IN THE COMPANY OF: Carrie and Tony Wilkinson, owners of the much-loved Harrogate Tea Rooms

Name: Caroline Wilkinson

Company name: The Harrogate Tea Rooms

Job title: Owners

Company address: 9 Westminster Arcade, Parliament Street, Harrogate, HG1 2RN

Website address: www.harrogatetearooms.co.uk

Company founded: 2012

Number of staff: 2

In a nutshell, what does your company do and how did it start?

We pride ourselves on making and providing locally sourced and homemade produce, scones and cakes.

Other than the locally made bread, everything else is made on site.

What is your role within the business?

Baker, chef, marketer and chief perfectionist.

If you weren't doing this, what would you be doing?

Probably something back in NHS – I was a Podiatrist there for 20 years and I do miss patient interaction and that irreplaceable feeling of helping people.

What motivates you?

My family and an inner desire to make people happy with what we do.

What is one thing that you wish you had known when you started out in business?

That it’s about adapting, working longer hours than anticipated and using feedback positively.

What excites you about business?

When we try new ideas and they work, plus it’s lovely to receive the great comments from customers who enjoy what we do.

What is your pet hate within business?

The unknown…

What advice would you give to people just starting their careers?

Be prepared to expect the unexpected and don’t think there are set working hours.

It’s a 24 hour role of thinking, planning, strategising and implementation.

Who in business do you most admire, and why?

Can we say ourselves?

I think we’ve come a long way from being employed to now running our own small business.

What moments of your career so far stand out?

There are so many; being on the television, radio, doing a charity shoot for Marie Curie, delivering baked goods to the local NHS and care homes during the pandemic, being in Malcolm Hollingdrake’s The Harrogate Crime series books, having celebrities visit us, being fully open again after Covid – there are lots of nice moments

Did the Covid-19 pandemic affect your business? If so, how did you adapt during such a tough time and what did you learn

Dramatically – both emotionally and financially.

We decided to adapt by doing takeaways, deliveries, Afternoon Tea at home and set up a website to offer postal deliveries.

Is your business currently experiencing any challenges at the moment?

Yes – energy and food costs have soared.

The Westminster Arcade costs have increased and the Arcade itself is half empty which doesn’t help footfall.

This itself is down dramatically as people tighten their purse strings and we cannot afford staff to help us so it’s hard to work seven days a week.

What sets your company apart from the competition?

I think the honest answer to this is consistency and great Yorkshire service.

We make a great team – Tony welcoming and hosting and me baking and preparing in the kitchen.

Have you got a five-year plan for the company?

We tend to think more short term now as the last five years have shown us to expect the unexpected.

Why is it good to do business in Harrogate?

It’s a beautiful, Victorian town, unique, rich in history and a wonderful place to live and work.

However, our iconic Westminster Arcade is the last surviving Victorian Arcade in Harrogate and we don’t feel the town really celebrates or treasures it enough as so many local folk don’t know it even exists.

Well, if you’re reading this, you do now, so please pop and see us all.

We are full of great independents and perhaps a clotted cream tea might entice you?

For more information about The Harrogate Tea Rooms, visit https://www.harrogatetearooms.co.uk/ or head to their Facebook page.