Every year I seem to get less and less enthusiastic about my birthday. I don’t know if it’s a fear of getting older or a reluctance to stop being young (or a combination of the two) but birthdays aren’t really my thing.
What is my thing, however, is afternoon tea in cute tiny cafes hidden down side streets, and that’s exactly what I got!
Having just moved to West Didsbury in south Manchester a little under a year ago, myself and the Mrs haven’t yet had time to work our way through the vast amount of café’s, delis, bars and restaurants the area has to offer. My wife came across ‘Airy Fairy’ on Facebook and was instantly drawn in by the quaint pictures and delicious looking cakes, and so promptly booked us in for Afternoon Tea on my birthday.
Airy Fairy is a hidden little gem, nestled snuggly down a side street in Didsbury Village. Though parking was a pain, all our curb mounting troubles were eased as soon as we stepped in to this delightful little paradise.
The tables were small and charmingly set up, fresh flowers in old milk bottles atop of Cath Kidston looking tablecloths and odd dining table chairs – all in all making the place feel rather cosy and homely.
The hostess was polite and informative, getting us to our table quickly and serving us with tea of our choice. Loose leaf Breakfast tea is probably my all-time favourite tea, and when it’s served in beautiful and delicate little teacups with odd saucers that just makes it taste so much better.
Though there were two other ‘tea parties’ there when we arrived and the seating area quite small, it didn’t feel like we were on top of each other at any point, nor was it overly loud. Me and the wife were still able to have an intimate little celebration in the midst of the mothers with their young babies (because really, who else is ever out for afternoon tea on a Monday lunch time?).
The platter of cakes and sandwiches was brought out in good time and myself and my wife gazed at the delicious looking array of finger sandwiches, scones and tiny desserts. The sandwich fillings were simple but classics (egg mayo, tuna sweetcorn, ham and mustard) and the little pots were filled with generous helpings of strawberry jam and clotted cream. Everything was fresh, handmade, beautifully presented and a pure joy to devour.
The atmosphere in Airy Fairy was laidback, homely and comfortable. I enjoyed a lot of tea, beautiful food and the company of my wonderful wife for almost 2 hours. The hostess was friendly and very attentive and at no point did we feel rushed or forgotten about.
If you find yourself in Didsbury and you’ve got a hankering for delicious desserts in a quirky little café, you’d be a fool not to head straight for Airy Fairy!
hevbailey 