Afternoon Tea in Derbyshire – 7 Best Takeaways for Mother’s Day

Best takeaway afternoon tea in Derbyshire

Afternoon tea is a delightful ritual. And a great excuse to eat loads of cake and scones! Here are my recommendations for the best places to get a takeaway afternoon tea in Derbyshire, and what they’re offering for Mother’s Day. All need pre-booking.

I originally wrote this post for Mother’s Day but have recently enjoyed an amazing afternoon tea at the Cavendish Hotel Baslow. Read what I thought here.

Bulls Head in Holymoorside, near Chesterfield

The Bulls Head in Holymoorside has quickly built a reputation for excellent food and a commitment to using the freshest, local, seasonal ingredients. They don’t usually sell afternoon tea, so this is a unique opportunity to experience The Bulls Head’s quality via the medium of cake!

The Bulls Head Mother’s Day afternoon tea menu consists of a range of sandwiches on freshly baked bread, baked by Mark and his team at the pub, homemade scones with clotted cream and jam and a good range of homemade cakes and patisseries and premium tea bags. The selection includes carrot cake, fruit cake, Victoria sponge cupcake, chocolate eclair, lemon posset and macaron. Something that really sets The Bulls Head’s offering apart is the serving of the afternoon tea in a purpose built tea caddy, so it’s all ready to go and there’s minimal washing up! Local delivery is available for £55 for two, including a bottle of prosecco or collect for a small discount. Call 01246 569 999 to order before 10th March.

The Café at Libby’s, Chesterfield

I have spoken at length before about my love for the scones from The Café at Libby’s. They are absolute perfection; best in Derbyshire! The Café at Libby’s is sticking with its tried and tested usual afternoon tea which is incredibly popular. This constitutes a selection of open sandwiches on mini deli rolls and a cheese scone. Followed by a selection of delicious cakes including their famous blueberry and vanilla scone and mini Bakewell tart.

Ordering in advance is essential; Mother’s Day bookings should be made by 7th March. £12.50 per person for collection only. Call 01246 498 504 to book.

Little Shed, Ashbourne and Allestree

The Little Shed has quickly earned a reputation as one of the best afternoon tea in Derbyshire providers. Their takeaway afternoon tea includes a selection of delicious finger sandwiches, homemade quiche bites, homemade fruit scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam and a selection of their fabulous cakes. Sandwich fillings include cheddar and sweet onion chutney, ham salad, cucumber and cream cheese and egg mayonnaise.

£12.50 per person, minimum of two. Order online (at least one day in advance) for collection from either Allestree or Ashbourne. 

Nourish at No 44, Belper

When I lived in Belper, Nourish at No 44 was one of my all-time favourite places to eat and it’s been wonderful watching them go from strength to strength. Their Mother’s Day afternoon tea box is beautifully presented and filled with a dainty selection of finger sandwiches, cherry and almond scones with clotted cream and strawberry conserve and a selection of beautifully decorated chef selection of mini buttercream cakes, chocolate brownies and macarons. Sandwich fillings include egg and watercress, roast Derbyshire beef with horseradish aioli, house baked ham and mustard and poached salmon and cucumber, served with a dressed salad garnish and fresh strawberries. All presented in a pretty ribboned box. £25 for two. There’s also an option to add a beautifully wrapped grape hyacinth potted plant by The Greenery Florist. Order by calling 01773 824480 during opening hours.  

Tea at 3, Melbourne

Tea at 3’s Cake House hasn’t been opened long, but has quickly become a seriously desirable destination for cake! They’ll be offering afternoon teas, cupcakes and postal brownie boxes, all decorated with a Mother’s Day theme. The Cake House will be decorated with flowers and there’ll have another stunning balloon arch, so even though you can’t sit in, collecting your goodies will still be a pleasure. To order an afternoon tea for collection, email teaat3@outlook.com.

The Star at Cotton

Just outside Derbyshire, but not far from Ashbourne is The Star at Cotton. New owners, Emma and Ryan have quickly established themselves as the go to place for the most generous takeaway afternoon teas. I was kindly gifted one of their festive afternoon tea boxes and what really made it stand out was all the little thoughtful extra touches. There’s a wide range of different afternoon tea options on their website but the Mother’s Day version includes a selection of dainty sandwiches (smoked salmon and cream cheese, beef and red onion marmalade and egg mayonnaise), leek and goats cheese quiche, a selection of cured meats, cheese and crackers, cherry or fruit scone, raspberry Viennese swirl, lemon and blueberry cake, Mother’s Day cupcake, chocolate dipped strawberries and seasonal fruit. £15 per person. Delivery slots have already sold out but there are some limited slots for collection on both Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th March. I love that you can add on a range of other gifts. Particularly check out the cute little cans of raspberry and rose gin fizz!

Also check out their set menu Sunday lunchtime and their Bubbles n Brunch offer where you can enjoy a decadent day of pampering with your choice of two brunch dishes from their new brunch menu, homemade chocolate brownies, a magnum of prosecco, Tiptrees raspberry gin fizz and strawberry vodka fizz and two face masks! All for just £40 delivered. Order via their Facebook, Instagram or their website.

One more to look out for…

At the time of writing this, Butterfingers haven’t announced their Mother’s Day offerings, but if they are open, I would definitely recommend them as a great choice for afternoon tea in Derbyshire. I think their cake counter is one of the best in the county and everything I’ve ever had from them has been spot on, so if you’re local to Matlock, keep your eyes on their socials.

Rather do brunch?

Popular grazing board providers, Every Last Bite will be doing sweet and savoury brunch options with a few added extra touches to make it special for Mother’s Day. It’s launching properly next week, keep an eye on their socials for more details!

I hope you’ve enjoyed my round up of the best options for afternoon tea in Derbyshire. Let me know what you think in the comments below! And if you’re looking for gift inspiration, check out my Mother’s Day gift guide for 30+ ideas all from lovely, local, indie companies.