It’s tough, but this breakfast could be better

PEOPLE cannot stop talking about Northern Tea House and the eatery is quickly gaining a stellar reputation as the best place to grab a breakfast in Huddersfield.

So, naturally, I had to put that to the test. TripAdvisor rates the tea room, which opened its doors for the first time in 2015, as the best in Huddersfield (out of 26 similar businesses) with its 212 ‘excellent’ reviews giving it a score of four-and-a-half stars out of five.

Customers have raved about its breakfast offering, but more so its brunch, with some claiming the food on offer tops anything you can get your hands on in Manchester.

The tea room on King Street was quiet when I visited on Thursday morning and I was quickly shown to my seat.

The place has a relaxed vibe and its impressive decor make it immediately obvious that this is not your run of the mill ‘slap up’ cafe.

I pretended to look at the menu, but I had only come here for one thing - the breakfast. I was, however, surprised to see there is only one ‘full’ breakfast option.

The Northern Breakfast includes seasoned cubed potatoes, vine ripe tomatoes, baked beans, mushrooms, one Cumberland sausage, one (yes, one) rasher of bacon and a poached egg.

The dish is served in a hot skillet with sourdough toast and butter and costs £7.50. I also ordered a coffee and a bottle of water. My total bill coming to £14.

My coffee arrived first and it was delicious. It was clear this is something Northern Tea House prides itself on as the presentation and taste were both top drawer. But I didn’t have too long to savour my latte as the food was not far behind.

I was certainly impressed by the look of the meal. Each ingredient was given its own portion of the skillet with the generous portion of beans taking up half of it. The sourdough toast was perfect for dipping and I eagerly tucked in.

But my enthusiasm did not go much further. The mountain of beans masked what would have otherwise been a slightly empty plate and some people would undoubtedly be disappointed with receiving just one rasher of bacon and one sausage for breakfast.

The potatoes were delicious and were seasoned to perfection, but do they go with a breakfast? I am not so sure.

My initial surprise at only being given one rasher of bacon turned to relief as it was exceptionally tough, making it difficult to chew.

Aside from the tough bacon, every other aspect of the meal was tasty and I could have no further complaints.

The tea room was becoming ever-busier as it approached 11am - or ‘peak’ brunch time - which many have claimed is when the eatery really comes into its own.

On balance, I enjoyed my breakfast and I would certainly return to Northern Tea House, perhaps for brunch, as there is a plethora of options to choose from.

But, sadly, I did not leave thinking I had just enjoyed the best breakfast in Huddersfield.

CONNOR TEALE