The best cream tea in Britain is served up at the Bridge Tea Rooms in Bradford on Avon by Lisa Beard, Carole and Richard Whale and Liz Tracey (16951)A TOWN tearoom has been placed on a par with top London venues including the Ritz and the Dorchester hotels.

The Bridge Tea Rooms, Bradford on Avon, has been handed an award of excellence by the Tea Guild for the third year running.

Owner Richard Whale, 54, said he was delighted to have once again received the recognition.

He said: "I believe drinking team should be an experience rather than a functional thing."

The manager of the Tea Guild, Irene Gorman, said: "Every year the Tea Guild runs a competition for the top tea place, and a separate place for London.

"The judges mark them on a whole range of things including dcor, service, whether the tea was served at the right temperature, its appearance and flavour, and whether the staff knew about the teas.

"The award tends to go to people who take it seriously, so when you go there you feel you are having a nice treat and that makes it different from just having a cup of tea at home."

This year's winner outside of London was the Ollerton Watermill Tea Shop, Nottinghamshire, while The Lanesborough Hotel near Hyde Park picked up the London award.

The Ritz was the winner of last year's London award while the Dorchester won in 2002.