TEA IS SERVED AT JOSEPHINE’S
NEW Nottingham tea room Josephine’s has been open days and already customers are likening it to Betty’s – the world-famous spot for afternoon tea in Harrogate.
With its mouth-watering cakes, loose-leaf tea, traditional, elegant surroundings and quality service, it’s easy to see where the comparison is coming from.
For owners Jo and Steve Neale, it’s a dream come true, with a prime location in Nottingham city centre opposite the Theatre Royal.
“We are so lucky to have this spot. We were thinking of a nice little tea room in a village or a suburb,” said Jo, who began planning the venture at the beginning of 2014 only to be diagnosed with stage three breast cancer a few months later.
The bombshell threw their lives into disarray as Jo spent 18 months undergoing surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and a cocktail of drugs, with Steve, “her rock”, by her side the whole time.
As she recovered, Jo, 50, spent months and months refining her cake recipes and perfecting flavours for cupcakes with fillings of lemon, chocolate, strawberry and blueberry, which are now being baked fresh daily by Josephine’s patisserie chef Trish Woodward.
And that dream of a little cafe in the suburbs? Well, it’s not so little with 30 seats, slap bang in the city centre on the corner of Upper Parliament Street and Market Street.
Former IT company boss Steve, 48, said: “This is the bigger end of the scale of concepts we had.”
“After I got better we said ‘let’s go for it, forget the tiny tea room’ - life is way too short,” added Jo.
The Arnold couple came up with Josephine’s (an approximate combination of their names). Said Jo: “It’s a really good, traditional British name so that works perfectly.”
Loose leaf tea comes in 18 varieties, with more to be added in time. Currently there’s English breakfast, Earl Grey, Margaret’s Hope Darjeeling, Japanese sencha green tea and Gin and Tonic - that’s right, a brew with the flavours of a G&T but without a drop of alcohol.
It’s the proper tea-drinking experience with a china pot, tea strainer and dainty patterned cups and saucers.
Customers are guaranteed the very best ingredients, whether that’s Dukeshill Yorkshire ham (the same supplier as the Queen) or Rodda’s Devon clotted cream.
Open sandwiches come with ham and cheese, roast beef, a medley of cheese or feta and beetroot. Panini, wraps, soup, jacket potatoes, quiche and on weekdays, a hot dish of the day are served, with prices from £6.95 to £9.95. Cakes, including filled cupcakes and Boozy Bailey’s Brownies, are £6.50 to £6.95.
The elegant surroundings are befitting afternoon tea and there’s several experiences to choose from, including savoury, sweet and a sparkling prosecco feast from £19.95 to £26.95 per person.
Everything from the lunch-time menu, cakes and drinks are available to take away - even the loose leaf tea, which is contained in a disposable pocket.
It took Steve a good eight weeks to transform the property, which used to be Speedy Cash.
A counter and suspended ceiling were ripped out and replaced by Tiffany lampshades, classic wallpaper, a feature wall crafted out of drawers and cabinet doors and a statue of Greek goddess Hebe, who served nectar and ambrosia to the gods and goddesses of Mount Olympus.
Jo said: “We have had really amazing feedback and lots of nice comments on the Facebook page. Everyone has said how nice the food is and the decor. The words I’ve heard are relaxing, classy, elegant and beautiful.”
Steve added: “My vision was to make it the Betty’s of Nottingham and to see that on Facebook after only the second day... what an honour.”
Josephine’s is open six days a week from 11am Monday to Thursday and 10am Friday and Saturday, until 7pm. Sunday opening is planned within a few weeks.