Where everyone should stop for tea!
THE people behind cafes and tea rooms in a Derbyshire town have revealed why they have been ranked one of the best places to have afternoon tea in the country.
Belper was voted second-best place in the nationwide vote, beaten only by Bowness-on-Windermere in the Lake District.
Experts from Lottie, a digital marketplace that aims to ensure wellbeing for older people, gathered data from cafés serving afternoon tea, such as their average prices and ratings across areas in the UK, to discover where serves the best.
And those behind the Belper businesses say quality ingredients, fine crockery, catering for all ages, and the comradeship and friendly competition between their venues are the keys to their success. A mixture of loyal regular customers and tourists dropping by also ensures a friendly and exciting atmosphere in the area’s eateries.
Donna Carr, 52, the owner of Dot-teas Emporium on the A6 in Belper for three years, says the pandemic and recent price rises mean it has sometimes been a struggle keeping her business going, but the people make it worth it.
Donna said: “Sometimes it’s a struggle as prices are going up, it’s a nightmare. But we still want to provide, and I’ll only serve things that I’d eat myself, like expensive sausages and our bread is not cheap and nasty.
“This has meant that I’ve built up my clientele after losing some of the regulars that we had preCovid, but we’ve gained others. We also have a play area that ensures the parents and children are occupied in our large garden out the back. We also look after people’s mental health with groups during the week.
“Belper is amazing and full of lovely people. We sometimes have more customers round the back helping wash the pots than round the front, and complete strangers are welcomed. These include tourists who say they have been drawn to the shop because people have said how nice it is. Belper deserves recognition.”
Clare Ransom, 49, manager of Railway Tea Room for six years, has lived in Belper 16 years. She said: “We’ve got around 90 regular customers, and lots of tourists come through. We all work together and none are against each other.
“We cater for different people and we are all on the same page with it. We know, for example, that if one of us runs out of something, we can borrow it from a neighbouring business and work together. It’s a really friendly place, and we love customers. We treat them how they should be treated.”
Anna Cooper, 50, a former NHS nurse, is now owner of the Perfect Cuppa after taking it on a month ago because she wanted to try something completely different. She said: “We have lovely family atmosphere with lovely regulars, they have kept the tearoom going to be honest.
“It has been a really difficult time for all businesses, particularly cafes. People couldn’t get out and about. But things are slowly building up again. It’s not same as things were, but we’re slowly getting back to normal.
“The regulars are fantastic. They mean I am enjoying it immensely. It’s a different stress running my own business at this time, with fuel and energy prices as they are, it’s going to be hard. But customers make it. We have wonderful conversations, and tourists passing through the Peak District join us, even some people recently from Canada.
“People think of Matlock, when they think of the Peak District, but people forget that Belper is a lovely town in its own right. More and more people are realising this.”
The manager of the Book Cafe, Charlotte Hall, 32, has worked in hospitality for 15 years. She manages Belper’s branch after about two and a half years as assistant in Derby. She said: “We have all sorts, such as students’ graduations, special occasions for birthdays, wedding receptions - we even had a wake a couple of weeks ago.
“We’re big on afternoon teas. We love putting it together and seeing the reaction from customers. We use china tea plates and stands and we do table service. People just sit back, relax and enjoy it.”