DAINTY finger sandwiches followed by homemade cakes and scones served on vintage stands with loose leaf tea in antique teapots, cups and saucers – the perfect afternoon tea treat!
What’s more, it’s delivered straight to your door!
Room Forty in Woolston – a vintage mobile afternoon tea emporium - is the latest winner in our Best of 2024 awards – Warrington’s Best for Afternoon Tea.
In April, we launched our Best of 2024 competition and we’ve given out 16 awards.
- Best for Hair - Kate Lucy Hair Studio
- Best for Pies - Tomlins Bakehouse
- Best for Nails - By Maisie Beck
- Best for Roast Dinner - The Blue Bell
- Best for Cocktails - Dead Eyes
- Best for Breakfast – CJ’s Coffee House
- Best for Fish and Chips - Plaice Station
- Best Beer Garden - The Ferry Tavern
- Best for Fitness – Tommy O’Connor
- Best for Tattoos – Sam Small Ink
- Best Independent Shop or Business – Manic Minors Toystore
- Best for Dessert – White Lace Bakery
- Best for Kids – Velocity Dance
- Best for Pets – Victoria Park Vets
- Best for Beauty – LUXE Salon & Training
- Best for Pizza – San Lorenzo
Voting for Warrington’s Best Burgers is currently taking place and we’re also looking for nominations in our latest search - Best Gym.
Vote for Warrington’s Best Burgers 2024
Nominate your favourite for Warrington’s Best Gym 2024
Ten top afternoon teas in Warrington made the shortlist for the latest Best of 2024 award and Room Forty has taken this year’s coveted crown.
Jen Perry set up Room Forty – a pun on Room for Tea – in April 2016 as a mobile afternoon tearoom.
The award-winning business is based at Jen’s home in Woolston but they set up afternoon tea treats across the north west.
Jen Perry set up Room Forty in 2016
Jen, who is proud to be a local Warrington girl, said: “Room Forty is a mobile vintage afternoon tea emporium and baking school.
“For the afternoon teas, I make and bake everything myself and then deliver and serve at customers’ homes or venues.
“I don’t buy in any pre-manufactured produce - I bake it all.”
The Room Forty afternoon tea is a traditional one, recreating a 1930s vintage vibe.
They offer individual dainty cakes, scones and clotted cream and finger sandwiches all served on vintage china and on vintage tablecloths.
Tea is loose leaf, of course.
All the treats are homemade by Jen
Jen said: “Every event is different.
“As an event manager in a previous role, I really thrive on helping the host with making their event memorable and successful.
“We’ve even helped the army with logistics!
“I don’t have a menu as such and I’ll bake different cakes every time.
“Only the scones are standard and my customers say they’re the best they’ve ever had.”
Jen started the baking school in 2017 and specialises in baking bread.
The baking school pops up at venues across Warrington and other localities and Jen thinks she’s taught more than 1,200 people how to bake the perfect loaf.
Why did Jen decide to launch her own business eight years ago?
Jen said: “I had an idea and went for it.
“I gave up a relatively safe, secure and well-paid job to follow my dream.
“I’m now in my ninth year and haven’t looked back.
“I love it – I get to share in the special celebrations of families and friends.
“It’s the only job where you get a hug from the host when they meet you for the first time as they’re always so excited, and the reviews they give say we always deliver on expectations.”
Room Forty delivers afternoon tea to customers' homes or party venues
She added: “The business combines my loves of baking, vintage and tea!
“We are unique in what we do as we come to the customer and I also help with their event planning.
“As for the food, I make and bake everything myself - nothing is bought in, so I know the provenance of all my food, and our vintage crockery is all high quality and looks spectacular.
“I don’t know of any other business that provides a mobile service like mine.”
What do customers think about Room Forty? Why did they want the business to win our latest Best of 2024 award?
One nomination said: “All freshly made from scratch, local ingredients, beautiful vintage crockery.”
Another said: “Jen makes the best scones ever!”
Jen said: “I like to think that I make my customers happy, provide good value and good food.
“I also help the with the planning of their special day - I take the catering worry away from them.
“I come in and set up, serve, clean up and leave and this means the host can relax and enjoy the day.
“The best thing about my job is the people I get to meet and the variety of the work.
“One day I’ll be baking for an afternoon tea, the next teaching a class of people who really want to master bread making.
“My latest collaboration is a meditation and baking workshop in a monastic retreat centre near Liverpool.
“I am never bored!”
Room Forty is a vintage 1930s afternoon tea experience
When Jen found out Room Forty had won Warrington’s Best for Afternoon Tea, she was “absolutely delighted” as she didn’t think she’d win “being up against such stiff competition”.
Jen said: “We were completely and utterly thrilled to hear we’d won and I still can’t believe it - I’m so pleased.
“Warrington is my hometown and the place I love, so it means so much.
“Many of my customers have become friends over the years and they are incredibly supportive.
“I couldn’t do this crazy job without them and I cannot thank them enough.”
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