The scones! The strawberries! This was completely delicious


Jars of tea at the Francis Tearooms


By the lighthouse

The Seafront Tea Rooms - out in eBook today! 

Researching my latest novel was a real treat - here are some photos from my trip to sunny Scarborough, where it’s set, and one of the delicious afternoon teas that inspired me.

The tea rooms in the story - where single mother Kat, hard-headed journalist Charlie and culture-shocked French au pair Seraphine meet and form a friendship - are fictional, but two places helped me bring it to life. The wonderful Francis Tea Rooms on South Street were once a women’s hairdresser, and the 1930s wooden cubicles remain, meaning you can enjoy your tea in a sweet little nook of your own. The glass jars of exotic tea leaves with pretty luggage labels on them feature in the novel, and the owner was kind enough to let me smell quite a few of them! The orange blossom was particularly memorable. Up on the hill over looking the water, is the Clock Cafe, with lace curtains and fantastic scones, it’s no-frills and friendly and has been serving up afternoon tea for over a hundred years. 

Wherever you live, I bet there’s a hidden gem of a tea room nearby. I’d love to hear about it and see some of the cakes!

Send me your photos over on Twitter @vanessagbooks or on Facebook: Vanessa Greene Books. 

Love, Vanessa x