Hidden Tea Room delights delivered to your office door!

What a difference a driving license makes!

Passing my driving test was a bit of an uphill struggle - mainly due to the number of hill starts I spectacularly stalled in the full frontal presence of numerous steely eyed instructors. Friends suggested I should go somewhere flat to sit my test - like Denmark - but I reckoned that if I was ever going to drive ALONE in Glasgow, then I needed to bite the bullet and just get on with it. And Hallelujah! I finally passed a few months ago.

You might therefore be surprised to learn that I am only now delivering fabulous high teas and nibble platters to offices and in the spirit of transparency I have to grudgingly confess that driving still scares me and if your office is at the top of a very big hill with lots of traffic lights and pedestrian crossings I might say no to your pleas of cake delivered direct to your door.

For everyone else I am delighted to announce that The Hidden Lane Tearoom now delivers. So if you fancy a working lunch that will make you happy, or a celebratory feast, or a high tea with a difference then I can bring it all to you. Along with our slate serving platters and vintage crockery.

Honestly. I can elevate your working lunch to a culinary thing of beauty. And as long as you're on flat land, I can deliver! Providing you order before 11am. Full details to follow but I'm so excited that I wanted to tell you soonest!

Just received a CERTIFICATE OF EXCELLENCE...

...from TripAdvisor. Yip!I get stickers for my window and an actual certificate for framing. Thankyou to everyone who writes nice things about me and votes for me. I appreciate it very much.

Cakes for happy days

Last week I made a lot of cake. Mum had a wedding at Lunga and three 'pudding cakes' were required - cakes that can be cut ceremoniously but eaten as a pudding. Don't know about anyone else, but I hate fruit cake. And I hate marzipan and I hate rock hard royal icing, and how everyone always politely moves the constituent parts around their plates to make it look like they really are eating Christmas cake by another name.

Anyway, the groom was Irish, the bride Scottish and they lived in America, so we came up with the idea of  a chocolate guinness cake, a Cranachan sponge and a lemon and apricot cake with Philadelphia cream to drizzle. And even though I say so myself, these were gods of cakes. Mum did the finishing touches at Lunga and they were served with huge bowls of strawberries, chocolate ganache sauce and lightly whipped double cream. And not a single bit of Royal Icing in sight!

More fiesta than festival. Colour colour everywhere

The Hidden Lane Festival has been and gone for another year and it brought the Hidden Lane to life with its colour and music and stalls and catwalk shows. Thanks to everyone who helped to bring it all to life - a small group of people put in a huge amount of effort. Their reward? Some very happy times!

the lovely Jessie on sandwich making duty at The Hidden Lane Tearoom

Jenny of Fantoosherie organising her stall

The Bonnie Bling girls

More Bonnie Bling

Fantoosherie loveliness

Sparrow and Rose floristry bits

lovely lilacs from Sparrow and Rose

Can you imagine these gracing a wedding table. Sparrow and Rose

vintage dressed lady browser

or this...

aye more bonnie bling

The Hidden Lane Tearoom cooks up a storm!

The Hidden Lane Festival is THIS Saturday

Rain or shine, we'll be watertight, SO....

...On the last Saturday of the West End Festival, Glasgow's colourful, creative, collective open up their Lane for what promises to be another exciting Hidden Lane Festival. From 12pm - 9pm, join in the fun withlive music, fashion shows, grub, grub and more grub, market stalls, balloon dudes, treasure hunts and of course, the chance to have a good old nosey around some of the artist studios within the lane!'

Check oot the line up so far:

Bars brought to you by Ivy
The Hidden Lane Tearoom BBQ
Lauckner & Moore Sandwich Shack
Turkish Lounge by Glasgow Badges with free Wifi
Live music from 1-7pm brought to you by La Chunky Studios
Sub Club DJ's 7-9pm
Baxendale built Catwalk featuring shows by Bonnie Bling, Fantoosherie, Chou Chou and Ten30.
Live Photoshoot by Chou Chou featuring re:silicone installation

Blast will be had.

This Charming Wedding features our vintage hen party

A huge thankyou to This Charming Wedding for featuring Fiona's fab vintage hen party. We had huge fun and laughter on the night and Nick Kirk's fabulous 'in the spirit' photography has really captured the occassion.

So thanks to Fiona for being such a worthy winner; to Nick Kirk for being seriously cool; and to This Charming Wedding for telling Fiona's engagement story so well!

To find out more information about Nick's photography you can contact Nick by email on weddings@dkphotography.co.uk, by phone on 0141 286 1188 (UK) or you can take a look at his website NDK Wedding Photography / blog.

Vintaj hen party frollickery with the lovely lovely Fiona

Fiona Stevenson won our vintaj hen party evening and we had fun, fizz, finger food and frollickery. Photography by the fabulous Nick Kirk of NDK Photography, up-styling by the lovely Sarah, and Fiona and her brood of chicks who arrived seriously dressed for the occasion and ready to party.

From Tearoom to Stylish establishment!

Time for Tea

Preening and Primping for Fiona

pretty!

bunting

Ta Daaaaaaah!

Foot love

chatter

the chicks

What's occurin'?

OK. So we're not at the well known end of Argyle Street. But we are at the really interesting end of Argyle Street, not long before it merges onto Dumbarton road, enroute to Kelvingrove (Gallery and Park) and with an increasingly interesting mix of one off shops, cafes and restaurants.

You won't find many chain stores at this end of Argyle Street - instead we've got a pop up designer clothing shop - Think Boutique (this is it's last weekend, so you might want to head on over because once it's gone it's gone!) and The Shop of Interest at 1058 Argyle Street (almost opposite The Hidden Lane entrance). The latter has an ever increasing and ever changing collection of bespoke works by local arts and crafts people.

Then of course there's the Hidden Lane Gallery itself - set up by Joe Mulholland in the old hearse and limousine gallery of the nearby funeral undertakers. There are some really interesting exhibitions going on here and it is also a very lovely wee space.

And of course, once you have exhausted yourselves with all of your wandering and browsing, you will almost definitely, very certainly, and most deservedly require a nice cup of tea and a slice of cake. In my lovely little tearoom.

Dad's been gardening...

...lemon thyme and lavender.

DRUMROLL PLEASE and the winner....

...of our vintage hen party for 10 on 10th June is....

Fiona Stevenson. Can't wait for the photoshoot fun with the lovely Nick Kirk of NDK Photography, some upstyling action and delicious tea and cake and champagne in china cups and giggles and gossip.

So well done Fiona and friends of Fiona. We're awaiting!

Lavender button shortbread

Mum's been baking. Lavender button shortbread. Which will be coming here soon! Mum uses a lot of herbs in her baking, and I do too. This time of year is perfect, I think, for experimenting. Basil or sage sugars; lemon balm in lemon posset; orange thyme in chocolate.

This time of year it really is fun to take some favourite recipes and play a little. Love it.

Would you like to win a Vintage Hen Party?

Imagine a hen party with a bit of difference. Vintage styling using all my lovely old crockery and 'stuff'; the chance to get your make up done, and maybe a little up do, a la forties and fifties - real hollywood stuff - and delicious tea and cakes. And champagne in teacups. And then a photoshoot to remember, by the wonderful Nick Kirk of NDK Wedding Photography

The Hidden Lane is putting the style and the styling back into hen parties. So if you are getting married this year and think that you might enjoy a hen party with a difference here at The Hidden Lane Tearoom (or we can come to you!), then get in touch.

We're offering one vintage hen party for 10 people for free. So facebook us. Tell us why this would be special and perfect for your hen party. The lucky winner will win one evening of style and styling and tea and cakes and photos for forever. The only proviso is that you have to come suitably dressed for the occasion!And the date would be Friday 10th June 2011 from 6.30pm - 10pm

Interested? Jump over to our facebook page!

Fabulous review from The List. Thankyou so much!

'Despite its less than obvious location, The Hidden Lane Tearoom is often full to bursting, so clearly the secret is out - and what a secret it is. The tearoom is set over two tiny floors decorated in a fashion that is clearly a labour of love. The eclectic furniture and beautiful mismatched vintage crockery adds splashes of pattern and colour to an already vibrant space. The menu is as delightful, with a deli platter on a slate consisting of chorizo and peppered beef, cheeses, red onion marmalade and two teacups brimming with hummus and olives. Every dish shows an eye for presentation and a desire to do things properly - never more so than the high tea. When the vintage cake stand arrives with finger sandwiches, scones and cakes, there are cries of 'ooh' and 'aah' and cameras flashing. It's an experience that can't but make you smile. Hot drinks include various teas, a Turkish apple drink and a North Indian spiced drink served with steamed milk. The venue hosts one off gigs and exhibitions and is a hub of the Hidden Lane Festival in June. High tea is a thing of beauty.'

I've only been open for just over a year and am so completely and utterly flattered at this lovely lovely review. Having my own little cafe is everything I hoped it would be and a whole lot more. My customers are lovely. They come once and come again. They bring friends and eat cake. They're patient when it's busy and often everyone ends up chatting to each other. I'm surrounded by fabulous people in the Hidden Lane who bring their own mugs for take away teas and coffees. They're creative and inspiring and we support each other through highs and lows.

So, to all my customers - thankyou for supporting me and making what I do such a pleasure. And to the man from the List - wot you wrote is lovely and I am so glad that you enjoyed your visit and I am genuinely most grateful.

Love is in the air..

Our romantic revival is taking shape..