The Dabbling Duck, Shere, Surrey

Lots of tasty cakes to chose from and this isn’t all of it!

I first visited Shere in Surrey last year as I went there with some cycling pals to watch the Tour of Britain. The Dabbling Duck wasn’t there then, just an empty shell of an old ex-tearoom so we lunched at the pub along the road and although that was nice, we do rather prefer tearooms. Last week I planned a cycling route for myself and my friends to take in both Leith Hill and Box Hill which both started and finished in Shere, so I was very pleased that The Dabbling Duck has now taken over that old tearoom and transformed it into a very nice place indeed, with duck egg blue decor, painted dressers with cakes galore displayed upon them. There are also jars of jam and marmalade, chocolate from Kokoh – also from the Surrey Hills, which I have yet to try – and other ‘knick-knack’ items and gifts to buy for the home and family. Fresh bread is also available and stale bread too for the ducks swimming in the stream close by.

Goats cheese, chilli jam & sun blushed tomato open sandwich

For lunch I chose goats cheese, chilli jam & sun blushed tomato open sandwich. The bread was very fresh as was the rocket salad on the side and plenty of goats cheese on top. Unfortunately it was served on a wooden board which is one of my pet hates and so everything kept falling off onto the table. I forgave them though as it was a ‘cute’ wooden board, cut into the shape of a duck.

A very cosy, quintessentially English tearoom.

As I said, there were many delicious looking cakes to choose from and the Victoria sponge looked divine with jam oozing out of the centre and topped with strawberries. I thought I’d treat myself and have a slice of it after the ride.

Chocolate brownie, crisp on top, soft in centre

I opted for a chocolate brownie, a very large thick slice it was too. It was crisp on the top, fairly soft in the centre, not gooey enough for me, but still very nice tasting, and dusted with icing sugar. It gave me enough energy to get up those hills too! My friends had toasted teacakes with jam, carrot cake and an amazing looking Rocky Road with honeycomb, marshmallows and biscuit inside.

A large thick slice

Alas, on completing the hilly ride – which was excellent if I may say so myself – I really wasn’t at all hungry and could only manage a coffee so I didn’t get to try the Victoria sponge after all! We shall be returning at the end of September to watch the Tour of Britain again so perhaps I’ll have a slice then.

The Dabbling Duck has a a large menu offering breakfasts, lunches of burgers, soups, sandwiches, salads etc., hot and cold drinks and a take-away menu. They also have another tearoom called The Speckledy Hen in Shamley Green only 12 minutes away by car or 30 minutes by bike – depending on how fast you pedal.

Shere is a very pretty little village and the countryside is beautiful for cycling or walking, it even has it’s own little museum.

 

Living life, loving cake,

 

A x

 

 

 

1 Comment

  1. […] everything! Fudge pieces, honeycomb, Maltesers, marshmallows, biscuit….Here’s our review of the […]

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