Bayberry Hollow in County Durham

Busy place, good atmosphere. Awkward when payment was being made. An IPad was handed to me asking what size tip we would like to leave, 10, 20 or 30%. The waitress still standing there. She’d brought us a quick drink and a sandwich, not a 3 course meal!

Lovely little bistro / coffee shop... really nice for breakfast or lunch time snack 😋....not sure the recent 'online reservations' really works for them as lots of empty tables which is very unusual...we gave up our table for an elderly lady who could of sat upstairs but there was plenty of tables down stairs but obviously 'booked'

An establishment that charges premium rates for sandwiches should have this reflected in the service too. On arrival there was a reservations issue and despite showing the confirmation, it felt like we were intruding. We had to wait and had to explain two times that we had a booking and the behaviour we got was somewhat aloof and matter of fact…this is not in keeping with the premium pricing and the experience expected from Bayberry!! And there were ample free tables by the way!! It was resolved but we still felt unwelcomed and Bayberry need to do better…the first impression sets the tone and you failed to do this!! Instead of multiple discussions, it should have been…welcome we love that you are here and let me find you a table…hopefully this helps you to do better. Very generous food portions with some lovely wait staff. When the space is full, impossible to have a conversation as too loud. We wish the team here the best and usure we would return.

cant believe we didnt know about this place, its a little gem. so good to see a small business doing so well it was packed. the food was delicious, fresh and tasty. the staff attentive without being overly so. scones were warm with a gooey toffee in the centre, delightful! its a shame there isnt more room in the gift shop area as i would of liked to have a good look but it was also packed. only small criticism is queuing in the gift shop to wait for our table we were in everyones way. we will call in more often now that we know where it is.

Had a lovely visit on Sunday morning for breakfast. The service was good and the breakfast was lovely. Will be going back soon.

Had some lovely meals from here . The staff are lovely and helpful . Today we went for 12 noon and waited over an hour for our food . We ordered a jacket potato for a 5 year old and told we would be charged extra for the cheese because it was special cheese looked like cheddar . Shame because the food is delicious not happy

We went for Afternoon Tea for my mums birthday. I love the decor of the place, very seasonal and instagrammable. The afternoon tea is very filling, we had take some home with us. It is an autmnal vibe and the shop is so cute. It would have been nice to have a choice about the scones. The cafe was a little warm and the music was abit loud. The staff were not very attentive, yes it was busy but it would have been nice to been made a fuss of for my mam birthday. Overall it is really nice and i would go back.

The food was absolutely delicious. We both had a Spanish deli sandwich and it was great with the perfect mix of flavours. The staff were absolutely lovely even though it was manic. *****

Second visit and still a lovely place for lunch Friendly and helpful staff.

My wife and I have been here several times but always for lunch until today as we were out and about elsewhere so decided to see what was on offer for breakfast, as my wife is vegan I have to say she was very disappointed nothing other than toast on the breakfast menu so we won't be back until lunchtime in future. Come on guys vegans eat breakfast aswell.

Called in with friends for quick cake & drink, but there’s nothing quick about this place I’m afraid. Once a table was available we sat for several minutes (10) before being offered a menu. Waited again for the waitress to take our order then waited again for drinks & cakes to arrive. It’s a good job we had a lot to catch up on because our quick lunch took almost 60 minutes to arrive at our table.

Bayberry Hollow serves delicious home-cooked food, which is always fresh. Sadly the price of the cakes are too expensive. I have not actually tried any cake here, as I cannot justify paying £5.95 for cake (this was for taking the cake away without ice cream too). It is a beautiful cafe and staff are pleasant.

Visited for lunch with my mam on recommendation of a friend. We both had mushroom soup and oh my word it was delicious (best I’ve ever had). This was our first visit and won’t be our last. The food, the staff and the decor were all top notch. See you soon hopefully

Nice cafe in a gift shop. Food was nicely presented, generous portions & averagely priced. Corned beef pie looked home made. I had the quiche & salad which was deep & tasty.

Lovely atmosphere. Great little coffee shop. The Food is very good here.

Good food and friendly service.

Had breakfast, lunch and takeaway from here many times and cannot fault it! 10/10 every time! Lovely staff, lovely place and lovely food and drinks!

Love it here food is so nice, moving here to new estate in Feb 25 going to be so lucky to have this on our doorstep.

Absolute favourite little cafe on earth

We found this place while looking for somewhere to have breakfast and it did not disappoint. Friendly staff, lovely food, good coffee. Recommended.

Found this place on Google maps. What a lovely place. All the staff were very friendly, and service was excellent. The food was delicious. I would highly recommend it and I’ll definitely be back. There’s also a lovely quaint gift shop which is definitely worth a visit too.

Excellent and friendly welcome. Food was great. We thought £88 for 3 afternoon teas was good value. The sandwiches were lovely and fresh and were served with crisps and salad. There were cheese scones and blueberry scones served with lemon curd and clotted cream. There were cakes and chocolate dipped strawberries. Great attention to detail. The staff could not have been more attentive. The whole experience was fantastic and we will definitely return again.

Booked for afternoon tea, and expecting (like previous visits) for the price (nearly £30 without alcohol) a very good spread, but sadly we were dissapointed. All three afternoon tea's were brought on one stand (itself not a good sign), and it was fairly meagre for the price paid. Had to choose a sandwich (would have expected as in other places several different sandwiches on the plate). I had the bloomer, but my friends swore theirs was just sliced warburtons white loaf. No quiche or pie was included (though there were some lovely looking ones on the display, and sprig of salad and crisps (about two each) adorned the near £100 meal. The cheese scone was a fairly small falt affair, compared to the massive fluffy ones at the counter. A fairly dry Victoria sponge with buttercream completed the repast. Tea and Coffe was included, but if you waned cappucino or other than standard tea, this was EXTRA. Not worth the price paid, and was of an overall standard of a high street cafe, not the "delicious home cooked food in a rustic cafe and bistro" advertised.

Couldn't fault this at all.... It was lovely.... But the "icing on the cake" was when server, Nicola, assisted us with my elderly mother's wheelchair.... THANKS FOR YOUR KINDNESS AND CONSIDERATION

Called in today for my sisters birthday, took my granddaughter aswell, the place is beautiful, food is absolutely amazing and the staff are wonderful, it's a real hidden gem

A lovely place to go, lovely atmosphere and amazing food whether it be lunch or just a cup of tea and a scone! Sweet treats are amazing- and large!!! Staff are courteous and ensure that you have everything that you need.

Had a lovely lunch here, food was outstanding, service was great, atmosphere outside was nice as well. Forgot to take pics of mains. The Caesar salad was 🔥

Lovely place, food was lovely, not a huge amount of choice. Staff friendly enough! The shop has lots of beautiful things for sale!

Myself, my other half and our daughter went to Bayberry hollow for breakfast and it was absolutely delicious 😋 it isn’t our first visit to this beautiful little cafè. We had full English breakfast, my other half had an orange juice and I had an ice latte with whipped cream and caramel it was delicious 😋. I’ve been here three time and every time it’s always a great experience but this time the service was fantastic we got served really quickly and all our needs were met with us having a 5month old. We have never been here with our daughter before so it was an amazing experience as I was rather nervous. However, staff are great and our experience was fantastic. High chairs provided also. Great atmosphere and it was priced like anywhere else ££. Would definitely say we will be back!! We recommend to all our friends and family too!! The little gift shop is also incredible, I love it and even bought myself a lovely bag too!! Brilliant morning out before we went for a lovely walk.

Excellent food, exceptional service with a warm, inviting atmosphere.

cute place not big There is also a store inside that has all kinds of beautiful things for the home. Rural atmosphere. There is parking outside. Have breakfast either English or toast bread with a scrambled egg and then choose either avocado or very delicious salmon.

Found Bayberry Hollow online it looked Quant and cosy, I was looking for afternoon tea for my fiance 's Birthday we love our afternoon teas and have been many places for them, I have to say this is by far the best so far,plenty of food which tasted amazing the atmosphere and staff were so friendly they have a lovely little shop also which we came away with a few bits will definitely be coming back 🥰

Love this place - a menu that is always a winner for everyone at the table, homely well executed dishes with each element carefully prepared & presented beautifully - we recommend everything! The venue is beautiful & clean the shop is full of treasures for the home & gifts galore, staff are attentive friendly & professional, but the food is "chefs kiss" ...every time! No food photos because we were so hungry we only remembered after we are .. items we recommend - corned beef pie - meatball marinara - cheese & pickle quiche - fruit scones & the NEW Toffee crunch pie 😋

First visit for me although my sister, who I was with had been a number of times. Absolutely charming restaurant with very friendly staff and a great atmosphere. The food was outstanding. I went for the tandoori chicken flatbread while my sister had the traditional corned beef pie. Both were scrumptious. Couldn’t resist buying some delicious cakes and scones to take home too. Would absolutely recommend this lovely little gem.

Another first class restaurant, afternoon tea 🍵 is good value quite a good selection of food 😋 👌 👍 to eat in.Would recommend it even if you just wanted a cup of tea parking your car could be a problem plus disabled access.Still as good ever

Food is always tasty and well presented And the staff are wonderful, chatty and very helpful 😀 2 standout staff are Joanne and Tracy who was our waitress for the day. But I dare say all the staff are outstanding

Had food here today, amazing food, amazing staff and amazing venue. Highly recommend!

Lovely out-of-the-way surprise - cosy and welcoming cafe with scones to die for! Friendly table service. Curiosity/gift shop full of treasures to browse on the way out.

Fantastic place. Food lush and the staff are amazing. We had a really good laugh with Joanne who was our server . Atmosphere was fab!

Had the breakfast which at around £10 was more than what you would pay at Wetherspoons but also worth paying as the quality and taste are much higher. We will return.

We visited 28/6/24 for afternoon tea and could not fault the excellent service and delicious food. The staff were so lovely and had a great sense of humour. Would definitely recommended and will certainly be back soon.

Food was lovely as was the place,the staff were really helpful and friendly.

Lovely cosy coffee ☕ house, It was my first visit and will definitely be back, I also bought a lovely top in the shop,

Nice food good service, very busy and a bit noisy

Located in a beautiful part of Tanfield, Bayberry Hollow is a wonderful place to have a bite to eat. We've been twice and both times it was very busy, which makes for a good atmosphere. We loved the cozy environment. The waitresses were very pleasant, and despite there being a lot of customers to serve, we got our meals in reasonable time. There is also a shop on site, which sells very nice items for the home.

Very expensive for what it was.

Lovly setting fab shop couldn't ask for any nicer staff soup was delicious bread on sandwiches a bit dry

We came in for coffee and cake on Bank Holiday Monday. Good quality furnishing and attentive staff. The milk in the coffee was a bit hot but the cake was enormous and tasty. We had chocolate fudge cake and carrot cake to share and it was very good value for money. Live this place. The gift shop is also nice for unusual cards and small gifts..

Beautiful food, very friendly staff, lovely place to sit and relax and enjoy a meal

What a wonderful little place! Food was excellent as was the service. Friendly helpful staff, the breakfast was delicious, a great sausage! Added bonus.... a wonderful gift shop also. Lovely things to buy for yourself or as gifts for others. I am looking forward to visiting again.

This was my first time at Bayberry Hollow and I'll be back! Such helpful and friendly staff. Special thanks to Nicola, who organised a nice table for us on my friend's birthday. Food was delicious and plentiful, with excellent service. Along with a bit of retail therapy, it was a fabulous experience.

Absolutely gorgeous place to visit, so many items in the gift shop to look at all reasonably priced. The restaurant was very cosy and comfortable and the food was to die for. Will definitely be back soon with friends to try the afternoon tea. Highly recommend!

Poor, overpriced and not very friendly staff I'm afraid. We were shown to a table to be told lunch was in 20 minutes. Breakfast must have been over so cakes weren't required. I also bumped my head on the way out (no warning sign). Lack of parking.

We had been here a few times in the past, though not for a couple of years now. We were really looking forward to a nice lunch as we knew this place always had a nice atmosphere. In the past we'd had sandwiches, always delicious, Not this time. Barely any sandwiches on the menu seems to be more hot food. We had some kind of quiche, not sure what kind but it was pretty inedible, with salad, which was all just lettuce, nothing appealing about it at all. The other was an Easter sandwich of hot turkey and bacon, the bun was dry and the meat heated up and withered. Again, inedible. The offer was good and the staff lovely, though a bit chaotic as it was busy. It was £30 and we left most of it (something I never do). Lots of other dishes looked nice from what I could see on the way out. A poor choice made by us no doubt, but we won't be back any time soon

Recent visit. Tea and fruit scone. This had to be the worst fruit scone I have ever been served. Taste, texture and appearance very disappointing.

Been a few times and food always delicious. Staff friendly and attentive.

Great lunch! Quality food and massive portions.

Nice scone and tea, lovely staff my husband struggles with stairs, they found us a table downstairs even though it was very busy. Thankyou

We stopped here for lunch on our way to our hotel in Beamish. Lovely cafe with friendly staff. When we looked at the menu it looked expensive but you got a big portion. My husband had the chicken and bacon sandwich which was huge with plenty of filling and a portion of lovely chips. I had a home made cheese and onion pasty which also came with chips. Both meals were delicious. They also had a number of tasty looking cakes but as we were booked in for a 3 course dinner at the hotel we didn't have a cake. If we are ever in the area again we'd definitely return

Amazing place food gorgeous gift shop has beautiful gifts for every occasion. Definitely worth a visit 😊😊

Very disappointed today we went for my birthday and decided to have a cheese scone which was sweet and not very tasty at all then we got a slice of carrot cake another disappointment didn’t look or taste like homemade We used to go there a lot but it was our 1st time for over a year and it will I’m afraid be our last. We weren’t asked if the food was nice as we would have said as we praise when good and say when bad . Has it changed hands lately as this used to be lovely

Lovely place, afternoon tea special, staff really lovely. The attached shop was like an Aladdin's Cave. Couldn't praise it enough.

Came with a friend today for lunch. Wow quiche and parmasam chips amazin. Service from the lady who took our order was lovley really helpful and so polite we will be back thank u

a real 5 star eatery!!! food excellent, service - cannot fault! and atmosphere - log stove n reclaimed wood give a superb undertone and the music well just down my street - can get scones, slices of cake n other things to buy n take home - shop to get lost in - candles, pottery, glass, cards etc., and more leather bags n purses too much to mention - you must spend as much time in the shop as in the food part xxxxx take it back!! bought a vase! reduced to £9.99 did not check the machine as talking to friends n low n behold was charged full price n did not know til Barclay card came in - to far away to go back n don't like confrontation- the shop assistant even said she had just reduced it!! once bitten twice shy!!!

My wife and I stopped off for lunch and to browse the shop and found both experiences really enjoyable. The restaurant staff were first rate, incredibly attentive and engaging. The food was fantastic and we can recommend both the Tikka and Steak.

Wonderful lovely beautiful scones very good menu . service very good friendly service

As a first time visitor to Bayberry Hallow . It was a very impressive, pleasurable and throughly enjoyed my delicious Cornbeef pie meal . Very comfortable surroundings, great atmosphere and highly attentive staff. Also enjoyed eating and drinking off your choice of Steelite crockery, cups & saucers Delighted to have been to Bayberry Hallow today.

Both steaks unfortunately were overcooked. Spoilt an otherwise pleasant experience with friends.

Just had the most amazing birthday cream tea with family. The food was wonderful as were the staff and ambience. Bayberry you smashed it we all loved it thank you

It's a great place for food and has a lovely gift shop. Downside is parking. It gets very busy and the car park is tiny. The residents must despair with cars parked everywhere.

Interesting menu. Pudding was disappointing - SO sweet and not really cranachan

Absolutely beautiful meal steak sandwich with peppercorn sauce & fries steak cooked to perfection hot sauce delicious. Coffee is always Devine best coffee around tall cup of latte and always hot.

Beautiful place. Reasonably priced. Food is amazing.

Friendly service. Delicious Food. Excellent menu

Second time at this popular eatery and shop. Last time was a number of years ago. I found it difficult to find as there used to be signage on the front but that has disappeared. Both times I have found the noise level very off putting. Too many hard surfaces, no sound absorption. Hard to have a conversation. I ordered fish cakes with hassleback potatoes. The potatoes were cold and I had to send them back. My friend chose a steak sandwich which she had to send back because it wasn’t cooked properly. The young man who served us was very polite and helpful. However the meal was quite expensive and overpriced for what it was.

Afternoon tea. I have eaten here on many occasions and the food was always lovely, very enjoyable and good value for money. However in mid January 24, we paid £27 each for afternoon tea which comprised each of 1 large sandwich from a choice of 3, one savoury and one sweet scone accompanied by clotted cream and jam and a slice of cake. Unlimited team and coffee: however you pay full price for a specialist tea/coffee. Whilst the sandwiches and cake were lovely, the scones were dry and very crumbly: not of the standard I have had here previously Presentation was really nice as sandwiches were garnished with crisps and really fresh salad, but unfortunately given the attached price tag, the experience was not worth the cost. This will not stop us eating at Bayberry again: however we have eaten much more substantial afternoon tea elsewhere for nearly half the cost than at Bayberry Hollow. Do your research for other local establishments before booking afternoon tea here.

We’ve attended the Xmas taps nights for the past few years. We are a group of 8 ladies, 3 generations and it’s become a really special Xmas night for us. They are difficult to book onto but I’m so glad we managed again as the food was amazing as always and the service and servers really made it a special night. The venue itself is perfect not being too big it’s cosy and very personal and easy for us all to get too. I’d like to say a massive thank you to everyone involved in those Xmas tapas nights and particularly to Joanne, Nicola and Tracey who served and looked after us all night with some good humour too. We have a couple in their 70s and one of us with a disability and they went the extra mile with them and all of us really making it so easy and enjoyable. 5 star food, service, venue and creative Xmas theme. Thank you hoping we can book every year for this as it’s becoming our favourite Xmas family tradition.

Food was beautiful. Cooked perfectly and generous portions. Staff were friendly and chatty. Great service. First time we had been, definitely be going back.

This was the best (festive) afternoon tea I have ever had! We had the most amazing Ploughman’s sandwich (choice of 3 different ones), with crisps, side salad and a selection of beautiful cakes. Not your usual tiny finger sandwich and bite sized cakes. Everything was full sized, fresh and delicious too! They even added a beautiful dry ice effect and a Christmas cracker to make it extra festive. To top it all off the staff were so lovely and they were so on it with asking us for top ups etc. 10/10!

Our little art group came here for our Xmas lunch out. The food was amazing and we had a great time. Staff were so helpful.

I went for festive afternoon tea today and it was amazing, probably the best afternoon tea i have had! The food was fresh and delicious, and the staff were very friendly and helpful.

Friends arranged to meet here for a catch up. Table in a corner, so not a lot of room to manoeuvre. Ordered drinks and food to have at the same time, but both served separately. Had to order more drinks to have with the food, so a bit disappointing.

I came with 2 friends, we had a lovely lunch and also bought a few things in the beautiful shop

Food is absolutely incredible! Servers are fab and really attentive without being overbearing! Can’t wait to come back and try the afternoon tea

Lovely food, really too much to eat.😇

Always welcoming ,, fab service , and food ,,, the staff are all homely , and beautiful cafe

Delicious Lunch and scones! Thanks Guys.

Excellent service, quaint venue, delicious food and lovely gift shop. Very relaxing and cosy place for lunch and a catch up.

Food is really good and price was spot on for what we got... atmosphere is nice and relaxed.. definitely recommend

Home of the best sausage and bacon sandwich this side of the River Tyne. Parking is tight and seating can be a squeeze (it is very popular after all), but highly recommended for breakfast and lunch.

Lovely find. Excellent coffee and an amazing selection of scones. Very pleasant staff and great service. Great shop attached.

Visited Thursday with a friend as part of a birthday treat ( voucher received as a birthday gift). We enjoyed a lovely lunch in gorgeous surroundings with very attentive staff. If you want a relaxing experience with an extensive menu this is the place for you. Special shout out to Nicola who looked after us so well.

I'd have loved to have given a glowing review but sadly it the hot food I ordered didn't arrive after over an hour of waiting & reminding serving staff. Mistakes happen but having left my drink to have with food ended up cold, and took over an hour of my day for nothing. Also didn't appreciate being asked to leave if I wanted to leave a tip as they hadn't brought any food! (Agree with comments below, the tip system is embarrassing) On the plus side, is a lovely building, and the food I saw others enjoying looked very good!

Bayberry Hollow is a relaxing place,food is fabulous,staff are welcoming, and truly a place to visit when wanting to unwind. Nicola who looked after us was professional,efficient,and extremely capable . We thoroughly enjoyed our visit, and will return. Thank you all at B.H.

Scrambled eggs on toast - eggs little overdone and toast v hard. Lovely building and shop but would choose different food next time.

Really enjoyed Bayberry Hollow. We went early, so we only had scones and cake, but they were delicious. Next time will be for lunch.

Came here yesterday (15/09/23) with 4 other lady friends for lunch. Didn't realise there was a wine list until we got seated. Say no more 😆. The food was absolutely beautiful but the service was fantastic. The staff were so friendly and pleasant. Nothing was a bother to them. Our table was booked for 12.30 but we were still there (drinking) until closing time. Not once were we made to feel rushed. The place itself and surroundings are gorgeous, as is the lovely little shop you pass through to get to the cafe/restaurant. Would highly recommend it to everyone. Thanks again to all the staff for making us feel so welcome and making it an enjoyable afternoon. We'll definitely be back 😀.

Brunch usually good but no tables available so.had to make do with scones and coffee in the snug, it was OK but a little disappointing on this occasion.

First time visiting on Friday. Arrived for brunch with my family and was greeted by the lovely Rachael. She was so helpful and friendly. Food and venue was great too. Will be back again soon!

We went as a family for breakfast , arriving around 10:30 there were quite a number of cars outside and we wondered if we would get in , turned out it was no problem at all . We all had the full English breakfast which...