We visit Smallwood Lodge Tea Room in Newport, Shropshire, and take a look at there lovely garden and panelled rooms. Best of all if you fancy a change in life, it could be your, as the owner is planning to retire.
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00:00 Smallwood Lodge Tea Rooms, gorgeous property. You were saying it's one of only a couple of
00:05 of the old houses that survived the the great fire in Newport.
00:09 One of two that survived the great fire. Yeah this one and the Guildhall which is a bit further down.
00:15 Yeah and it's how many years old did you say? 710. 710 years old.
00:21 What a beautiful setting for a tea room. You've got the lovely panelled walls inside and the
00:28 old coach house originally is that what it used to be? Yeah there was I think there was four maybe
00:35 four horses in there and the coach. Yeah. Still have got the original hay bale things and the
00:42 feeding troughs in there. Yeah. Yeah we've obviously had to cover the hobble floor with
00:48 a raised floor because it's so uneven but yeah still all there. Any ghosts? Yeah apparently we've
00:55 got quite a few. Yeah. There's a lady sits on the stairs dressed in Tudor clothes. Yeah. It's not
01:02 Anne Boleyn but yeah I'm usually very much like quite a few customers I've seen here. There's a
01:08 chap sits by this window. Yeah. Here just below in an armchair. Yeah lots of. When a building's
01:17 this old it's so much history so many stories you know. Yeah and you were saying. It's got a lovely
01:21 atmosphere to it though. Yeah. And Anne Boleyn we think stayed at the big house that would have been
01:26 at the back there so that's. Yeah I don't think she would have stayed in this because this I think
01:30 would have been where the coachman. Yeah. I think I'm not totally sure. Yeah yeah. So um it's a tea
01:37 room um how long have you had it? It'll be 10 years in August. Yeah. And any kind of particular
01:44 specialties that you you do on the menu what is it you're good at do you know what I mean?
01:49 Well we've got a very good chef and we've got a very good baker as well so quite lucky in both
01:56 ways we've got the cakes are all homemade and fresh. Yeah. And we do a lot of afternoon teas.
02:04 Okay. Champagne afternoon teas because we are licensed as well. Yeah. Um yeah you have special
02:10 events you've got a tapas night coming up. Oh yeah we're thinking of maybe in June sometime
02:15 when the weather's a bit warm we can sit out in the evening doing a tapas evening. Yeah fantastic.
02:20 But yeah just lots of nice salad, new summer menu coming out in June as well. Yeah. Um with lots of
02:31 fresh salads and things on there. So you're going to be stepping down from the helm then? You've
02:37 done your bit. Yes I am looking to be fine. It's not an easy job is it when in a tea room is it
02:42 there's a lot of work involved isn't it? You are on your feet all day. Yeah. Um but I've enjoyed it.
02:48 Yeah but it is time for me to put my feet up. Yeah spend a bit more time sitting drinking and eating
02:57 the afternoon tea rather than preparing it. Yeah. Yeah. So. You've had a good 10 years here though
03:02 met some nice people. I've met some lovely people I mean some of the customers from when I started
03:07 are still coming so yeah. That's great yeah. Yeah and the staff are all great as well we're a good team
03:13 and stick together. Kill. Work well.