Scones, Charm, and a Breakfast to Remember
When we first arrived, a few things drew us to Thru the Gate Café Smythesdale instantly:
- A sign out the front promising scones with jam and cream.
- Its location in an old building with that classic Victorian country charm.
- A cute little garden that just screamed come in!
Sadly, we arrived just moments before closing, but the owner still let me grab a hot chocolate. Thru the Gate Cafe uses a local chocolate powder, Grounded Pleasures, and offer multiple flavour options — delicious! Not quite Junee Chocolate Factory delicious, but definitely better than your standard milk-and-powder hot chocolate.
They also have a small but thoughtfully curated selection of local products for sale, which I personally loved browsing through while waiting. From handmade mugs and local images, to practical eco-friendly kitchen supplies, there’s a little bit of everything. I was especially drawn to the jars of local honey and other edible treats (the Dukkah!)— perfect for gifting or just taking a piece of Smythesdale home with you. It’s the kind of place where you pop in for a hot chocolate and leave with a bag full of goodies you didn’t plan on buying (no regrets!).
We were also able to take a peek at the dining room – quaint, mismatched décor that somehow works beautifully. We ended up at Rustic Edge Café & Takeaway that day, but knew we’d be back.
The following week, I almost went solo just to get a scone with jam, cream, and a cup of tea while Isaac was at work. It was so tempting, especially since the café is right next door to the Country Grocer, which I was visiting daily that first week!
Patience paid off. Over the weekend, we decided to make a proper breakfast trip — and ended up indulging in a three-course feast:
- Soup of the day – Tomato and parmesan with local sourdough. Isaac couldn’t resist, and wow.
- Breakfast brioche buns – Bacon, egg, and dukkah (I am officially adding dukkah to all my breakfast brioche buns from now on!) served with tomato sauce. The flavours were spot on.
- Dessert course – The scones. Fresh, light, fluffy, and not a hint of dense dough sticking to your teeth. The local whipped cream paired with strawberry and rhubarb jam was so good, we had to order extra of both.
I’m not a coffee drinker, but Isaac said his lattes were amazing — he had two that morning, so I trust him.
We sat in the garden (dogs are allowed here so Benjamin joined us!) enjoying the beautiful presentation of our meals served in high-tea style china. It was honestly one of the most wonderful experiences and perfect for a little “date breakfast.”
We have been back multiple times during our stay including another tea and scones session in the garden on a drizzly day, which was so lovely. I can guarantee we will be back again before we leave Smythesdale!
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