After five years of hard work, much merriment and lots of cream cakes, John & Annie Deeley, the owners of the award winning ‘Annie’s Tea Rooms, Garden & Gallery,’ in Godney near Wells, have, somewhat reluctantly, decided to hang up the proverbial ’spotty pinny’ for the last time.
This means they will not be reopening at Easter as originally planned. The Tea Rooms received a lot of recognition from local and national press, not least of which was being included in The Independent newspaper as one of ‘The 50 Best Tea Rooms’ in the UK and winning the top Taste of the West Gold Award in the Tea Room/Cafe category. As a result they found this put them on a much bigger map than they ever anticipated. People started coming from North Wales, London, Cambridge, in fact, all over the UK, including holiday-makers passing through Somerset on their way to Devon, Cornwall and Dorset, to visit them, in ever increasing numbers.
John & Annie ran the Tea Rooms from their home; an old Somerset Dairy Barn, in the small village of Godney on the Somerset Levels. Consequently, they found themselves seriously questioning the practicality and logistics of continuing and decided, after much soul searching, that it would really be best to quit while they they’re ahead. In an attempt to avoid any disappointment would be visitors would feel if they were to venture out and find the Tea Rooms no longer open, they are doing everything they can to spread the news of their decision.
They have loved every minute and are extremely grateful to everyone involved who has helped; including friends, neighbours, staff, suppliers, local artists, the press and all the great people they have had the opportunity to meet since first opening. Following their big decision they find themselves feeling ‘heavy hearted and light headed all at the same time.’ As the news has begun to spread, they have been flooded with messages of support from well wishers expressing their disappointment but understanding and would just like to thank everyone, once again.
