The award-winning Bridge Tea Rooms in Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire, have been sold to guesthouse operators from Bath.
The 45-seat tea rooms, which are based in a character Grade II-listed building dating from 1675, won the Tea Guild’s Award for Excellence in 2006 and are listed in its top 10, as well as the AA’s Britain’s Best Afternoon Tea Guide.
New owners Roy and Ali Hayward, who ran the North Lodge guesthouse in Bath for five years, plan to lower prices and to extend the range of teas, coffees, cakes, meals, beers and wines on offer.
The business currently opens seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and tea – ranging from cream teas to champagne teas – which are served by waitress decked out in traditional Victorian serving costumes.
However, the tea rooms hold a full restaurant licence and will begin opening for evening meals from Easter.
The Bath office of Withy King Solicitors handled the purchase of the freehold, which carried a guide price of £395,000, on behalf of the new owners.
By Angela Frewin