Scone Spy: Spoiled for choice at Billington’s, Lenzie

CHOICE is good in life. And as Scone Spy, the more the merrier is usually the case.

But at Billington’s of Lenzie we really are spoiled.

Situated by the railway station and across from the old parish church, this used to be a branch of Peckhams.

But locals Sue and Mark took it over in 2012 and now it’s an award-winning deli-plus.

Plus what? I hear you ask. Well, plus just about anything you fancy.

That’s breakfast and brunches, snacks and scrummy-looking sandwiches.

But we’re here for a hot and cold hotchpotch.

We’ve heard good things about the ice cream. Sourced from a dairy farm in Fintry, it’s given an on-the-spot makeover that ends with a lip-smacking slurp-fest.

You choose your flavours and it’s mixed up in front of you on the cold stone. Cookies & Cream, Tablet Delight and The Millionaire are just three of the options.

But we’ve gone for Honeycomb Heaven scoops of vanilla and chocolate ice cream mixed with honeycomb pieces and caramel sauce.

“You know, there’s probably a way to make this look neater,” says our cheery waitress spreading it over the cold stone while sprinkling in a generous handful of honeycomb.

“But, frankly, it still tastes gorgeous anyway.”

We couldn’t agree more, as we each take a long spoon and dive into the glass, overflowing as it is with chocolatey goodness.

We’re still finding scrummy chilled honeycomb pieces as our spoons fight each other for the dregs at the bottom.

We could have had one each, of course, but this page isn’t called Ice Cream Inspector.

So, we’ve made sure there’s plenty of room left for scones and a little something else, too.

“Let me just grab this scone,” says the waitress, picking up a wonderfully mis-shapen fruit-laden monster and leading us to the deli counter where marvellous choices lie in wait.

There are brownies and pastries, muffins and oh-so-much more but we settle on a fruit slice to go with our scone and jam and butter.

The scone is as light and crumbly as the fruit slice is dense and moist.

We’re tackling it all with our cappuccino and hot chocolate

(£13 for the lot) while looking out on the street from the high stools at the window.

What better place to watch the world go by?

It’s a Sunday lunchtime and a group of runners come in with medals round their necks from a race.

They’re not the only ones who should think about hotfooting it here.

The waitress tells us the more tables they squeeze in to the front of the deli, the faster they fill up as their reputation spreads.

No wonder! It’s a wee gem.Billington’s, 144 Kirkintilloch Road, Glasgow Warm welcome: 10/10 Location, Location: 10/10 Scone score: 10/10