Staff at Bettys in Northallerton are basking in the national spotlight after the tea room was named the very best place in the UK to enjoy afternoon tea.
Against competition from a high standard of entrants, Bettys Northallerton scooped The Tea Guild’s prestigious award for Top Tea Place 2012 – the highest accolade in the tea world. The branch was voted into the top spot after a near perfect score from the Guild’s incognito inspectors who are all tea experts and judge each tea room against 16 categories of criteria.
It’s high praise not just for the 72 people who work at Bettys in Northallerton but also for the bakers and confectioners who make our bread, cakes and specialities each day, and our tea buyers who purchase and blend the tea.
Judges praised the branch for its delightful surroundings, affable staff and the ‘quietly efficient’ service that guests enjoyed. They were impressed by the variety and amount of sandwiches, scones and delicious cakes and were bowled over by the excellent selection of teas and staff’s exceptional knowledge.
Head of the Tea Guild, Irene Gorman, said: “Bettys Café Tea Rooms in Northallerton offers a truly special tea experience and this award is very well deserved. The very friendly welcome, relaxing and pleasant ambiance helps make afternoon tea at Bettys in Northallerton a real pleasure. It is no wonder that families and groups of friends of all ages truly enjoy the Bettys tea experience.”
Manager Lindsay Judd added: “We’re very proud to be members of the Tea Guild and to be given this Award is a huge honour. We aim to give our customers the very best afternoon tea experience possible and all our staff work tirelessly to make our tea rooms a great place to relax and enjoy the highest quality food and tea. We know just how important it is to get all aspects of afternoon tea exactly right.”
Bettys Northallerton has twice won the Tea Guild’s top award – this year and in 1987. Three members of staff were working there the first time round. It’s the fourth time Bettys has been presented with the Top Tea Place of the Year Award – our Harrogate and Ilkley tea rooms have also been recognised in the past.
Recently, Bettys Northallerton celebrated its 40th anniversary at the heart of the community in the town. The branch attracts 165,000 customers a year and serves visitors more than 54,000 pots of tea.
Enjoy Afternoon Tea at Bettys Northallerton >
