Cupcakes, Teacakes and So Much More....

Emporium Tea Room and Fancy Goods opened in Muswell Hill, London, N10 last March and is the creation of two local mothers, Lucinda and Helen. Situated on Fortis Green, still within very easy access of Muswell Hill but far enough from the hustle and bustle of the local traffic that you can sit, drink tea and exhale - and shop too should you so wish.

The tea shop is absolutely delightful, serving loose leaf tea and local coffee, made by local staff who clearly know a good cup of coffee when they see one. Breakfast and lunch (and tea) are served - freshly made porridge, hot toast, teacakes, sandwiches, home made soup are just some of the dishes on offer. The egg sandwiches I ate were extremely generous and the egg filling delicious. A wide variety of homemade cakes are made each day at the shop. The tea shop has an extremely comforting feel about it - it could be the tables with their vintage tablecloths or the mix and match vintage plates, cups and saucers on which everything is served or the cakestand filled with freshly made scones, jam and cream.....or maybe it's the feeling that you could actually be at the seaside or in the countryside instead of just 25 minutes from central London.

Wandering through into the other half of Emporium, you walk into an Aladdin's Cave of locally made artwork, hand-made items and clothing. Old dressers reveal drawers of antique cutlery and teapots, jewellery, locally made jams and vintage clothing - along with china mugs by Jan Constantine and fabulous kitchen items and containers by Matthew Rice. Colour is everywhere and you could happily spend an afternoon in there discovering one treasure after another - it would be a challenge to walk away empty-handed such is the selection.

There is also a craft corner and I was very interested to see that classes seem to run most days at the shop - during the day there are sewing and knitting classes run by local mothers and after school there are craft classes for children every day of the week.

Muswell Hill is very much an area which prides itself on its community spirit and the shop has been keen to support this.....recent events have included a Christmas Fair on the green outside the shop with carol singing and mulled wine, book-readings by local actress Nell Phoenix, a Mad-Hatters tea-party, charity fund-raising and shopping evenings.

Janine Rose Cakes

Always keen to improve my culinary skills and never one to say no to anything that includes cupcakes, I attended a Cupcake Decorating class one evening recently at the shop. Great fun and expertly taught by London baker and cake decorator Janine Rose , it was a well attended and lovely evening - and I actually came away feeling that instead of buying last minute extortionately expensive cupcakes in gaudy colours, I would be able to produce my own....result!!!

Channelling my inner Nigella ....vanilla cupcakes with real butter icing....looking AND tasting absolutely delicious....

Emporium is the kind of shop that is a hidden gem in London....the kind of shop that you are so fond of that you want to keep it all to yourself.....but on the other hand, it would be wrong not to share it....

Emporium is at 4-5 Cheapside, Fortis Green, Muswell Hill, London, N2 9HP - 020 8883 3434.

Happy Monday!