Scone Spy: Dunbar garden centre is a Christmas wonderland

AS I walk in to Dunbar Garden Centre, it’s so festive I half-expect to see one of Santa’s elves.

And it’s no bad thing. There are Christmas decorations a-plenty.

Come on, it’s not too early. Hallowe’en is but a distant memory and bonfire night is a big damp squib, in my humble opinion.

And there’s that Christmassy-smell garden centres across the land do so well.

It’s a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg and Santa’s snowdust.

It puts me in the mood for some festive frolicking.

As I order my lunch in the adjoining cafe, I take a gander.

It’s a bright and impressive conservatory. The kind of place you could while away too much time doing nothing and eating way too much.

So that’s what I do. There’s an impressive menu, including a fab-sounding saver breakfast at £4.99.

I make a mental note to come back and try it.

On to today’s choices, though.

I love a scone, but I’m also a sucker for any potato-based dish, from potato gratin to a fish supper.

So when I spy potato skins with cheese and bacon, I’m sold.

I also order a cheese scone not normally an automatic choice but one in particular looks so scrumptious and cheesy, I hear it shout: “Eat me, I’m gorgeous!”

I’m telling you, it did.

Dunbar Garden centre cake selection (Andrew Cawley / DC Thomson)

And just for good measure, I get a big wodge of Victoria sponge.

There are more fancy-looking cakes and traybakes, of course.

But sometimes the old classics beat the young upstarts any day.

When the potato skins arrive, I observe to my companion that they’re not so much skins as potato halves.

He rolls his eyes and tells me to stop being fussy. Bit harsh.

If it wasn’t for my generous invitation to join me, he wouldn’t be experiencing my sparkling wit or the joy of scones.

However, there’s no denying they’re a little plate of loveliness.

Ditto the scone.

I’d have preferred it warmed, but I still manage to choke it back and very nice it is, too.

It should be law that we are offered the choice of hot or cold scones every time we order them in a caf.

By now I’m utterly full, but I’m not one to give in easily. So it’s grudgingly that I share the ginormous slice of Victoria sponge with Moany.

It’s light and airy, sandwiched with jam and dusted with icing sugar, just the way a traditional Vicky sponge should be.

It’s my first time at the Dunbar Garden Centre, but it won’t be my last.

If you’re heading down the A1, it’s just off the road and really handy.

I’ll be back, as that Arnie bloke used to say.

I doubt he knows much about scones, though.

Warm welcome: 7/10 Location, Location: 8/10 Scone score: 8/10