The whole picture: June 2018

Catch up with my May round-up.

Making friends at London Zoo

I am LOVING the weather at the moment. I always thought I was more of an autumn kinda gal, but I'm dreading the days getting shorter and the nights getting darker this year. Turns out summer is the one. The long evenings, combined with working from home a lot more, are really working for me - I've had the most relaxed, productive, healthy few weeks that I've had for a long time. Here's hoping summer sticks around for a while...

What I've done in June

A post shared by Laura Reynolds (@scribbling_lau) on Jun 2, 2018 at 7:30am PDT

June opened with a trip to BlogCon, a blogging conference held on the London/Essex border. It's the first time I've been to something like that, so I was a bit nervous - no need though, everyone was lovely. I managed to pick up some tips on using Pinterest, and have been trying to get to grips with it for my blog. You'll find me here, so please give me a follow and forgive me any Pinterest faux pas I may make - this old woman's struggling to get her head round the new-fangled social networks the blogging kidz are using these days. Another highlight of BlogCon was basking in the Instagram wisdom of @hellomissjordan - I *may* be working on a not-entirely-serious blog post off the back of that, so watch this space.

I finally managed to get a copy of Emma Gannon's new book, The Multi-Hyphen Method. I've only just started reading it, but having seen her speak at two recent Waterstones events, I have high hopes. I'm seriously in need of new book recommendations from similar cool women - think Dolly Alderton and Daisy Buchanan. Any tips, send them my way.

Don't you love it when a plan comes together? For two or three years, I've wanted to go to a flower picking day at Blooming Green, a PYO flower farm in Kent, but they always fall on a Friday which just isn't doable for a #BloggerWhoWorks. This year at work, we've started dabbling our toes in the waters outside London, so I seized the opportunity, and headed down there to film. You can see the video here, but while I was there, I took a few snaps for my own Instagram account. Whatdya think of my attempt at floristry?

A post shared by Laura Reynolds (@scribbling_lau) on Jun 8, 2018 at 11:41pm PDT

Where I've been in June

June was broken up nicely with a trip to Clacton on Father's Day weekend. We headed out to Tiptree on the Saturday to visit the Jam Factory, and I converted my dad into an afternoon tea fan.

Back in London, I found myself exploring a secret Morocccan garden, hidden away behind a chocolate shop in the rather pretty streets of Belgravia. It reminded me of why I started this blog, and why I got into journalism; to share the secret places I find on my travels.

It's June, which means it's that time of year again - Zoo Nights at London Zoo. The zoo has always been a favourite place of mine, and I especially love seeing it at dusk, when some of the animals are more lively. Plus, the street food stalls serve up some pretty tasty nosh.

What I've eaten in June

Just two afternoon teas this month, which is pretty restrained by my standards. The first was the misleadingly named Tea Total afternoon tea at the W London (wouldn't recommend - full review here). The second was that more traditional affair at the Tiptree Tearooms in Essex.

My hunt for London's best buffalo chicken continued at Boondocks, a deep American south restaurant in Old Street. It's the first time a buffalo chicken burger has *almost* got the better of me, the buffalo sauce so vinegary I was almost crying. Not saying I didn't like it though. Might have to go back for another taste.

What's coming up in July

SUCH a busy month coming up, with weekend trips to Winchester, Cambridge and Edinburgh planned, as well as few other bits and pieces. If you've got any recommendations for things to see, do and eat in Cambridge or Edinburgh, let me know. As always, you can keep up with my adventures on Instagram and Twitter - it doesn't look like I'll have much time for blogging in July.

See also - what I got up to in:

• May 2018 (Doughnut-making, Chester, and seaside trips)
• April 2018 (Abbeys, doughnuts and pizza)
• March 2018 (Skyscrapers, scuba diving and Winnie the Pooh)
• January 2018 (Fondue, freakshakes and light festivals)
• December 2017 (Lions, lanterns and buffalo chicken)
• November 2017 (Christmas at Kew and the BT Tower)
• October 2017 (Lake District, Harry Potter cocktails and Alice in Wonderland)
• September 2017 (Doughnuts, dolphins and Bulgaria)
• August 2017 (Canal boats, zipwires and tiger shoes)

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A secret Moroccan garden, hidden behind a London chocolate shop

In blogging, it's easy to lose sight of why you started at all, getting caught up in the nuances of SEO and social media, the pageviews and follower numbers instead. For me though, I started blogging as a way to share my discoveries with people: hidden cafes, little-known beaches and secret gardens. If people actually read it - well, that's just a bonus.

Somewhere I went recently reminded me of my love for finding - and sharing - secret spots. That place is a Moroccan courtyard garden, tucked away behind a chocolate shop in the fancy streets of Belgravia in west London.

Motcomb Street is typical of Belgravia, with boutique shops and pavement cafes hiding a quaint mews street. Rococo Chocolates is one of these shops. Stepping inside feels a little bit like stepping into a shop run by Willy Wonka's older, more sophisticated sister. A curved, gleaming counter of fresh chocolates tempts the well-heeled clientele, while towards the back, a coffee counter reveals that the shop doubles up as a cafe. I'd be willing to bet that the majority of visitors don't even bother peeking out of the window into the back yard below. I they did, they been unable to resist slinking down the carpeted staircase and outside for a closer look.

Four small round metal tables are dotted around the petite patio area, each sporting a Moroccan-style mosaic table top. The majority of the floor is also paved with Moroccan tiles - it's amazing this place hasn't gained more notoriety among London Instagrammers to be honest, but on a Monday morning in early June, I've got the garden to myself. The high, concrete walls which separate it from Rococo's neighbours only add to the seclusion, but the plentiful greenery and items of Moroccan decor tips the garden over the line from intimidating to enchanting.

Blue and beige wall tiles put me in mind of Marrakech's Les Jardines Majorelles, although the recurring blue theme could just as easily be a nod to Rococo's own livery. The wall is mounted with a parade of mirrors, an extra layer of charm.  Get yourself a hot chocolate, or one of Rococo's inventively-flavoured ice creams, kick back, and enjoy the tranquility of it all.

Rococo Chocolates, Motcomb Street. Belgravia, SW1X 8JU. I visited for work to film, which is why I didn't get a chance to take many photos, but you can see the video here.

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Afternoon tea at Tiptree Tea Room and Jam Factory in Tiptree, Essex

Someone couldn't wait to get stuck in 

When it comes to afternoon tea, there's a lot to be said for opting for the traditional over the fantastical. For every themed afternoon tea that's brilliantly executed, there are 10 queuing up behind it to stomp all over your cake-based hopes and dreams. But even with a traditional sarnies and scones affair, it can be tricky to find an afternoon tea that's done well. Reader, this story has a happy ending.

You don't get much more traditional than a tea room in a barn in the English countryside, and that's exactly what's on offer at Tiptree Tea Rooms in Essex (also home to the Tiptree Jam Museum, which I've covered here).

If that's already sounding like a bucolic ideal, let me make it even more British by throwing in a queue. The Tiptree Tea Rooms takes bookings for afternoon tea on weekdays, but at the weekend, it's every man for himself. The restaurant is a decent size, with around 30 tables inside and a further eight or so outside on the terrace, so it only takes 15 minutes before we're at the front of that queue, close enough to eye up every jacket potato and knickerbocker glory that wafts under our noses.

Now we can get a proper view of the tea rooms, it seems there aren't quite enough staff to cover everything. Several tables are sitting empty, waiting to be cleared, but no-one's clearing them despite a queue of at least 20 people leading out the door. There are mutterings up and down the queue about this, but within a few more minutes, we're whisked off to a table in the back part of the tea room, a cosy area with wooden beams.

We're handed menus and make polite noises about perusing them, but we already know that we're here for the afternoon tea. The menu offers an afternoon tea for two people, but they have no problem in providing one for three of us instead. We're given a choice of sandwiches, each of us opting for a different filling, and then sit back and eye up our surroundings while we wait.

Everything's noticeably on brand, from the Tiptree gin liqueur bottles being used as vases, to the Tiptree jam pots repurposed as salt and pepper shakers, yet far from feeling corporate, this somehow adds to the quaintness of the whole experience.

The tea arrives a few minutes later on the traditional three tier stand, beginning with the sandwiches on the bottom. They're noticeably fresh, each one cut into quarters with the crusts removed. A sharer salad sits at the centre of the plate, accompanied by a pot of Tiptree onion relish.

The scones too taste fresh, and have a homemade appearance, which is much more appealing than the too-perfect scones that often feature in afternoon teas. They're accompanied by a pot of Tiptree jam - what else? - and cream each. It's a shame that the cream is served in plastic pots, giving off a slight aeroplane-food vibe, rather than a ramekin, but that's a minor niggle in an otherwise flawless meal.

Up top, a selection of six cakes is flanked by a strawberry each, and a pot of Tiptree Chocolate spread. Although all tempting, it's not made clear what each of the cakes is, as the menu just promises a selection of that day's offerings - but that's nothing a bit of tasting can't solve. Our selection is a chocolate cake, a chocolate and orange cake, carrot cake, a country slice, a lime tart, and a blueberry mousse - sufficient variety to keep everyone happy.

From the choice of sandwiches to the freshness of the products, the cute pots of jam and the impressive selection of cakes, the Tiptree Tea Rooms afternoon tea is a traditional and highly recommended experience. If possible, I'd advise going on a weekday when things may be a bit less hectic - but even at weekends, the queue is worth it. The two afternoon tea novices I was with found themselves completely converted by the experience.

Tiptree has 10 tea rooms dotted around Essex, plus a new Jam Jar Bar in Colchester, which I fully intend to visit very soon.

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