The cafe outlet has had a change of provider. “Tanhouse Farm”, as opposed to the usual bunch of surly, subsidised NT volunteers.

Huge improvement. Real coffee in china mugs, huge cake portions, cheerful service.

I had a bakewell cake slice that was from a proper bakewell cake. Good Americano.

Open 7 days a week, too.

Happy days.

Whoppit old boy they are not NT people in there, they run it as a franchise. Been like that for at least a month

Yeah, but I haven’t been there since last Summer. It was NT then…

It’s new to me.

(I’m a bit behind, as usual…)

Just heard there’s been an explosion in…

oh, wait.

We talking about the Tower here or somewhere else?

It is NT, same people running it they just run it for NT they do not stamp out NT tea loyalty cards!!!

Yeah, tower.

It is NT, same people running it

Nope. New providers. I asked if it had a changed.

It’s certainly far better. We have made a couple of tea stops there rather than Peaslake due to the improved service. The only negative amongst our ride group is that the cakes are not on display. Not a worry though. Good quality and much better cuppas.

You don’t mention the change in prices:

Coffee £2, Cake £2 – that’s £8 for Coffee and cake for just 2 of us the other day.

£8! Anyone would have thought you were at an isolated tower in the Surrey Hills at those prices!

Big mug of real coffee and a huge slice of cake.

You get what you pay for.

Big mug of real coffee and a huge slice of cake.

Regular size mug and smallish size piece of cake from what I recall

But what about the treacle tart!?
I loved the treacle tart.

Never was NT staff up there, always been a franchise. Bobby who ran it for 28 years was offered the new franchise but turned it down as it has to be open 7 days a week. After 28 years up there, she more than anyone else knows it can’t make a profit being open 7 days a week. For months on end there’s nobody around during the week (or not enough people to pay staff costs etc). Will be interesting to see what happens when we hit Autumn and winter etc.
Don’t like the price hike myself!

While I’ve not ridden there for a year it was always some old girl and her grandson (or equivalent), never had a problem with service and certainly couldn’t knock the quality of the cakes.

Always rather go somewhere like that than any chain etc.

Thats a shame IMO I always likes the cakes there. Agree with br

tallgavin has it spot on. Its a franchise and Bobby has run it for years and the staff were from local villages including Coldharbour. Booby’s cakes were homemade which I can vouch for as I used to be her next door neighbour and got the odd freebie when she was baking.

Facilities have been improved as the NT hollowed out more of the old rubble filling the tower to create a bigger interior and have put in a mains water supply. She declined the new franchise for the reasons tallgavin gives above.

Always used to go there, but have changed to Peaslake because there’s more seating, it’s sheltered and the food is (or at least was) significantly better!

I always thought the cakes were ok, teas and coffee a bit small. I agree it wasn’t as good as Peaslake stores but it doesn’t get as much trade (really weekends only and tiny “premesis”) so you’d expect that. If its better now then that’s good news, I look forward to my next visit

Booby’s cakes were homemade

(snigger)

hmmm, not so sure about it really.
I liked how it was before. I miss a warm cup of orange cordial and £1 for a polystyrene cup of builder’s tea.
They’ve got a big trailer up there too next to the Tower with potable water in – looks very unsightly – presume this is temporary?
We always stop there on the regular Surrey Hills ride and will continue to do so, but may have to cut out the cordial!!

i always stop at the tower, partly because of the views and its a bit more peaceful than peaslake. The new facility does exactly the same as the old one, serves food, drink and thats what I care about!

they have benches now too.
and a milk and sugar table!

The water tank should be temporary, a friend was up there a couple of months ago laying water and electricity lines from the road up to the tower. I think they’re waiting for the pump at the road end to be set up.

Not keen on the new setup myself – prices seem quite punchy and the ice cream was practically liquid last time I bought some. But it says ‘farm store’ so it appeals to the majority of the Surrey punters and their families..

yeah, the word ‘organic’ was thrown at the menu a few times too.

Well, it appealed to me, despite being from Surrey, because of the huge slice of proper bakewell tart and a china mug of real coffee with “help-yourself” sugar – white or brown.

Plus a friendly attitude from the serving staff.

There WERE a few chav about being noisy and common, mind.

Perhaps they missed the overpriced styrofoam of instant “coffee”, glum service and two-mouthfulls-each pieces of cake…

never had a problem with service and certainly couldn’t knock the quality of the cakes.

+ 1

Have to say I wasn’t so impressed with the change on Sunday last week – £2 for cake which has definitely shrunk. It was nice, granted, but not on display as before and spensive…

Still I work in Autism and don’t like change…

I had a massive bit of chocolate refrigerator cake last Sunday and it was bloody lovely. If I was that bothered about it costing another 50p I’d have taken my own. Oh, and it wasn’t my money, which made it even tastier.

Ah just found this thread, I had a whinge elsewhere a couple of weeks ago.

Oh dear, cake quality at Leith Hill Tower teashop v2 seems definitely inferior to v1. Cakes used to be visually displayed at the counter, now it’s pick from a menu and pot luck. The carrot cake didn’t look great, not far above vending machine quality.

Consensus was we’ll take our own cake now and just buy a tea.

Oh for the golden age of the spicy lentil and tomato soup.

Dear http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ do you know the saying “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it”?

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/leith-hill-doldrums