An afternoon at Lucy's Vicarage Tearooms

Tucked away on a sleepy corner Rolleston, Lucy's Vicarage Tearooms really is one of Nottinghamshire's best kept secrets. Just outside of bustling Southwell, Lucy's sits within the lush green rolling countryside around the minster town. We escaped to the beautiful blooming garden on a Friday afternoon to try some of the specials. Greeted on arrival with the beautiful views of the church and the smell of honeysuckle, Lucy sat us at a table near enough to the cover of the marquee, just in case the weather gave in to the grey clouds threatening to dampen our open air lunch. There is a huge selection to choose from on the menu - sweet and savoury waffles, sandwiches and hot food depending on what time of day your arrive or how hungry you are. I chose a Croque Madame waffle, with smoked salmon and a poached egg on top. Yssy went for the club sandwich, complete with an impressive eleven layers and serving of homemade coleslaw. Both were absolutely delicious!   We couldn't leave without trying at least one of Lucy's showstopping desserts, so we shared a doorstop slice of Lemon Drizzle cake with fresh fruit on the side and made a mental note to come back and try some dessert waffles and chocolate brownies very soon! It was all served on beautifully chintzy crockery from Lucy's collection of vintage china. Tea just tastes nicer when drunk out of proper teacups and our loose leaf teas were just as good to look at  - especially the gorgeous raspberry colour of my 'Love Story'. Everything tasted all the better for being homemade and knowing that so much had come from garden itself. As well as being an accomplished bakers Lucy is also beekeeper and produces her own honey from here in Notts. She will be giving talks about her bee colonies at the tearoom throughout the summer at An Evening of Tea, Cake and Beekeeping.  You can also take a piece home with you from both the on-premises shop and online store. Alongside the different varieties of honey on sale, you'll find Lucy's homemade beeswax products, from natural cosmetics to her award winning jams and preserves. Find more details about Lucy's here and you can follow her on Twitter to hear her latest news.