JJ (our editor) came across an interesting Facebook post about afternoon tea on a canal boat and suggested we should go. So after looking at Georgie's Canal Cruises website we decided to book.
Making a reservation online is easy. Dates, times and various options are all clear and easy to understand. JJ chose the vegetarian afternoon tea and I chose the gentleman's tea. Shortly after booking, an email confirmation message was delivered to my inbox and my reservation was locked. Unusually, the reservation didn't automatically show up in my Google Calendar, but it only took a few seconds to add.
On this day, simply searching for the postal code on Google gave me the route to the Tedesli branch very easily. If you arrive on time, you can squeeze onto the side of the small road or cross the small Humpback Bridge to find the boatyard parking lot.
The Georgie's Canal Cruises website has FAQs about parking.
''Parking space is limited, so car sharing is recommended where possible.''
We would agree with this because once we found their site we could already see a small parking lot full of cars. While we were wondering where to park, a friendly young man appeared and guided us to our parking spot. This was very helpful. He also welcomed us and explained about the boat and toilet facilities.
As we got out of the car we could see Georgie Kate waiting for our customers on the mooring. Painted a vibrant blue, the windows of the 70-foot boat sparkled in the spring sunshine (luckily we chose a day that didn't rain!).
After waiting for a while we noticed other customers entering the boat. We lined up behind them. We gave our names and the staff read back our reservation to make sure everything was in order. We were then escorted to the boat and to our seats and wished for a beautiful afternoon.
Inside the boat there were tables on either side and one larger group table in the bow. The tables all looked clean and ready. Each table is lined with daffodils (very seasonal) and plastic leaves, and the ceiling is lined with fairy lights to add to the ambience. At the end of Georgie Kate's Stern there is a kitchen, toilets and a well-stocked bar. If you like soft drinks, beers or cocktails, you'll be spoiled with an additional drinks menu prominently placed next to your table!
As soon as we were seated we were asked if we wanted tea/coffee, and a few minutes after we had chosen our drink preferences, our drinks arrived in lovely looking china. All are very unique and authentic!
Once everyone was on board and ready to go, we were given a safety briefing, complete with aircraft-style hand gestures. The exit is here.. here. And here. We then went on a two-hour cruise and found that the engine noise had died down sufficiently and was barely noticeable. This is quite an achievement as canal boats can be noisy.
One of the friendly staff brought our food to our table and double-checked our order. The food was divided into two tiers, the bottom tier had an afternoon tea stand with a mix of sandwiches and the top tier had sweet treats. JJ's vegetarian options include an unusual mix of fillings that make this a non-vegan wheat cheese sandwich! Choices included beetroot, roasted peppers, soft cheese, cucumber, tomato and pesto. My Gentleman's platter was much more meat-focused, with sandwiches featuring a mix of beef, chicken, and ham. For my gentleman's upgrade (cost an extra £2) I also got two delicious sausage rolls, mini Cornish pastries, mini pork pies and mini Scotch eggs. The sandwich was delicious and well made, but it was a simple sandwich with no fancy bread for example. The stars of the food were undoubtedly the sweet treats. Decorated cupcakes and fruit scones for Easter, and the most moist, rich and fantastic homemade chocolate brownies. Looks delicious! We couldn't finish the cake and luckily we were provided with takeaway bags to put in any items we wanted to keep for later! Tea and coffee were refilled several times while admiring the view of the canal, which was very appreciated.
During the cruise, we noticed music playing in the background from artists like Tom Odell, Maisie Peters, and Bastille. It was non-aggressive music that was perfect for a relaxed atmosphere.