Spring has definitely arrived on the Isle of Wight, and your reviewers are wasting no time in enjoying the pleasant weather. After an afternoon spent in a field deep in the rural West Wight, Matt and Cat felt the call of a cream tea. Luckily, that is one commodity that is not hard to obtain over on the west side of the Island, and so they set out for the little cafe at Calbourne Water Mill, of which they had heard good things. On arrival they were a little nonplussed to discover that entry to Calbourne Water Mill - including the cafe - was £7 per head. Good value for a day's entertainment, but not for just a cream tea. So on they drove, until the next cream tea-serving establishment came over the horizon a few minutes later: Chessell Pottery.

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A long-standing tourist attraction, the Pottery is sometimes viewed a bit warily by locals - perhaps they think it's more suited for visitors. Any such preconceptions were rapidly dispelled when Matt and Cat strolled into the pleasant courtyard of the barns, which appeared to be a delightful location for anyone looking for a light snack en route around the Island. In the sizeable cafe Matt and Cat swiftly ordered the standard cream tea for two, found a corner table and settled down. The rest of the menu included some good light lunches and other snacks, but M & C had eyes only for the cream teas. These were soon delivered, and looked impressive. Two large home-made scones each, two separate pots of Fairtrade tea and plenty of milk. Some of the crockery, predictably enough, was of local origin, indeed the whole establishment had a commendable emphasis on Isle of Wight information and produce.

On diving in, the scones proved to be every bit as good as they looked. Unusually, no butter was provided. Cat was considering asking for some when she started experimenting with the jam. This tasty preserve looked home-made, was served in a saucer, and was runny enough that it might serve in the place of butter - and so it proved. Individual pots of Isle of Wight clotted cream were provided, and there was plenty of both jam and cream for all four scones.

As the afternoon sun crept over the weeping willow in the courtyard, Matt and Cat relaxed and sipped tea contentedly. The Courtyard Cafe had done its job: it proved to be both good value and good quality.

Visit the website: http://www.pottery-cafe.com/Chessell.htm