10 September 2012
This summer has seen Joe Ellis, controversial reviewer of the Joe Ellis Tea
Room Guide website, sweep across the Peak District and the Derbyshire Dales
in his bid to seek out the highs and lows of English tea rooms and save more
from closing. His passion is not for the ‘cuppa’ tea itself, but for the
tea room: the ambience, the staff friendliness, and the attention to detail
of both what is served and the environment.
Ellis said ‘statistics show that 15 traditional English tea rooms are
closing down every week, and they really need our support to keep going. If
I find a tea room which is what I deem not my cup of tea, I am not afraid to
say so. Many tea rooms finding themselves in this category in the past
have contacted me for advice on what they can do to improve, and I am always
happy to help’.
Ellis advocates supporting the more traditional tea rooms; painted pretty
colours, with lace tablecloths and pretty china; and staff who get to know
their customers. They usually give their customers a hearty welcome and
value for money.
Ellis was delighted with the standard of tea rooms in the areas visited
although he was disappointed that the majority he visited were self service.
Ellis points out ‘the experience of an afternoon tea, or even brunch or
lunch in a tea room should be relaxing and enjoyable. Having to order at
the counter is not really conducive to this concept. I even encountered one
establishment, where the waitress came to the table specifically to tell me
to order at the counter…why could she have not just taken my order?’
Of course the vast majority of the tea rooms visited on this trip had the
added bonus of the beautiful countryside of the Peak District and Derbyshire
Dales, and therefore the views from windows and tea gardens were worth the
visit alone. Sadly though out of 19 tea rooms visited, 11 were open and
were reviewed, two were closed despite the visits during opening hours, and
the other six had closed down apparently only recently.
Just one tea room received the accolade of not my cup of tea but this was
mainly because it was more of a café than a tea room in the true sense of
the title.
Ellis continues to travel England in his quest to save the English tea room.
Joe Ellis’ website is very popular and he receives good feedback on the tea
rooms he visits daily. He is also editor of the Time for Tea magazine which
can be subscribed to via the site at www.tea-room-guide.org.uk
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