I wish this place had opened in London. I know it’s not in London but worth a mention so read it! 😛

I LOVE the concept of a Tearoom and Bookshop. The thought of relaxing on a sofa and reading a good book is just priceless. So when an old colleague and friend shared his news of his latest venture- I HAD to share it. Not because I am biased (may be) but knowing him and genuinely a fan of such a venture- I wanted to share it in the hope that whoever lives close by or visits the area, should check out Beatons and share their experience. Here’s an excerpt from their press release and some photos.

 

“Crowthorne, Berkshire, is to be home to the next Beatons Tearooms and Bookshop franchise, and set to open for the new year. The vibrant village stood out as being the perfect location according to Sandhurst owner of the franchise, Paul Mitchell, who searched well twelve months before securing the former Samsung shop at the bottom of Crowthorne High Street. He believes Beatons will offer both added value to village residents – currently without a bookshop – and help attract more businesses from Crowthorne’s large catchment area which borders Hampshire and Surrey.

‘Beatons is so much more than a unique combined tearooms and bookshop’, says Paul ‘it’s an elegant and restorative oasis to have delicious home made hot food too, with ‘gracious hospitality’ at its heart.’ All Beatons have stylish Cecil Beaton inspired interiors, provide full table service offering over 25 loose leaf teas; regional coffee blends; home made cakes and light food served in bespoke Villeroy and Boch china. Beatons flagship tearooms opened five years ago in the beautiful village of Tisbury, Wiltshire where society photographer Cecil Beaton once lived. It has expanded both west and north to Blandford and Chester, both by coincidence locations with a strong military presence and history. Crowthorne is no exception with Wellington College at its epicentre.

Paul – who has a glowing 25 year career in high profile retail – was looking for a business to make his own to create a legacy for his three children. He was attracted to the values based group with its focus on community involvement and ethos of integrity and looks forward to running Beatons Crowthorne with his wife, Chére. Paul is already making local connections and sharing his brand of Beatons’ ‘sparkle’ in the shape of witty tea-related puns on twitter as @BeatonsBerks.

Best-selling Tea Poet and Creative Consultant to the group, Liz Darcy Jones, has written a poem in praise of Crowthorne’s unique characteristics – the group encourages the arts as part of their brand and commissions a poem for each new Beatons. She has managed to mention Wellington College, Broadmoor, the now extinct ‘broomdashers’, and the magic phrase ‘FREE Parking’ into her piece after spending two days’ researching Crowthorne during the summer, although she says the overriding quality she discovered was genuine friendliness.

Patrick Duffy, Founder and MD of Beatons Franchising Ltd said, ‘With Beatons Crowthorne – in Paul’s able hands – along with Tisbury, Blandford and Chester, we will have created a strong platform for a national brand people equate with generous value and exceptional service.’ 

For further information on opening date and details visit www.beatonstearooms.co.uk”

I’d love to hear about your experience if you’ve been here! 🙂