treat yourself with an array of tasty possibilities

Taking afternoon tea should be a moment to savour. With pickings as rich and inviting as the tea itself, we are truly spoilt for choice.

Even if you decide to go to the world famous Bettys, before you even start to choose which scrumptious delight to eat, you must decide which lovely setting to have it in, be it Harrogate, Ilkley, Northallerton or York.

Or why not try Yorkshire’s tea trail? Starting with a traditional afternoon tea at the picturesque Wentbridge House Hotel, the trail takes in 17 famous destinations, as diverse as the Devonshire Arms, set in the Duke of Devonshire’s 30,000 acre Bolton Abbey Estate in the Yorkshire Dales, a cream tea on board the historic Keighley and Worth Valley steam railway, the glamour and luxury of the Queens Hotel in Leeds or the colourful and fun cupcake specialists Fancie in Sheffield.

Full details of the trail are available on yorkshire.com/tea. It is an experience that tastes as good as it looks.

Chocolate lovers will surely make a beeline for the latest tea room, offering chocolate themed afternoon teas, housed within York’s newest attraction Chocolate – York’s Sweet Story.

One of York’s major industries, of course, was chocolate. During April 6-9, the York Chocolate Festival takes place with a whole host of activities and events.

For those with a more savoury tooth, Yorkshire can take visitors on all manner of culinary journeys from the traditional to the exotic.

The county is famous for providing the finest local produce and foodie gifts with farm shops, markets and specialist delis offering a multitude of delights including mature grass-fed beef, dales lamb, rhubarb, apples, and beer.

Whether it is the glamorous Harvey Nichols food hall in Leeds, or the rustic charm of a Yorkshire Dales farmers’ market, the choice is overwhelming.

Yorkshire boasts six Michelin starred restaurants, including the Old Vicarage in Sheffield, The Box Tree in Ilkley, which has retained its star for the sixth year running, and The Black Swan at Oldstead.

On the coast, fish lovers will be in for a treat at Fortunes Smokehouse in Whitby. Fortunes is a traditional smokehouse established in 1872, which continues to supply the very best kippers.

Cryer and Stott Cheese mongers in Wakefield, manufacturers of Ruby Gold cheese, offer a selection of the county’s finest produce, including Wensleydale and Ribblesdale.

Shepherd’s Purse, based near Thirsk, have been making cheese since launching in 1989.