Cackleberrys, Fareham, Hampshire

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Cackleberrys, West Street, Fareham, Hampshire

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UPDATE: 13/01/2017 – I said in this review that I would love to return for afternoon tea (or high tea as Cackleberry’s call it) and today I did. It was superb. It was all homemade (apart from the little brioche rolls) and everything was fresh and really very tasty. On the bottom plate was a selection of savoury bites along with the mini rolls containing parma ham & egg, cheese & egg, smoked salmon and beef with slices of tiny cherry tomatoes plus a savoury scone each with a pot of sour cream and another of chutney. The top layer was the sweet section, baklava which was excellent, plain scones with jam and clotted cream, a macaron each and lots more…

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“If at first you don’t succeed, then try and try again”. This quote was very apt when we visited Cackleberrys in Fareham last Friday. We tried at 1, 1.30 and 2pm and got lucky on our third try, phew. I don’t visit Fareham often and since Cackleberrys has been on ‘the list’ for well over a year I wasn’t going to give up that easily! Looking at their website I see that you can book a table, which is great news.

 

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Lunch menu

Funnily enough when we walked in that third time three tables suddenly became free, all ‘high’ tables with an extra table on top in the middle. I’m not a lover of high tables but as space is somewhat lacking I can totally understand why they have them and they’re ideal for coffee and cake. There’s also a couple of small chaise lounge’s either side of a low table, again suitable when having just cake and a drink and a wooden settle with cushions. Before our food arrived we managed to change to a proper table for two people but with a reserved sign for 3pm. Would we be finished by then? Gulp!

 

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Lunch menu

There’s lots to choose from on the menu, breakfast and brunch up until 12pm, dishes such as Eggy Bread, Eggs Benedict, Granola etc., Lunch has a choice of 6 different soups! Roasted Sweet Potato & Cumin, Pea & Watercress are two of them. Sandwiches, tarts and pies and plenty of cakes. All is homemade.

 

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Cosy decor

They have lots of drinks available too, smoothies, Fentimans – which is my favourite brand of soft drinks, Rose Lemonade and Dandelion & Burdock are delicious – wines, beers, coffees and teas. ‘Teas of the month’ were lavender and a English rose. Interesting.

I chose a glass of Sauvignon blanc and Geoff had a bottle of Chimera IPA from Downton Brewery which he said was very nice but couldn’t have any more as it was 7%.

 

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G’s chilli pie with polenta pastry

Geoff had no idea what polenta was but he chose the chilli pie anyway. Luckily I knew what it was and knew he’d like it – honestly, it’s like having another child sometimes 😉

 

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Mediterranean vegetable tart

My Mediterranean vegetable tart was very good indeed, the pastry was fresh and crisp, lots of vegetables such as onions, peppers, courgettes etc., a nice little side salad too which was very tasty.

 

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Drinks

Whilst pondering on what cake to have out came the chef with three rum babas! I LOVE rum babas! You don’t see them often, I used to be able to buy the Bon Maman ones from Waitrose but can’t find them in any of their stores around here anymore ? so this was a MUST for me.

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Rum baba

Oh my, they’d only just been baked, so they were very very fresh and the sponge soaked up a lot of the white rum.

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Centre

In the centre were halved strawberries with fresh whipped cream on top, topped off with a raspberry. It truly was delicious!

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Apple cake

Geoff went for the apple cake which was nicely presented and again, fresh and tasty.

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Afternoon tea for some lucky ladies

The ladies who’d reserved our table started drifting in so we took our coffees – which come with a piece of fudge on the side – to one of the tall tables again. Cackleberrys serve Grumpy Mule coffee which is very nice.

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The afternoon tea (£15) looked amazing. I simply must return to have it. Lots of mini rolls filled with all sorts of delicious looking fillings, mini cakes and scones with jam and cream.

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As we were rather late eating we knew we wouldn’t want much later on that evening so we ordered two more cakes to take away. We each shared the pistachio & raspberry slice and a flapjack.

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Pistachio & raspberry slice

The slice was again very fresh and tasty with a nice pastry base.

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No ordinary flapjack

The flapjack was no ordinary flapjack, it not only contained raisins (or were they sultanas?), it also had a few seeds and orange! Geoff wasn’t so keen on the orange taste but I thought it was one of the best flapjacks I’ve had for a long while.

The service at Cackleberrys was friendly and very good. The decor was cosy; light music played in the background; fresh carnations on the tables and a lovely large milk jug containing lilies, my favourite. We’d certainly return to Cackleberrys, especially if I can find someone to come with me for the afternoon tea. I have a friend who’s recently moved to Fareham so perhaps I have an excuse to go over there more often ?

If you’re wondering what Cackleberry might mean, here’s the definition – Cackleberry was a well used slang word for egg during the 1950s. “How about a couple of boiled cackleberries for breakfast?“(Source – Urban Dictionary online).

Ambience 8
Value 7
Service 7
Quality 8
Return? Yes
Overall 8/10

Living life, loving cake

A x

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