Suffolk: Long Melford Tea Room reopens with new owners

Long Melford Tea Room, on Hall Street, has changed ownership and opened again, but the new owners say they are keeping everything "exactly the same".

The tea room reopened under Richard and Lisa Fenn on Monday, March 13, after being closed for around five days.

Richard and Lisa Fenn are the new owners of Long Melford Tea Room. (Image: Charlotte Bond, Newsquest)

Richard and Lisa Fenn are the new owners of Long Melford Tea Room. (Image: Charlotte Bond, Newsquest)

Richard Fenn said they decided to take over after Terese and Glenn Broadbent, who previously ran the tea room, made the decision to retire.

Mr Fenn said: "We have always been big fans of the tea room. When Terese retired, we felt that it was something we had always wanted.

"We are keeping everything exactly the same, including the menu. My wife is doing all the baking. All our cakes are homemade, our scones are locally sourced, and we bake them fresh every morning. 

"We have so many different cakes. The toffee apple cake has been a winner."

Their special Easter cakes included hot cross buns, crème egg cookies, mini egg cookies, and a mini egg cake.

The couple live in Liston, only a few minutes from the high street cafe, and have lived in the area for just over two years.

Customers enjoying a bite to eat at Long Melford Tea Room. (Image: Charlotte Bond, Newsquest)

The Long Melford Tea Room now has new owners. (Image: Charlotte Bond, Newsquest)

The cafe joins the new Ivy and Bond tea room in Long Melford, and the couple say they have had a "lovely" reception from the village, near Sudbury.

Mr Fenn added: "It is going really really well. We have been made very welcome by the people of Long Melford. Lovely people."

The tea room, which opened for the first time in 2016, was named among the best eateries in the world in 2022, when it was granted a Travellers' Choice Award on TripAdvisor.

The award placed the cafe among the best 10% in the world for their customer reviews.