Dining Out - Elizabeth Botham would be proud of legacy she has left in Whitby tearooms

If Elizabeth Botham was looking down now, I think she’d be pretty chuffed with the legacy she’s left.
Bothams ...serving lovely dining treats. pic Richard PonterBothams ...serving lovely dining treats. pic Richard Ponter
Bothams ...serving lovely dining treats. pic Richard Ponter

More than 150 years after the Whitby business was first established, Botham’s has three Whitby shops, plus the takeaway in Sleights – and a global delivery service.

Not just that, it has spent years perfecting its craft and is arguably as well-known as Betty’s – and not a Fat Rascal drama in sight.

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TV presenter Tony Robinson (Blackadder, Time Team etc) spoke favourably of the lemon buns – and ever since, I have done it “the Whitby way” by cutting it in half and eating it as a sarnie, with the icing in the middle.

Genius!

The wife and I regularly buy Botham’s products anyway but usually to take out – so a lunch date in its elegant tearooms on Skinner Street was a nice way to spend a relaxing hour.

We were joined at the next table by a chap who, in his beautifully enunciated English, spoke loudly of his acquaintances with actor Danny Dyer in his impromptu ‘audience with ... no-one’.

Bothams, Skinner Street. Picture: Richard PonterBothams, Skinner Street. Picture: Richard Ponter
Bothams, Skinner Street. Picture: Richard Ponter

On to the food. Now I’m a big fan of their stotties, but it was something from the specials menu that caught my eye – roast loin of pork with stuffing, apple sauce, potatoes, braised red cabbage and carrots.

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It was a good-sized portion too, not too filling as they know fine well that everyone wants to sample their cakes!

Emma went for the afternoon tea, a neat little marriage of finger sandwiches and mini cakes, with the lightest, most fluffy scone you could ever taste!

Some cafes offer scones the size of Mexico, but which require a pneumatic drill to cut into – not so here I’m pleased to say!

We ordered a side of chips (chip fans – you won’t get much better!) and there were plenty to share between the two of us.

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The only dilemma with the dessert was narrowing down the tantalising range of options but the lemon cheesecake proved to be a deserved winner!

All washed down with a nice pot of tea.

Do pop back later in the year when those most Instagrammable of treats make their reappearance – the divine strawberry tarts.