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A tea room described as "Nottingham's best kept secret" will close at the end of the week to the dismay of customers who love the hidden gem.

Celebrity chef Rick Stein once complimented the afternoon tea, while BBC news presenter Quentin Raynor declared "there are no better eggs benedict in town."

But Thea Caffea, nestled in a secluded spot at Enfield Chambers, behind Low Pavement's shop frontages, has become the latest victim of the current climate around the Broadmarsh area.

The traditional tea room will close at the end of this week, on Friday, July 12. The loss of the independent family-run business follows a string of chain restaurant closures on the street including Jamie's Italian, Carluccio's and Prezzo.

Quintessentially English in design and menu, the 86-seater tea room became an oasis of calm away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre when it first opened in 2012, accessed via a gap between Cartwheel Coffee and Peter's shoemakers and restorers.

Customer Joe Corr said: "It's such a shame and a sign of the times. Whenever I am with my mum in town she always wants to go here. The food and service are always top notch at a reasonable price. I don't know where we are going to go now as we have found nothing in Nottingham that compares."

BBC East Midlands Today presenter Quentin Rayner tweeted: "It seems my favourite tea room in Nottingham is about to close. Very sad to see it go. There are no better eggs benedict in town."



Di Burrows reacted: "Oh no! A lil taste (literally) of elegance in our city."

The elegant surroundings of chandeliers, linen tablecloths, and black and white chequered floor coupled with old-fashioned values transported customers back to a bygone era where waitresses in black uniforms and white pinafores served loose leaf in vintage china tea pots and food, all homemade in the kitchen.

As well as afternoon tea, which celebrity chef Rick Stein raved about while in Nottingham for a book signing in 2015, the tea room served a traditional menu with breakfast and light lunches, including handmade English muffins, Lincolnshire plum bread, scones, scrambled eggs on toast, rarebit and smoked salmon sandwiches.

Flowering teas which unfurled in the teapot were one of the specialities and it was a place where the teapots and crockery were Instagrammed as much as the cake.

Months after opening owner Carolyn Cavell, a mother-of-four, was named Notts Inspirational Women of the Year in 2013.

In her nomination, her daughter Helena told how she had come to set up the business: "During the depths of recession she had the vision and inspiration to take over Enfield Chambers, a derelict city centre building which had remained empty since the early 1990s, to create a very special traditional English tea room,Thea Caffea.

"Not only has she undertaken the renovations herself, she has been responsible for every element of the business, from its conception to the current day to day management, despite not having any previous experience in the service industry.



"Her passion and commitment has ensured that Thea Caffea has become an established favourite."