Gardens.
I don't think that a place like Betty's, with high traffic, where you book months in advance and pay a premium, should EVER serve day old scones. Not acceptable. I do think a little local tea shop would be a better way to go...
My Mum, who is a Northern lady, said the scones at Betty's were 'stale and embarrassing'! I think what she meant was, people were queueing and coming from miles around to enjoy Betty's, only to be met with dry scones! She is a regular, brilliant baker, so knows what she is talking about...
We had afternoon tea in Betty’s a week ago and it was absolutely delicious FYI clotted cream is always like that it is meant to be thick so you can make a dint in the middle to hold a lake of jam 😊
Sorry to be picky, but I think that is totally unacceptable for a place like Betty's. If I was eating from a "tea truck" in a car park at a National Trust garden maybe. But not a huge place like this with super high traffic and premium prices!
@@MagentaOtterTravels ,Totally agree , good reputations are a long time in the making but can be destroyed very quickly if you take your customers for granted. Never mind young lady get yourself a proper full English tomorrow and a fine roast dinner on Sunday. I'm sure that will put a smile back on your face.
That really seems like a fancy place to go. Love the food presentation, too bad you got disappointed on several items. The only scones i ever had that weren't dry were the ones Yolanda made. I loved Ian's "wedding cake"! 😂
Yes, I thought Ian's concoction was very funny! We did find some scones we liked at a Cornish Bakery. Best to buy scones at a bakery or tea shop where they are warm and fresh! This place was just an overrated tourist trap! But yes, it was a lovely building and the service was great.
I've been to Harrowgate but never at Betty's. But the scones definitely looked too dry. Such a shame. I think I would have liked your choice of tea too, but for me my favourite here would have been a black tea. :-)
As my dear departed mum would say "you can win for losing"! We have gone to good afternoon tea places in the past and found that on the time we went late (like 4:30 or 5:00) the scones were not as fresh. We figured that going early we would get the FRESHEST scones! They are a bakery fergoodnesssakes... I think they should bake them fresh every morning. In fact, all day long, given their traffic. Day old is NOT acceptable at those prices, if you ask me.
Ew! That’s so disappointing! I had a fat rascal at the Bettys in York and it was delicious. Can’t believe it was that bad. 😩 P.S. Thanks to Dave for being a co-presenter on this episode 😀
Dave was fantastic! And their boys eat Scottish chocolates with me in next week's video! I had to give everyone on the family a turn!! LOL I'm glad you commented... I was thinking of you when I was there. I knew you liked the Fat Rascal scones, and I was planning on buying a box, but after the tea... no thanks!
To answer your first two questions...peppermint tea and coronation chicken sandwiches, but like lots of other teas and sandwiches too! Too many to mention!!
I visited Betty’s in York last month but only went in to get my sister some rascals, the queue was enormous to eat in, the queue for the shop was much smaller. I remember visiting Betty’s in York last year prior to lockdown there was an enormous Easter egg in the window I visiting for the same reason as this year but instead of surprising my sister with them like this year she had asked for them. I’m not sure if I visited Harrogate I probably can’t remember.
I heard that York was shutting down the Cafe and just keeping the shop open. I would love to try a Fat Rascal scone if it were freshly baked. I am NOT a fan of dry and stale scones!! If I wanted those I'd go to Starbucks in the US!
@@MagentaOtterTravels i was in York last month. I think they probably gave you scones that had been sitting about for a few hours not fresh ones not long out of the oven.
@Magenta Otter Travels its got to have been a bad day….if I had a tea shop, I would have scooted off to Waitrose for some french fancies the second I spotted a celebrity taking a seat..or doing a dance of the seven cheeses.
He is such a sweetheart. A former law enforcement professional, and now he is a handyman and builder. Hence why his hands that were full of recent injuries in the line of duty!
I'm surprised and disappointed for you, after all Betty's is not exactly a cheap dining establishment you should expect nothing but top quality for the prices you have to pay.
How does pricing work? Each person pays 19.95 pounds? Do they keep replenishing the food after each tower is done? There will be 5 of us. Just curious since I'm planning on visiting the York location in April!
I was hoping that I might have talked you out of it ;-) The traditional afternoon tea is 22 pounds and you don't get replenishment. I'm excited that you are visiting York! It is a FABULOUS city!! I hope you subscribe and check out my Yorkshire vlogs I have so far... with more to come this summer! ruclips.net/p/PLOedWVhYewAV1zJvdml10CLCoKCa4sd4o Cheers! XX Dara
@@MagentaOtterTravels haha I'm coming from the US, and my sister said (who lives in Bradford) that Bettys is one of the most popular. Do you have other recommendations for afternoon tea? I'm just so excited to try the whole experience! If you have other recommendations for food to try around the area, I welcome it! Sounds like you're also from the US!
@@carlosbriggs7674 yes, I am in Texas right now. We live in Gloucestershire, England each summer. I am obsessed with food, and talk about it all the time on my channel. If you are in Yorkshire, you MUST enjoy a Sunday roast meal with a lovely huge Yorkshire pudding! And you also must visit the town of Knaresborough. I'll give you a link to my Yorkshire vlogs so you can see for yourself. ruclips.net/p/PLOedWVhYewAV1zJvdml10CLCoKCa4sd4o Be sure to subscribe and comment on any videos with questions/comments. I honestly think you'd be better off at a bakery with FRESH scones or a small Tea room having a cream tea ;-) Here is my video on Afternoon Tea if you want to know all the basics about this wonderful tradition! ruclips.net/video/0oU4jWCZmFk/видео.html Cheers! XX Dara
Harrogate was lovely, there were some beautiful flowers, even though we were a bit early for a lot of the plantings which they were installing while we were there... 💐
It is super popular! Literally there were people lined up on the pavement and around the corner! Either I was served an unusually bad tea, or I am way pickier than all those other people eating there!
@@MagentaOtterTravels no I think your tea wasn't up to standard. Yes the queue was around the corner when I went through the town yesterday lunchtime on my way home.
Not everyone has the experience I did, but I do think there are better places to enjoy afternoon tea that would be less expensive and more fun 😉 I hope you watch my videos for Harrogate and Knaresborough if you are in the area. It is such a fabulous area to visit! Cheers! XX Dara
maybe the sandwiches were left out in the heat of the kitchen to make the bread turn stale. as I an sure they would get fresh bread daily. as for the scones being dry and the clotted cream being too thick, I would have sent them back. as you was paying over the top compared to what you would pay in a local café. hopefully your next Cream Tea will be better, even if you buy everything yourself to have it on a picnic.
I agree... it's like they made loads of sandwiches at 7am and just left them on the counter to start serving hours later. I didn't want to make a fuss about the scones and cream, as we were there with friends. But I did save my extra £20 and did NOT buy a box of the Fat Rascal scones to take home after!! I consider this a PSA to warn other tourists to not go to Betty's! Much better to go to a little tea shop (that comes highly recommended) and get a cream tea for 5 quid!
@@MagentaOtterTravels I agree that £5 is an average price for a Cream Tea. the only expensive item you had there was the half a Salmon sandwich, which probably still costs less than a pound to make.
Dave here, agreeing with your Dave. I lived in York for 15 years and I never set foot in York Betty’s., Sorry, but its , a bit touristy. Being British, I have to apologise, even though it’s not my fault. I hope you were only showing your disrespect for the scones by putting the cream on first!
Thanks, Dr. Dave for being very British and apologising for something that is not your fault, LOL! You are right... Betty's is way too touristy. If I didn't have a RUclips channel, I'm not sure I would have even gone. I guess the one good thing about a bad meal is at least you can complain about it on video! hee hee As for the jam first... there is NO way to spread that super hard clotted cream on a slippery layer of jam. Inconceivable!! (said in the accent of the character on Princess Bride)
@@MagentaOtterTravels If the jam is slippery, it's not proper jam. Also, you don't ever spread the cream. You pile it on top of the jam and press the upper part of the scone into it.
Hiya. You didn't send the whole lot back? You're definitely no longer American! Lol. Tbh, I used to find Betty's quite underwhelming and stopped going there long ago. May I suggest you watch the BBC's 'Remarkable Places to Eat' - Series 3 - Episode 1 - Yorkshire (you can see it on BBC iPlayer) which features Betty's in part? To me, this is an alternative Bettys, on another planet! Stay safe. All the best to you.
Hiya Andy! That does sound like a fun TV programme to watch! We are still learning how to find things on our iPlayer. It's a comedy of errors watching us try! LOL Yes, I was being a polite British person hosting friends... and I did not raise a fuss when the food was awful!
Don’t feel bad! It’s not your fault that a tourist trap like that has lowered its standards. To make you feel better, watch my video from last Tuesday of Yorkshire puddings made in Yorkshire! We had a wonderful Sunday dinner in Leeds and the Yorkshire pudding‘s were amazing!!!
I went to The Betty's in York, it was delightful, the staff treated me like I was a royal (grin). Had the Darjeeling and Asam tea combo and it was really good, the bread on the sandwiches was really fresh... I'm glad now that you're reviewing your experience, that i decided not to go to the Betty's in Harrogate. The scones in Betty's in York were bite size, the ones in your video look double the size.
I'm so glad that you had a good experience! I have heard from many people that the York location is much better 👍 We haven't been to York this summer, but we have had some wonderful cream teas and afternoon teas here in the Cotswolds! 😊😋 Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment! Cheers! Dara
That was eye opening, I thought Betty's was the standard for afternoon tea, very disappointing. At least I didn't have to find that out for myself though, thankyou.
Similar experience to you at the same place. Surroundings were fine but the food was underwhelming, like eating bullets. I think the smaller tearooms in Harrogate are much better.
I’m glad to hear I’m not alone, but sorry that you also had a disappointing meal! I honestly think smaller tea rooms are the way to go in so many places! However, if you watched my battle of the scones, you will see my surprising discovery about the best scones in St Ives! ruclips.net/video/UfaL0agwGUo/видео.html
There is nothing more disappointing than looking forward to an afternoon tea at a special location and then to find what is served isn't all that great. My disappointing afternoon tea was at Fortnum and Mason's and I haven't been able to return!
We also had afternoon tea at F&M one time. It was fine, but absolutely ridiculously expensive! I really don’t like spending a lot of money for afternoon tea unless I know it’s going to be phenomenal. Otherwise, give me a nice fresh cream tea for five quid!
@@MagentaOtterTravels I'm such an Afternoon Tea snob I have a criteria that I judge against! It's ambience, food and price, F&M only met the ambience part of the criteria! So it only deserved one visit from me!
Oh no! What a disappointment! But that's why one must try these places for ourselves to see if they live up to the hype. But at least the chocolate cube was good!
Big American base just outside Harrogate on the Harrogate to Skipton road it's top secret not aircraft intelligence base also my Niece lives in Harrogate ..it became famous in the Victorian period due to wealthy industrialist who lived in that area who owned mills all over Yorkshire Lancashire...
Oh that is interesting! I know about "top secret"... we live just a couple miles from GCHQ in Cheltenham! I will eventually publish my vlog from Harrogate as well as Knaresborough. But such lovely places! I really have loads of content coming... I just need 30 hours a day to edit it all, LOL! Thanks for your comments. Cheers XX Dara
Did you hear the Betty's in York is closing?!?! I wonder if my scathing review of Harrogate put them over the edge? Yes, the Ritz would be lovely! The most expensive afternoon tea we had was Fortnum & Mason. It cost a FORTUNE!!! And in my opinion our tea at Gidleigh Park was better. Have you seen that video? ruclips.net/video/AHV4OPfdgKk/видео.html
Almost 40 years on this island and I've never yet had afternoon tea! That does look disappointing though. It's like the sort of mediocre fare that would have been ubiquitous a few decades ago, but these days most establishments have upped their game and will try to serve something more impressive (not to mention more Instagram-worthy!). Betty's clearly need to have a rethink.
Have you ever had cream tea? Even if you don't bother with the whole fancy Afternoon Tea meal... you gotta enjoy a warm scone with jam and clotted cream!
@Magenta Otter Travels the American airbase….its the most beautiful town BSE….we met a retired air base worker who had settled in the town..its ancient a bit like a king Alfred hangout…you know the guy that burnt the Yorkshire puddings..
I prefer Betty's in Northallerton. It's not as famous but the same establishment. I've never queued in Harrogate even though I've lived in Ripon for 25 years.
You must know the trick for avoiding the most touristy times ;-) I'm curious, are you a fan of the fat rascals? I do want to try one someday... if it's fresh. Thanks for watching and commenting! XX Dara
Again I'm eating while watching this video so thankfully I'm not hungry. I do like Coronation Chicken sandwiches (and it's also very nice in a baked potato). It's a shame the scones were dry and the clotted cream looks like butter, although I do admire Ian's attempt to improve it with several layers of jam and cream :-)
@Magenta Otter Travels suffolk….and dreamy Dunwich….Orwellian Orfordness,Stoney shingle street et themust see Martello towers..and fabulous Felixstowe and classy Canterbury..
I agree with "cogidubnus1953"!! Wow, Betty's is certainly risking its reputation if this is typical of their food; and yes, let's hope someone from their staff sees your video, Dara, and starts improving things. When you have high hopes for some wonderful food (and are paying big-time for it!), this is such a disappointment. I'm glad your friends (and Ian) agreed with you. Hopefully, next Friday's video will have better news for all of us on the MOT Team!! :-)
We have permission to call cogidubnus "Dave" ;-) Yes, Betty's needs to up their game!!! Next Friday's video will be of Rachel's sons eating Scottish treats with me... and they were GOOD! So yes, better news!
If you have a dry scone, spreading the jam first would stop it from breaking, but as you cream looked hard I Guess you were fighting a loosing battle, although I see Ian won the war
@@wencireone OK, I’m answering this question over again. This just goes to show you that I have been listening to British people too long! I forgot how to say at the American way😂😂😂 Americans put the accent on the first syllable, and Brits the accent on the second sellable! We also say a long A sound like VAY ... Does that make sense?
Betty`s its a chain .Just one big Tourist and very over priced Trap. ie Your there today gone tomorrow. The Scones are well under sized that’s why they are dry, they should be light and a slight crumble. The fruit should be Squidgy to bring out the flavour. Unsalted Butter should be used to seal, then the cream applied, not to fluid just enough to coat, or a good dollop . The cream that was shown appears to have been taken out of a freezer? Apply the jam, should be of a heavy constituency to hold all together. My tea choice is English Breakfast but at home its Yorkshire. I live South, my port of call is the Windsor Farm Shop, never disappointed.
@@MagentaOtterTravels I'm just talking about the cake fork on the table, I like a cake fork it makes you feel posh, we have a set but rarely use them, only when we have guest or sticky cake 🙂👍
That was a total disappointment. I have to say our experience was wonderful and I'd go again- but not here! My advice is: to post the link on their FB page in messenger. Only fair for them to see what your evaluation was to be able to bring about change. It's only fair. Their reputation does need sprucing up if this is the 'norm' these days. No excuses at all. They need to address this. 👍 🌷 🇳🇱 🙋♀️ 🇳🇿
You can’t eat tea until 4pm, when everything stops ,including the apostrophes I don’t think Dave has got a script....he’s ad libbing..he’s very good at it though.
We HAD to eat tea at 11:45...We booked months in advance and it was the only slot open! Dave is wonderful. And honestly, on my channel, nobody ever has a script when they’re talking to the camera! LOL
I have heard that Betty’s is not what it used to be…..too bad, as it gets a lot of publicity. Tea: Earl Grey. Sandwich: smoked salmon. Cake: the chocolate, of course. Too bad it was a bomb for you!
Ruth, I have been meaning to ask you: where was the tea shop in the Cotswolds where you had that cream tea you loved? I might check it out this summer!
The Chestnut Tree Tea a room in Bourton on the Water. I just looked up your old comment and found it! The funny thing is, I was just in Bouton earlier this week. But I didn’t see that tea room! There are so many!! Also, I was there at 7o’clock in the morning so that I could take photos without being surrounded by thousands of people, LOL!
@@MagentaOtterTravels if you are still up there pop over to Bradford go to Mother hubbards for great fish & chips or the Mumtaz or Narwab for a great curry
You have a point! That might be exactly the problem. Very disappointing though, as they are known as a bakery. I was naïvely expecting very fresh baked goods! Thanks for your comment. Cheers! XX Dara
Looks like Betty's taken her eye off the ball...! Disappointing! Very sorry the scones and clotted cream missed the mark: bet they forgot to put in the 7-UP!
Wow that's shocking you should have complained also if your cream is thick it means it's old honestly complain that's not right you pay for substandard food ..also Agatha Christie fled to Harrogate causing a major police search ...
I need to go back and read about Agatha Christie's disappearance. Didn't they make a movie about it too? Anyway, I've decided that so many tea shops serve you VERY cold clotted cream and it is just too thick to spread on their fragile, crumbly scones. And how you would spread that on top of jam (Cornish way) is beyond me!
How disappointing. .. it didn't look great. What a shame waiting all that time and then being served that. I hope you get to enjoy some better ones... ones that haven't been hyped up probably xx
Never fear, we are eating loads and loads of delicious things! I have made three different fruit crumbles this week! There’s a lot of double cream being consumed in this flat ... we don’t get that back home in Texas, so we are making up for lost time!😂😂😂
@@MagentaOtterTravels he really looks like a handyman...but this clotted cream looks awful!! Poor Dave, luckily he did not suffocate while eating this dry brick 😉
Sounds like Betty is coasting on her reputation. And with visitors from all over flocking in, not too concerned about return customers. Dry, maybe day old scones, just outrageous. Did you not complain? If not, with all your visits here, seems you're osmosing into a real Brit :)
That's so funny you said that, John! Andy just said the same thing! I'm an honourary Brit now. Keeping my disappointment to myself... stiff upper lip and all that, LOL!
We loved Harrogate! Vlog of the city forthcoming… And the atmosphere and service at Betty’s were GREAT! Just not the food. Have you eaten there? What was your experience?
Stay tuned for next week's videos in which we try SCOTTISH SNACKS & TREATS... courtesy of our own MOT Scottish queen Lorraine!
Looking forward to that as I haven't had any particularly Scottish snacks before 🙂👍
@@lorrainequinn no deep fried Mars bars ?
@@lorrainequinn just remembered Irn-bru🏴👍
@@lorrainequinn yes indeed crimes to chocolate 🍫 😋
@@lorrainequinn IRN BRU was the one thing I went out and bought to have with all the goodies you gave us 😉
Oh Dear...looks as though Bettys has succumbed to complacency...let's hope someone from Bettys sees this and initiates some kind of action to rectify these matters!
Yes, Dave, I do think they are complacent. I doubt they will watch a tiny channel like mine... but I do hope that they choose to improve their quality. It was so disappointing!
@@lorrainequinn when he stopped being a copper he grew the beard. His aspiration is to be in the Viking parade 😂
Did you tell Bettys they need to up their game? Contrary to popular belief, you can complain about the food in Britain.
Scones - in my view the order of application. 1st butter, 2nd jam, 3rd cream. This gives a better colour contrast between the scone/butter pale colour, against the red of the jam then the final white cream.
OK, but please tell me that you are not like Dave (the other Yorkshireman) who uses squirty cream instead of clotted cream. I DO NOT APPROVE! I was served squirty cream in Texas at a tea... but they have a good excuse. No excuse in Britain!!
No reason for butter on a scone if you're using clotted cream. Far too rich!
@@MagentaOtterTravels I'm NOT a Yorkshireman!!!!
@@jjsmallpiece9234 hee hee you took the bait! Honourary Yorkshireman in my book!
@@MagentaOtterTravels Wash your mouth out, a disgraceful thought in any way, that I might be a Yorkshireman!!
There's another Betty's in Harrogate at Harlow Carr Gardens that usually avoids the queues. If you were early I wonder if they'd had a fresh delivery? Betty's is now part of the same company that does Yorkshire Tea & Taylor's coffee & they have a large facility on the edge of town where they bake.
Interesting! I naiively thought they baked there, since I thought it was the original bakery? But yes, those scones definitely seemed like day old scones that had been shipped in the day before. I'll be sticking to smaller tea shops which bake their own fresh scones from now on I think ;-) Thanks so much for your comment!
Scones are supposed to be serverd warm and fluffy. They should be gently broken by hand and light clotted cream applied before the jam. Tea is sipped in between the other food eaten. It's supposed to be a light meal.
Those scones were not warm nor fluffy! So disappointing... Thanks for your comment!
If you take afternnon tea too early you're getting yesterdays bake .. in this type of establishment you're just another tourist . Sorry it is what it is . .todays bake was in the oven when you arrived.. and theres 100s of customers waiting for todays bake guaranteed . Complaicancy comes to mind.. l have to say the whole tea platter looked quite mundane to me .. cakes looked basic and scones looked like a dropped scone...its a type of scone thats made wetter and spooned on a skillet...dropped on a skillet hence dropped scone . No not upto scratch as we say...4 out of 10 and l didnt even taste it .lol
I agree completely. It was a lesson learnt for me!
That’s really disappointing. Betty’s is usually excellent, and I’m guessing it might be better in the afternoon when you don’t risk getting yesterday’s stuff. We’ve never been disappointed at Betty’s but you really pay for it! Not sure the Parliament Street one is the best to go to - too many tourists! - my personal favourite is ‘Little Betty’s’ in Stonegate, York and my ‘local’ is Ilkley. When in Harrogate we head for the newer one at Harlow Carr Gardens.
I don't think that a place like Betty's, with high traffic, where you book months in advance and pay a premium, should EVER serve day old scones. Not acceptable. I do think a little local tea shop would be a better way to go...
I think the tarts in bakewell are lovely..
I believe the Little Betty’s is now closed
@@susansmiles2242 Yes, unfortunately closed quite a while ago.
My Mum, who is a Northern lady, said the scones at Betty's were 'stale and embarrassing'! I think what she meant was, people were queueing and coming from miles around to enjoy Betty's, only to be met with dry scones! She is a regular, brilliant baker, so knows what she is talking about...
Your mum is an intelligent woman! I agree ;-)
Cream teas belong in the west country Innit.😃
Fair point!
We had afternoon tea in Betty’s a week ago and it was absolutely delicious FYI clotted cream is always like that it is meant to be thick so you can make a dint in the middle to hold a lake of jam 😊
I'm glad to hear that things have improved there! I might've been there on a bad day 😉
To me it sounds like you got the previous day's not used stock from the fridge.
Sorry to be picky, but I think that is totally unacceptable for a place like Betty's. If I was eating from a "tea truck" in a car park at a National Trust garden maybe. But not a huge place like this with super high traffic and premium prices!
@@MagentaOtterTravels ,Totally agree , good reputations are a long time in the making but can be destroyed very quickly if you take your customers for granted.
Never mind young lady get yourself a proper full English tomorrow and a fine roast dinner on Sunday. I'm sure that will put a smile back on your face.
@@martinlaffey328 We made a rhubarb crumble tonight, and that put a smile on my face!
Hope you had it with ice cream rather than custard, it is summer after all.
That really seems like a fancy place to go. Love the food presentation, too bad you got disappointed on several items. The only scones i ever had that weren't dry were the ones Yolanda made. I loved Ian's "wedding cake"! 😂
Yes, I thought Ian's concoction was very funny! We did find some scones we liked at a Cornish Bakery. Best to buy scones at a bakery or tea shop where they are warm and fresh! This place was just an overrated tourist trap! But yes, it was a lovely building and the service was great.
I've been to Harrowgate but never at Betty's. But the scones definitely looked too dry. Such a shame. I think I would have liked your choice of tea too, but for me my favourite here would have been a black tea. :-)
I would choose “breakfast tea” all day long.
Maybe leftover from the day before. Because you were early
As my dear departed mum would say "you can win for losing"! We have gone to good afternoon tea places in the past and found that on the time we went late (like 4:30 or 5:00) the scones were not as fresh. We figured that going early we would get the FRESHEST scones! They are a bakery fergoodnesssakes... I think they should bake them fresh every morning. In fact, all day long, given their traffic. Day old is NOT acceptable at those prices, if you ask me.
Ew! That’s so disappointing! I had a fat rascal at the Bettys in York and it was delicious. Can’t believe it was that bad. 😩
P.S. Thanks to Dave for being a co-presenter on this episode 😀
Dave was fantastic! And their boys eat Scottish chocolates with me in next week's video! I had to give everyone on the family a turn!! LOL
I'm glad you commented... I was thinking of you when I was there. I knew you liked the Fat Rascal scones, and I was planning on buying a box, but after the tea... no thanks!
@@MagentaOtterTravels I don’t blame you! I think I’ll get the Fat Rascal again and steer clear of the full tea if I’m up in Yorkshire again.
Went there 3 weeks ago, fantastic xxx
I'm glad to hear my experience was not the same as yours! Did you get a Fat Rascal scone? Thanks for your comment! Cheers! Dara
To answer your first two questions...peppermint tea and coronation chicken sandwiches, but like lots of other teas and sandwiches too! Too many to mention!!
Good choices! We went to a gastro pub a couple weeks ago and had a very interesting coronation chicken scotch egg!
I visited Betty’s in York last month but only went in to get my sister some rascals, the queue was enormous to eat in, the queue for the shop was much smaller. I remember visiting Betty’s in York last year prior to lockdown there was an enormous Easter egg in the window I visiting for the same reason as this year but instead of surprising my sister with them like this year she had asked for them. I’m not sure if I visited Harrogate I probably can’t remember.
I heard that York was shutting down the Cafe and just keeping the shop open. I would love to try a Fat Rascal scone if it were freshly baked. I am NOT a fan of dry and stale scones!! If I wanted those I'd go to Starbucks in the US!
@@MagentaOtterTravels i was in York last month. I think they probably gave you scones that had been sitting about for a few hours not fresh ones not long out of the oven.
A fat rascal isn’t a scone. I was in Harrogate Betty’s last week and didn’t have any of these problems with the scones and clotted cream.
Betty’s tea rooms in York…..gets the thumbs up in our family..
Either Harrogate is worse, or I just caught them on a bad day!
@Magenta Otter Travels its got to have been a bad day….if I had a tea shop, I would have scooted off to Waitrose for some french fancies the second I spotted a celebrity taking a seat..or doing a dance of the seven cheeses.
Hi Dara, I commend you on trying to sing, you're no Taylor Swift though😁!!! And yes, Harrogate is a very nice Yorkshire Town. Thanks for this vlog
@@iankelly5387 i am not anything like Taylor... in all the ways 😂
Your friend Dave is what we would call a “Professional Yorkshire Man”.
He is such a sweetheart. A former law enforcement professional, and now he is a handyman and builder. Hence why his hands that were full of recent injuries in the line of duty!
Yarksheer man…
How’s the cricket doing???? Yorkshire for the ashes...
I'm surprised and disappointed for you, after all Betty's is not exactly a cheap dining establishment you should expect nothing
but top quality for the prices you have to pay.
I agree 💯 %!
How does pricing work? Each person pays 19.95 pounds? Do they keep replenishing the food after each tower is done? There will be 5 of us. Just curious since I'm planning on visiting the York location in April!
I was hoping that I might have talked you out of it ;-)
The traditional afternoon tea is 22 pounds and you don't get replenishment.
I'm excited that you are visiting York! It is a FABULOUS city!!
I hope you subscribe and check out my Yorkshire vlogs I have so far... with more to come this summer!
ruclips.net/p/PLOedWVhYewAV1zJvdml10CLCoKCa4sd4o
Cheers! XX Dara
@@MagentaOtterTravels haha I'm coming from the US, and my sister said (who lives in Bradford) that Bettys is one of the most popular. Do you have other recommendations for afternoon tea? I'm just so excited to try the whole experience! If you have other recommendations for food to try around the area, I welcome it! Sounds like you're also from the US!
@@carlosbriggs7674 yes, I am in Texas right now. We live in Gloucestershire, England each summer. I am obsessed with food, and talk about it all the time on my channel. If you are in Yorkshire, you MUST enjoy a Sunday roast meal with a lovely huge Yorkshire pudding! And you also must visit the town of Knaresborough. I'll give you a link to my Yorkshire vlogs so you can see for yourself. ruclips.net/p/PLOedWVhYewAV1zJvdml10CLCoKCa4sd4o
Be sure to subscribe and comment on any videos with questions/comments. I honestly think you'd be better off at a bakery with FRESH scones or a small Tea room having a cream tea ;-)
Here is my video on Afternoon Tea if you want to know all the basics about this wonderful tradition! ruclips.net/video/0oU4jWCZmFk/видео.html
Cheers! XX Dara
How disappointing, those scones looked so thin and dry, no saving them even with proper Cornish clotted cream! How was Harrogate? 😍
Harrogate was lovely, there were some beautiful flowers, even though we were a bit early for a lot of the plantings which they were installing while we were there... 💐
I returned from Harrogate yesterday, I have family there. Only been to Betty's once years ago. It always appears to be popular.
It is super popular! Literally there were people lined up on the pavement and around the corner! Either I was served an unusually bad tea, or I am way pickier than all those other people eating there!
@@MagentaOtterTravels no I think your tea wasn't up to standard. Yes the queue was around the corner when I went through the town yesterday lunchtime on my way home.
You've just saved me 60 pounds! Thank you for doing this review.
Not everyone has the experience I did, but I do think there are better places to enjoy afternoon tea that would be less expensive and more fun 😉
I hope you watch my videos for Harrogate and Knaresborough if you are in the area. It is such a fabulous area to visit!
Cheers! XX Dara
maybe the sandwiches were left out in the heat of the kitchen to make the bread turn stale. as I an sure they would get fresh bread daily.
as for the scones being dry and the clotted cream being too thick, I would have sent them back. as you was paying over the top compared to what you would pay in a local café.
hopefully your next Cream Tea will be better, even if you buy everything yourself to have it on a picnic.
I agree... it's like they made loads of sandwiches at 7am and just left them on the counter to start serving hours later.
I didn't want to make a fuss about the scones and cream, as we were there with friends. But I did save my extra £20 and did NOT buy a box of the Fat Rascal scones to take home after!!
I consider this a PSA to warn other tourists to not go to Betty's! Much better to go to a little tea shop (that comes highly recommended) and get a cream tea for 5 quid!
@@MagentaOtterTravels I agree that £5 is an average price for a Cream Tea. the only expensive item you had there was the half a Salmon sandwich, which probably still costs less than a pound to make.
Clotted cream, then jam and then more clotted cream on top, is just trying to please everyone. It's a shame Bettys didn't live up to expectations.
Haha, yes Ian was definitely trying to please everyone... and eat tons of jam... and compensate for super dry, stale scones! Thanks for watching ;-)
I had a really nice cream tea in Boscastle however, I spread the Cornish clotted cream Devon style with jam on top. It's just too messy the other way.
I totally agree with you on the cream first. Though I love Cornish cream too! Roddas is my favourite...
Dave here, agreeing with your Dave. I lived in York for 15 years and I never set foot in York Betty’s., Sorry, but its , a bit touristy. Being British, I have to apologise, even though it’s not my fault. I hope you were only showing your disrespect for the scones by putting the cream on first!
Thanks, Dr. Dave for being very British and apologising for something that is not your fault, LOL! You are right... Betty's is way too touristy. If I didn't have a RUclips channel, I'm not sure I would have even gone. I guess the one good thing about a bad meal is at least you can complain about it on video! hee hee
As for the jam first... there is NO way to spread that super hard clotted cream on a slippery layer of jam. Inconceivable!! (said in the accent of the character on Princess Bride)
@@MagentaOtterTravels If the jam is slippery, it's not proper jam. Also, you don't ever spread the cream. You pile it on top of the jam and press the upper part of the scone into it.
When were these scones made?
last December
Hiya. You didn't send the whole lot back? You're definitely no longer American! Lol. Tbh, I used to find Betty's quite underwhelming and stopped going there long ago. May I suggest you watch the BBC's 'Remarkable Places to Eat' - Series 3 - Episode 1 - Yorkshire (you can see it on BBC iPlayer) which features Betty's in part? To me, this is an alternative Bettys, on another planet! Stay safe. All the best to you.
Hiya Andy! That does sound like a fun TV programme to watch! We are still learning how to find things on our iPlayer. It's a comedy of errors watching us try! LOL
Yes, I was being a polite British person hosting friends... and I did not raise a fuss when the food was awful!
I'd love to see more of Dave in your videos. He's gorgeous and has such a beautiful voice.
Viking Dave is a delight to be around! We hope to see more of him and his family next summer ;-) We love his Yorkshire accent!
@@MagentaOtterTravels Has anybody told Dave that he looks like Zac Dingle with his flat cap on?
Oh ! I'm absolutely gutted that Betty's didn't hit the mark , what a shame. I'm embarrassed to be a Yorkshire man now 🙁
Don’t feel bad! It’s not your fault that a tourist trap like that has lowered its standards. To make you feel better, watch my video from last Tuesday of Yorkshire puddings made in Yorkshire! We had a wonderful Sunday dinner in Leeds and the Yorkshire pudding‘s were amazing!!!
@@MagentaOtterTravels I'm so pleased you have friends in Leeds, you now have an extra one👍 😎👍
I went to The Betty's in York, it was delightful, the staff treated me like I was a royal (grin). Had the Darjeeling and Asam tea combo and it was really good, the bread on the sandwiches was really fresh...
I'm glad now that you're reviewing your experience, that i decided not to go to the Betty's in Harrogate. The scones in Betty's in York were bite size, the ones in your video look double the size.
I'm so glad that you had a good experience! I have heard from many people that the York location is much better 👍
We haven't been to York this summer, but we have had some wonderful cream teas and afternoon teas here in the Cotswolds! 😊😋
Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment! Cheers! Dara
I would enjoy a stale pasty in bettys,the ambience and service looks fabulous..ill go there one day…
It was a pretty place with great service. Maybe order the cakes or something different than the full afternoon tea?
@@MagentaOtterTravels I think I’ll have doner kebab and chilli sauce with chips..and five pints of lager..
That was eye opening, I thought Betty's was the standard for afternoon tea, very disappointing. At least I didn't have to find that out for myself though, thankyou.
I’m sorry to be the bearer of this news… I trust you’ll find fresher tastier scones at a small local bakery ❤️
Similar experience to you at the same place. Surroundings were fine but the food was underwhelming, like eating bullets. I think the smaller tearooms in Harrogate are much better.
I’m glad to hear I’m not alone, but sorry that you also had a disappointing meal! I honestly think smaller tea rooms are the way to go in so many places! However, if you watched my battle of the scones, you will see my surprising discovery about the best scones in St Ives!
ruclips.net/video/UfaL0agwGUo/видео.html
There is nothing more disappointing than looking forward to an afternoon tea at a special location and then to find what is served isn't all that great. My disappointing afternoon tea was at Fortnum and Mason's and I haven't been able to return!
We also had afternoon tea at F&M one time. It was fine, but absolutely ridiculously expensive!
I really don’t like spending a lot of money for afternoon tea unless I know it’s going to be phenomenal. Otherwise, give me a nice fresh cream tea for five quid!
@@MagentaOtterTravels I'm such an Afternoon Tea snob I have a criteria that I judge against! It's ambience, food and price, F&M only met the ambience part of the criteria! So it only deserved one visit from me!
Oh my, those scones look really small, and I can see why you say they were dry. What a major disappointment!
Truly.
Oh no! What a disappointment! But that's why one must try these places for ourselves to see if they live up to the hype. But at least the chocolate cube was good!
Yes, and as a RUclipsr... even a bad meal gives you something to complain about in a video, LOL!
@@MagentaOtterTravels it's good content!
Big American base just outside Harrogate on the Harrogate to Skipton road it's top secret not aircraft intelligence base also my Niece lives in Harrogate ..it became famous in the Victorian period due to wealthy industrialist who lived in that area who owned mills all over Yorkshire Lancashire...
Oh that is interesting! I know about "top secret"... we live just a couple miles from GCHQ in Cheltenham!
I will eventually publish my vlog from Harrogate as well as Knaresborough. But such lovely places! I really have loads of content coming... I just need 30 hours a day to edit it all, LOL! Thanks for your comments. Cheers XX Dara
Best afternoon Christine and I have ever had was the Ritz London .
Cost a bomb and you wont get in without a tie.
But it was brilliant
Did you hear the Betty's in York is closing?!?! I wonder if my scathing review of Harrogate put them over the edge?
Yes, the Ritz would be lovely! The most expensive afternoon tea we had was Fortnum & Mason. It cost a FORTUNE!!! And in my opinion our tea at Gidleigh Park was better. Have you seen that video? ruclips.net/video/AHV4OPfdgKk/видео.html
@@MagentaOtterTravels I'll check it out thanks Dara
Almost 40 years on this island and I've never yet had afternoon tea! That does look disappointing though. It's like the sort of mediocre fare that would have been ubiquitous a few decades ago, but these days most establishments have upped their game and will try to serve something more impressive (not to mention more Instagram-worthy!). Betty's clearly need to have a rethink.
Have you ever had cream tea? Even if you don't bother with the whole fancy Afternoon Tea meal... you gotta enjoy a warm scone with jam and clotted cream!
@@MagentaOtterTravels Cream tea I've had a thousand times... One of my favourite things!
And in bury st edmunds, there’s lots of Americans around because of milden hall.
I’m not familiar with that... what’s the story?
@Magenta Otter Travels the American airbase….its the most beautiful town BSE….we met a retired air base worker who had settled in the town..its ancient a bit like a king Alfred hangout…you know the guy that burnt the Yorkshire puddings..
I prefer Betty's in Northallerton. It's not as famous but the same establishment. I've never queued in Harrogate even though I've lived in Ripon for 25 years.
You must know the trick for avoiding the most touristy times ;-) I'm curious, are you a fan of the fat rascals? I do want to try one someday... if it's fresh. Thanks for watching and commenting! XX Dara
Again I'm eating while watching this video so thankfully I'm not hungry. I do like Coronation Chicken sandwiches (and it's also very nice in a baked potato). It's a shame the scones were dry and the clotted cream looks like butter, although I do admire Ian's attempt to improve it with several layers of jam and cream :-)
Mark, I had coronation chick on a baked potato and it was PERFECT! Now one of my favorite foods!
Ian was hilarious! And it's noteworthy that he actually ASKED to be filmed... that never happens!
We had a coronation chicken SCOTCH EGG earlier on this trip. That was interesting! Not sure if I will ever post that video... hopefully!
My favourite tea: mostly herbal tea and sometimes I enjoy Earl Grey
I have been trying more ginger tea this summer. It's good!
If you want posh butties….try Harriets in Bury st Edmunds….chandeliers and a pianist in the central downtown area..it was nearly too posh for me…
I’m not familiar with that town. Is it in Suffolk or Essex? I haven’t spent much time around there, to be honest
@Magenta Otter Travels suffolk….and dreamy Dunwich….Orwellian Orfordness,Stoney shingle street et themust see Martello towers..and fabulous Felixstowe and classy Canterbury..
I agree with "cogidubnus1953"!! Wow, Betty's is certainly risking its reputation if this is typical of their food; and yes, let's hope someone from their staff sees your video, Dara, and starts improving things. When you have high hopes for some wonderful food (and are paying big-time for it!), this is such a disappointment. I'm glad your friends (and Ian) agreed with you. Hopefully, next Friday's video will have better news for all of us on the MOT Team!! :-)
We have permission to call cogidubnus "Dave" ;-)
Yes, Betty's needs to up their game!!!
Next Friday's video will be of Rachel's sons eating Scottish treats with me... and they were GOOD! So yes, better news!
If you have a dry scone, spreading the jam first would stop it from breaking, but as you cream looked hard I Guess you were fighting a loosing battle, although I see Ian won the war
Ian's approach was very innovative (pronounced in that weird British way)... LOL
@@MagentaOtterTravels I can't even think of another way of saying that🤔
@@wencireone OK, I’m answering this question over again. This just goes to show you that I have been listening to British people too long! I forgot how to say at the American way😂😂😂
Americans put the accent on the first syllable, and Brits the accent on the second sellable! We also say a long A sound like VAY ... Does that make sense?
@@MagentaOtterTravels I think you should have used "original and creative"😉👍
You should have complained.
Perhaps. But I was too busy filming. So I just loaded up on breakfast cereal instead! haha
£20 back in 2021... It's £50 now!
NO WAY!!!
Betty`s its a chain .Just one big Tourist and very over priced Trap. ie Your there today gone tomorrow. The Scones are well under sized that’s why they are dry, they should be light and a slight crumble. The fruit should be Squidgy to bring out the flavour. Unsalted Butter should be used to seal, then the cream applied, not to fluid just enough to coat, or a good dollop . The cream that was shown appears to have been taken out of a freezer? Apply the jam, should be of a heavy constituency to hold all together. My tea choice is English Breakfast but at home its Yorkshire. I live South, my port of call is the Windsor Farm Shop, never disappointed.
Yes I hate when I get really stiff, cold clotted cream served to me. You can't spread it!!
I like a good cake fork
You have once again said something so obtuse that I don't know what you are talking about...
@@MagentaOtterTravels I'm just talking about the cake fork on the table, I like a cake fork it makes you feel posh, we have a set but rarely use them, only when we have guest or sticky cake 🙂👍
That was a total disappointment. I have to say our experience was wonderful and I'd go again- but not here! My advice is: to post the link on their FB page in messenger. Only fair for them to see what your evaluation was to be able to bring about change. It's only fair. Their reputation does need sprucing up if this is the 'norm' these days. No excuses at all. They need to address this. 👍 🌷 🇳🇱 🙋♀️ 🇳🇿
Good suggestion! I'm glad you had a nice meal there. Clearly it hasn't always been this bad, or nobody would queue up around the block to eat there!
@@MagentaOtterTravels Quite true, but you won't have been the only ones disappointed. It needs bringing to their attention.
Currants in the scones I see…much more pleasurable to the experienced Bon viveur …
The dried fruit was the only good part of those scones 🙄
Sultanas, I hope, not currants.
@@helenwood8482 we are the sultanas of swing..
Oh dear! That's a shame.
You know the drill... when life is disappointing, just vlog about it! haha
You can’t eat tea until 4pm, when everything stops ,including the apostrophes
I don’t think Dave has got a script....he’s ad libbing..he’s very good at it though.
We HAD to eat tea at 11:45...We booked months in advance and it was the only slot open!
Dave is wonderful. And honestly, on my channel, nobody ever has a script when they’re talking to the camera! LOL
@@MagentaOtterTravels I would have plumped for the all day breakfast at brunch ,with lashings of tomato ketchup.
wow - how does a place that’s so well known mess up tea so bad? at least the tea part of your tea and chocolate cake were good.
Chocolate mousse saved the day!
@@MagentaOtterTravels it has a tendency to do that. 😉🤤
That looks like butter. That was my first thought!
It was too stiff... I wish it had been as soft as butter!
I hope you complained or at least left an honest review.
I didn't complain (we were hosting friends)... but someone suggested I send them my video in a FB message. I might do that!
I have heard that Betty’s is not what it used to be…..too bad, as it gets a lot of publicity. Tea: Earl Grey. Sandwich: smoked salmon. Cake: the chocolate, of course. Too bad it was a bomb for you!
Ruth, I have been meaning to ask you: where was the tea shop in the Cotswolds where you had that cream tea you loved? I might check it out this summer!
The Chestnut Tree Tea a room in Bourton on the Water. I just looked up your old comment and found it! The funny thing is, I was just in Bouton earlier this week. But I didn’t see that tea room! There are so many!! Also, I was there at 7o’clock in the morning so that I could take photos without being surrounded by thousands of people, LOL!
@@MagentaOtterTravels Their scones are way better than Betty’s!
i am so sorry you were disappointed, as a Yorkshireman i apologise
Thank you. If only you had known to warn me!
Guilt by association 😪
@@MagentaOtterTravels if you are still up there pop over to Bradford go to Mother hubbards for great fish & chips or the Mumtaz or Narwab for a great curry
bread from frozen has a textured staleness. maybe that's it
You have a point! That might be exactly the problem. Very disappointing though, as they are known as a bakery. I was naïvely expecting very fresh baked goods!
Thanks for your comment. Cheers! XX Dara
Looks like Betty's taken her eye off the ball...! Disappointing! Very sorry the scones and clotted cream missed the mark: bet they forgot to put in the 7-UP!
Haha, good point! They should have used the easy recipe!
They are living on their reputation.
Yes, and it's a pity! BTW, did you see that next week's videos are me eating SCOTTISH treats? I hope you find them entertaining ;-)
@@MagentaOtterTravels Yes I did spot that and look forward to seeing which delectable items you find tasty, or not as the case may be.
Sounds like time for Gordon Ramsey…but tell him the ambience is ok…
The service was good, and the atmosphere is totally fine. But Gordon needs to whip them into shape on the food quality! haha
Apart from the venue, everything looked pretty average, I've had better in small cafés
I was regretting I hadn't just gotten a scone from The Cornish Bakery and a tub of Roddas!
@@MagentaOtterTravels DIY is always the best and Roddas is clotted cream
Wow that's shocking you should have complained also if your cream is thick it means it's old honestly complain that's not right you pay for substandard food ..also Agatha Christie fled to Harrogate causing a major police search ...
I need to go back and read about Agatha Christie's disappearance. Didn't they make a movie about it too?
Anyway, I've decided that so many tea shops serve you VERY cold clotted cream and it is just too thick to spread on their fragile, crumbly scones. And how you would spread that on top of jam (Cornish way) is beyond me!
How disappointing. .. it didn't look great. What a shame waiting all that time and then being served that. I hope you get to enjoy some better ones... ones that haven't been hyped up probably xx
Never fear, we are eating loads and loads of delicious things! I have made three different fruit crumbles this week! There’s a lot of double cream being consumed in this flat ... we don’t get that back home in Texas, so we are making up for lost time!😂😂😂
@@MagentaOtterTravels sounds like yummy heaven 😀
The scones really look dry and crumbly 😟 and Dave has to spread the clotted cream like butter 👎
He is a handyman. I think he was trying to glue that awful scone back together! Or spread it like mortar between those bricks! 😂
@@MagentaOtterTravels he really looks like a handyman...but this clotted cream looks awful!! Poor Dave, luckily he did not suffocate while eating this dry brick 😉
Bummer for Betty's.😬
Again, another place for you NOT to go on your cream tea quest! haha
I feel sorry for you all... that was afternoon tea was very poor, and bad value for money. Sorry Betty's, but you need to up your game!
Yes, and to add insult to injury, they wouldn’t even let me eat it in the “afternoon”! They made me book it at 11:45! LOL
I have had much nicer looking afternoon teas in much cheaper tea shops. It does not look great. Sorry you had such a bad experience.
My thoughts exactly. I'll be sticking to cream teas in nice little shops where they serve fresh scones!
Sounds like Betty is coasting on her reputation. And with visitors from all over flocking in, not too concerned about return customers. Dry, maybe day old scones, just outrageous. Did you not complain? If not, with all your visits here, seems you're osmosing into a real Brit :)
That's so funny you said that, John! Andy just said the same thing! I'm an honourary Brit now. Keeping my disappointment to myself... stiff upper lip and all that, LOL!
Oh no, how disappointing!!!
Coronation chicken is my fave too!
Betty's needs to revisit their quality standards! But yes, the coronation chicken filling was good at least. And the chocolate mousse!!
🙄
From Harrogate
We loved Harrogate! Vlog of the city forthcoming… And the atmosphere and service at Betty’s were GREAT! Just not the food. Have you eaten there? What was your experience?