David and Sara Bruce from Bedfordshire are the new owners of the former Antique Tea Shop in the historic Herefordshire market town of Ross-on-Wye.
The town - which is built on a sandstone cliff overlooking a large loop in the River Wye – is 15 miles south of Hereford, 16 miles east of Gloucester and near the M50.
The High Street restaurant occupies a four-storey, mid-terraced Grade II-listed building (one of the oldest in the town) that lies in a prime position opposite the market place between the town’s two main retail areas.
It comprises a ground floor tea room with seating for 30 customers, extensive cellars believed to be more than 900 years old, and three-bedroom owners’ accommodation on the upper floors.
The business established a reputation for serving traditional English teas in bone china, with afternoon teas served with a Silver Service claimed to be to Savoy standards.
Diners had the chance to buy the antiques on view, and this retail element will continue under the new owners, who will trade as Pots and Pieces from March. They will combine the teashop with a gallery selling unusual gifts from their on-line shop, PotsandPieces.com.
The Bristol office of Christie + Co sold the freehold off a guide price of £395,000 on behalf of Monica Cockin and her husband.
By Angela Frewin