Thru the Lookin' Glass, Wheelton

A few months ago, my friend Lucie went to a little place called Thru the Lookin' Glass in nearby Wheelton. She came back with tales of a pretty pink shop with delicious cakes, and was convinced that I would love it. Last weekend we took a trip with our friend Jenny and mini cake maker, April.

The pastel frontage allows you to see into the tea room on one side, whilst paying homage to its previous guise as The Soft Furnisher on the other - a cutesy home furnishing business which is still operated by the owner on the floors above. You can tell this lady has style! Although the dining room has a vintage chic feel to it, nothing is untidy and all the beautiful crockery is fully intact.

On the right hand side of the room is a shabby chic dresser topped with spectacular cakes in a magnificent collection of cloched cake stands. The little chalkboard which hangs above lists the day's cakes, and a small teapot on the other side houses the tea of the day, alongside little sample pots so you can try the favoured brew.

When we arrived, a pleasant lady brought over a small tray filled with tea cups, a milk jug and a cake - 'here we go sweetheart'. Granted, it was wooden, but April was happy as Larry as she 'made tea' for Lucie, Jenny and I. Nice touch ladies.

Jenny and I shared a large pot of Palace Breakfast tea (an energising, full-bodied blend of Assam and Ceylon black teas) whilst Lucie tackled the largest cappuccino I have seen in some time.

Lime and pistachio cake with orange blossom, served with greek yogurt and pistachios: This was Lucie's choice. She reported a very moist cake with subtle hints of orange coming through.

Apple and blueberry cake with double whipped cream: Jenny was very pleased with her choice; again an ultra moist cake with a slight tang from the fruit.

Raspberry and almond cake with raspberries and cream: Bakewell fiend strikes again - I cannot resist this combo. A nice crunch to the surface, soft cake and lovely pockets of fruit.

Chocolate brownie: We all took one of these home for our significant others, although I did steal a bite - purely for research purposes... I expected this to be quite stodgy, however I was surprised to find it was actually rather light with a gooey centre. 

Bara Brith: A beast of a cake - not for the faint-hearted! I took this home to enjoy with a nice cup of tea later that evening. I had this slightly warm with butter (as suggested). Absolutely delightful but very filling indeed! Dad-fodder... 

After our tea and cake we ventured upstairs to the home furnishing side of the business. Our friend Michelle would absolutely adore this place. It is jam packed with beautiful trinkets and home adornments. They even run interior design themed courses, such as chalk painting.

We could have quite happily spent all afternoon at Thru the Lookin' Glass. It's as pretty as a picture, but also serves some perfectly executed cakes with a large range of speciality teas and coffees. It also helps that the ladies who run it are utterly delightful. We'll be back here one day, callooh callay!

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