Emily Barrett Tea Rooms Open

Who is Emily Barrett? Well, that would be telling! Owners Steve and Donna Page are certainly not letting on as they foster a little mystique as to who she is! But there is no mystique as to this lovely new café in the middle of Beverley, where everything about it exudes quality.

The transformation of the tearoom has involved local craftsmen who have insulated the building so that it retains the heat generated by the kitchen, refrigerators, coffee machine and people. The furniture was supplied locally and painting and decorating done by Steve and his family in traditional English colours to evoke feelings of calm.

There are quirky twists, such as the old 45 records decorating the walls and the vintage style music played with an up-to-date vibe and a library of books to be read whilst you drink your loose-leaf tea or original-blend caffeinated or decaff coffee.

There is a challenge - if you can finish a book before your coffee goes cold, you can keep it!

Visitors are very welcome to bring their own newspapers in to read - or to donate any of their own books for the library when they have finished them. Every ingredient in the café is locally-sourced and every cake, quiche and piece of bread made by hand, often to Steve’s own recipe. The menu at the moment is therefore quite limited, but the dishes are full of flavour and totally delicious!

Steve said: “I am working on a sourdough bread at the moment which does not contain added yeast which I can use in the future as the starter for all the breads. I have a qualification in baking and love making bread as it is a dying art - apart from the fact that I have to get up so early! But the flavour and quality of properly baked bread is worth the time it takes. Our tea-cakes are particularly popular as they are so tasty.”

Steve is running the tearooms as an ecofriendly establishment so the soup-of-the-day and the quiche are meat-free - but there is something for all tastes. The menu is evolving and they are very pro-active to requests.

Afternoon teas are already popular as Steve has an alcohol license until 5pm - surprise afternoon tea parties are currently en vogue!
Steve and Donna are big fans of Enid Blyton and love the idea of afternoon tea with egg sandwiches, cake and lashings of ginger beer.

As well as Steve and Donna and their son and daughter, apprentice Thomas is an integral part of the team. Steve is very keen to upskill all of the staff, too.

Courtesy and good manners can make all of the difference, so visitors are acknowledged as soon as they possibly can be when they walk through the door. In a world where etiquette seems to have taken a back seat, Emily Barrett Tearooms has it in plenty!
Visit Emily Barrett Tearooms at 1 Butcher Row. For more information, visit their Facebook or Twitter.