Lavender scones with cheese

These lavender scones were inspired by the ones I tried at Betty’s Cafe Tea Rooms in Harrogate. You can read my review of that unutterably delightful afternoon tea here.

My tutorial on How to make English scones takes you through exactly how to make them.

These scones have a touch of this fragrant, floral herb blended into the flour and a little more sprinkled on top. Here I have paired them with an unusual cheese from the Yorkshire cheesemakers Shepherd’s Purse. I visited their production facility recently, to cover the story of this family of female cheesemakers – read about Katy and Caroline, and the company their mother Judy Bell started.

They make a range of different cheeses, but the ones I chose to match these lightly sweet lavender scones was Katy’s White Lavender, a brilliant white sheep milk cheese developed by Katy Bell. Flavoured with a delicate touch of lavender – a herb grown extensively in the region – it was the perfect match for these tender little cakes. A smear of butter added the requisite moisture and richness.

For me, scones are generally about wanton abandon, but this pairing is restrained, subtle and lovely…