HAVE you ever dreamed of owning your own tea room where you can serve up delicious cakes in an idyllic village?
Well now is your chance to make that career change and jump on this once in a life-time chance to run a village shop and team room in Berkshire.
An entrepreneurial family is being sought to live in the rural village of Englefield near Reading where you'll live in a four-bedroom family home next door the shop.
The home is included in the lease.
James Holbrook-Bull, on behalf of the shop’s owner the Englefield Estate, said: “Englefield Stores and tea rooms is the real heart of the village and this is an opportunity for people with the right mix of community spirit and commercial acumen to drive the business forward. It’s a once-in-a-generation chance to develop a thriving business in a beautiful location.”
The shop currently offers all essential groceries, while the adjoining tea rooms provide 18 covers indoors, plus a courtyard space for outdoor seating.
The tea rooms come complete with a fitted kitchen for food and drink preparation and a WC for customers.
The 18th Century listed home next door, which features four double bedrooms, ample living space, a family bathroom, large garden, and parking, is due to be fully refurbished for the new tenants.
The historic village, which is referenced in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Englefel, attracts visitors to Englefield Garden Centre which is open seven days a week, and the private gardens of Englefield House which open every Monday throughout the year.
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The vibrant village community includes a number of small businesses, a primary school, children’s nursery, village hall, and community garden all within walking distance of the shop, as well as the pretty St Mark’s Church, where Kate Middleton’s sister Pippa married James Matthews in 2018.
Yet the bustle of city life is not too far away, with a railway station at Theale, less than five minutes’ drive away, connecting to Reading and London Paddington.
As with all village shops, Englefield Stores is the hub of the community, never more so than when current operators Andy and Laura Allen and their family supported residents during the Covid-19 lockdowns, providing essential supplies, deliveries, support, and companionship to older, more vulnerable, and isolating members of the community.
Andy said: “We’ve really enjoyed being part of the Englefield community for the last 15 years. We would like to thank residents and the Englefield Estate for making us feel welcome and supporting us during our time here.”
James added: “Everyone at the Englefield Estate would like to wish Andy and Laura all the very best for their future. They and their family have been an integral part of the community for many years, and we’d like to thank them for their dedication to the village.”
Those interested in leasing the property should contact the Englefield Estate Office on 0118 930 2504 or office@englefield.co.uk. Particulars are available upon request.
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