Callooh! Callay! is just the antidote to a cold, grey winter’s day – a charming and cosy Alice in Wonderland-themed tearoom tucked away in Clitheroe.

Upstairs dwells a rummager’s paradise filled with books, records and prints, while downstairs waits a whimsical escape. Mismatched vintage china, quirky wallpaper and the comforting smell of home-cooking make it the perfect hidey-hole for friends and families.

Good food and an exhaustive array of unique teas take centre stage. All named according to Lewis Carroll’s novel, you can enjoy blends from O Frabjous Day! (a bracing English Breakfast) to Borogroves Brew (a warming combination of ginger root, lemon zest and lemon grass). During my last visit I sampled Cheshire Cat’s got the Cream, a sweet black tea with notes of strawberry and marshmallow – reminiscent of hazy summer days.

Of course, it’d be a crime not to enjoy a pot of tea without cake, so after a rustic bowl of spinach, potato and cheddar cheese soup, I tucked into a slice of chocolate mousse cake that made my heart sing. Rich, gooey and drizzled with fruit coulis: I’d challenge anyone to try a piece without waving goodbye to their winter blues.

As the Walrus so rightly says: “Callooh! Callay! No work today! We’re cabbages and kings.”

Images by Charlotte Varela