The Cocoa Tree Shop and more..

Today is the day we are finally online and people who find us can send messages, tell us all their morning coffee and afternoon tea chat, share recipes and view gorgeous china in our Cup of The Week slot. We also want ideas about new coffee shops to try. All very exciting! Our aim is to ultimately find the top 100 tea and coffee shops in Scotland and as self-styled experts in all things related to life in tea shops, Cherry Tart and I have had plenty of experience of sitting drinking tea and coffee and sorting out our lives. (You never do that over lunch or dinner do you? Why is that?) We are also very picky. A lovely cup of steaming coffee and a fabulous scone with cream and jam can be spoilt by grumpy staff or a grubby table. All coffee shops should have a Critical Friend visit once a month. What is it in Scotland that we find difficult about staff training and smiling at customers! Enough moaning... My Critical Friend, otherwise known as Darling Daughter, thinks I spend too much time chatting and not enough time reviewing so..

I chatted this morning with Sophie from The Cocoa Tree Shop in Pittenweem, a fabulous place which we hope will become one of our top 100. Anyone going for a day out to the East Neuk will not find a better place to sit and drink coffee, tea or amazing hot chocolate. The White Chocolate with cinnamon is just sensational and just the job after a long hike along the coastal path. Like so many really great coffee shops it is also quirky and interesting and full of personality. More on this later but thank you, Sophie, you gave me lots to think about.

So now to work, a day lined up visiting coffee shops with Cherry Tart and working out our review process. All fascinating stuff and makes my hassles with uploading (or is it downloading ?) pictures seem worth it. Now I can do it I can't stop doing it so as no one has sent me a special tea cup I will have to use one of my own.

Crystallized Violet