Date visited: Friday 14th September 2018
One of the most unusual places for taking tea, Whittington’s Tea Barge can, except in January and February, often be found moored on the Thames at Hills Meadow in Reading. The barge is open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, but not entirely regularly, so check their website and Facebook page before visiting. Larger parties can book the whole barge and be taken for a cruise on the Thames whilst enjoying their afternoon tea. Tea can be taken inside the barge, or outside either on a table at the front of the barge or at tables laid out beside the towpath. Although the barge isn’t a narrowboat, it’s still narrow in comparison with the average tearoom. This gives it a rather cosy feel for those taking tea inside.
Ham, cucumber and mustard sandwich, cream tea with fruit scone, and a pot of tea. 
An unassuming but delicious Bakewell.
A ham, cucumber and mustard sandwich, cream tea with fruit scone, an unassuming but delicious Bakewell and a pot of tea came to £13.50, with the proprietors insisting that the Bakewell not be served until the rest was finished, in-case I’d not room for such a spread. The sandwiches were rather dainty, and the scone not the largest, but the overall experience was friendly and definitely different from other tea ‘rooms’. Overall, that was rather splendid!
