Mel Fewster tries the tea and more at The Old Flight House

I can’t remember a time when I didn’t like tea. I drink far too many cups everyday but sadly always want cake to go with it!

When I was a girl, my mother always made a proper pot of tea with loose tea: one spoon per person and one for the pot, stewed for about five minutes.

My mother liked weak tea in a dainty cup with a squeeze of lemon; my father liked double-strength leaf tea with cream in a large cup. I like ‘normal’ tea but I do like bone china mugs or cups because fat rimmed cups burn my lips. I am a fusspot.

As a child we had afternoon tea on Sundays. Sandwiches were made with homemade bread with crusts cut off, set out small and neatly with salmon, egg and cress, and cucumber. And we always had a choice of cakes – including a fruit cake (I never mastered that cake even though it was ma’s foolproof recipe), a lemon drizzle and a Victoria sponge.

We used to enter the local flower show cake competitions, I loved to help with the baking and loved to beat everything by hand.

Now as a busy mother-of-two, I have spent many an hour baking with my children, making themed birthday cakes. But these days I use my grandmother’s ancient electric hand whisk, which must be 40 years-old and still going strong.

However, I make sure I still find the time to book an afternoon tea at least once a month, either in a small village tea shop or a smart hotel. It is a treat to look forward to where I can meet friends in a relaxed environment, and we really enjoy it.

The Old Flight House is an antique centre opposite the airfield in Weston-on-the-Green. I have popped in twice before to look around the shops and always received a warm welcome. On a Wednesday lunchtime, a friend and I visited the cafe. There is plenty of free parking and we parked next to the entrance.

The Old Flight House attracts all sorts: passing cyclists, people with babies, couples, ladies lunching, and a trendy Chinese Moncler-wearing couple who were eating burgers and drinking Peroni, presumably en-route to Bicester Village.

And while we did try the tea, we were also tempted by the delicious savoury dishes on offer, deciding to start with the smoked salmon and watercress salad (£4.95) with a choice of bread, and the salmon and asparagus quiche which was the special of the day (£5.45), served warm with a dressed green salad and as good as my mother’s, all washed down with Fentimans Rose Pink Lemonade which I’ve never seen before and was as pretty as it was tasty. Very Enid Blyton!

The looming school run meant we weren’t drinking, but the cafe has a full licence and a selection of Baron Philippe De Rothschild wines which is unusual and no doubt delicious, and various beers.

Then we got back to work and concentrated on the tea (£1.75) – which was served in lovely big cups with milk served in the cutest mini-urns and a sweet little dish for tea bag disposal; all nice touches.

The accompanying lemon drizzle cake (£2.45) was very good; tasty and tangy with a crunchy top. The coffee and walnut cake (£2.45) also tasted good but was a bit dry. However, we enjoyed it all while watching the comings and goings of deliveries and customers perusing the wonderful goods. There’s a lot of activity going on, and it’s worth bearing in mind that, as this is a large open-plan retail area, you might want to take a jumper, because it can be a bit chilly.

Overall, this is a convenient out-of-town cafe with a good, simple menu done well and is fantastic value.

The Old Flight House, Northampton Road, Weston-on-the-Green, Oxfordshire, OX25 3TJ

Open seven days a week: Mon–Sat: 10am until 5pm, Sun: 11am until 5pm www.theoldflighthouse.co.uk