Vernon Cottage, Shanklin
Many tourists come a long way to visit the Isle of Wight - so, says Cat, for those lucky enough to already live on the Island, why not play at being a holidaymaker when you can? After all, if this undulating county is a good enough destination for visitors, it should be more than good enough for a bit of grockle make-believe. Donning her most florid sunhat and with her camera slung around her neck, Cat went undercover in search of cream tea - like so many millions before her.
Accompanied by a compliant chum, Cat found herself in the tourist Mecca that is Shanklin Old Village with its picturesque thatched buildings, grotto-esque chine, and abundance of knick-knackery to purchase. Gasping for a cup of tea after staring open-mouthed in the windows of the trinket shops (shell animal with googly eyes, anyone?), Cat and pal trotted eagerly into the beautiful gardens of Vernon Cottage.
Sitting in the shade of a big umbrella, they perused the extensive menu. This is certainly a venue which caters for all tastes and budgets, from the parsimonious to the profligate. And, for those of you who would like the taste of seafood without investing in the wallet-punishing lobster and seafood platter (£34.99), there are always what are prominently heralded as "the best fishcakes in the world"!
Despite the overwhelming selection, Cat stuck to her traditions and ordered a cream tea with plain scones, although both the cinnamon and fruit scones did sound very tasty. Cat's chum had her head turned by the prospect of a trio of vegetarian sausages (this meant, it transpired, that there were three of them - but they did not sing in harmony) and mash with what was optimistically labelled "unique homemade Vernon Cottage caramelised red onion gravy". Cat went inside the well-appointed and spacious cottage to place the order. By the time she had been served, visited the 'facilities' and got back to her seat in the garden, the cream tea was delivered. Cripes, what speedy service!
Understandably, the veggie sausages took a bit longer to arrive, being freshly cooked.
It didn't take Cat long to eat her cream tea; it was delicious, and good value at £3.95 - particularly the tea. With the addition of hot water, Cat was able to wring four cups of tea out of the pot. Great! The sausage and mash went down a treat too. The gravy was particularly pleasant, whether or not it was unique it was certainly neither too runny or too thick - the perfect consistency. The peas looked nice and juicy, not the often shrivelled offerings, and the sausages were light on grease (possibly grilled?).
Once the food had been eaten and their plates taken, Cat and chum lounged on their bench putting the world to rights as the sun started to set on picturesque Shanklin. Soon it would be time to hang up the garish sunhat and go back to the salt-mine but, for a few hours, it was great to play at being a tourist and for Cat to stuff her face with cream tea. You don't have to be a grockle to enjoy the hospitality of Vernon Cottage, although, if you order the cream tea, please do let Matt and Cat know if it really is the fastest cream tea in the world!
Visit the website: http://www.vernoncottage.co.uk/
Published: 1st May 20072236 views
Categories: We like, Family friendly, Sandown & Shanklin, Tea shops
6 comments
Ordered two teas and just able to get two cups from the pot.
Victoria cake was poor and was certainly not fresh and money refunded without protest.
Perhaps an off day but on today's performance there are many other places in Shankin and the island providing better value for money.
A buyer at Harrods took her mother to Vernon Cottage and they recommended it to us for the delicious food, particularly the huge and delicious crab-cakes with fresh salad and tasty dressing, - and for Vernon Cottage's swift and friendly service. She said nothing seemed too much trouble - and the loos were very clean, fresh smelling and had hand-rails to assist the elderly. Much appreciated by her mother.
So we visited and were not dissappointed. Now we visit each summer and have done so for the past two years and it is a great experience. We have recommended all our friends to try it. The menu is very varied and reasonably priced. The food really was delicious and well presented.
We shall go again this year. I noticed also, that several local people visit for meals and group bookings were taken for special celebration parties. One was taking place whilst we were there. Everyone seemed to be having a great time and, I am happy to say, that the service to our small group did not suffer. We talked to two people who live in Shanklin and they were full of praise for the food and the service and said what a pleasant place it was for them to visit on their days-off work. That really made me feel more confident to recommend Vernon Cottage.
01/04/08 @ 12:35
Matt and Cat reply: Thanks for your comprehensive comment Denise. We've been to Vernon Cottage a couple of times and enjoyed eating there, as you can read in our review.
Husband: "These eggs are overcooked, they're rock hard".
Cook: "That's how they're meant to be. If you wanted the yolks runny you should have asked when you ordered".
Husband: "I'm sorry, but egg yolks are generally runny when cooked as ham egg and chips".
Cook: "Well that's not how we do them here".
At this point, the lonely barman stepped in and asked if we would like the eggs to be replaced. That's all we were asking for, not a slanging match with an inadequate cook!
It would appear that the owners of the establishment were absent that day, and having seen them run this place before, I can't imagine the "chef" would have been allowed to get away with this.
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