The Vintage Tea Emporium in East Staffordshire

This is alovely tea room. Staff very pleasant and welcoming. Finish serving hot meals at 14.00 but still sells hot beverages and cakes. We had afternoon Scones and tea. My opinion only, best scones ever tested Definitely worth a visit and the town isn't too bad either.

Traditional tea room. Beautiful food and tea served in best China. So relaxing.

Traditional tea room. Beautiful food and tea served in best China. So relaxing.

Appalling service! I received tea without a strainer, and when I poured it, the waiter offered to fix it. I assumed she'd strain it, but she tipped it away without a word, neglecting to refill the teapot with hot water. Unbelievable! The cake was extremely dry. I really don't recommend this place.

Appalling service! I received tea without a strainer, and when I poured it, the waiter offered to fix it. I assumed she'd strain it, but she tipped it away without a word, neglecting to refill the teapot with hot water. Unbelievable! The cake was extremely dry. I really don't recommend this place.

I took my mum here for lunch and she couldn't chew the numerous grey parts of the smoked salmon in her sandwich. I went downstairs away from the customers to discreetly and politely let the owner/manager know and her response was to keep repeating that thats how smoked salmon is, asking if I have ever encountered smoked salmon before, is it my first experience with smoked salmon? Etc. She said that every slice has this grey part and that's how it comes from the supplier, when she was done insinuating I was a moron she said 'What do you want me to do? Take it back cut it off and return it to the table?' I said yes that would be fine (to be honest that's the least I would expect and industry standard in the first place) and as she was heading upstairs to my mum I let her know that she has Alzheimers so that she didn't bring her attitude to the table and upset my Mum. My mum ended up not wanting anything else as she can struggle with menus and decision making on the spot. The lady who first seated us was lovely and I cannot fault.

Visited for afternoon tea. Lovely sandwiches, scones were beautiful, nice selection of cakes. Everything was fresh and well presented. Gluten free children’s afternoon tea was also lovely. We will definitely be visiting again.

What a lovely little find this was- very friendly welcome very reasonably priced Great food and atmosphere Bonus dog friendly Would recommend the oatcakes

Visted this tea rooms yesterday i asked staff member if they did full English breakfast yes so i orderd one breakfast was not very nice at all the bacon was that over cooked looked like it at been heated up time after time the mushrooms ad been boiled in water i asked for pouched eggs wich were well cooked i never asked for the black pepper on top of them 2 sausages were fresh the tomatoes came inside small jam jar wich were cold the two spoons of beans came inside small jam jar cold aswell the toast was cold rock hard paper thin wen i went to pay for my breakfast the woman was adding it up it came to 34.40 p how can you justify charging this much money for this meal i could of gone into saddlers cafe ad same breakfast for 9.90 and everything would of been properly cooked and hot this will of been my first and last visit to this place thank you

Lovely old fashioned tea shop, well worth a visit.

Real big breakfast served on a hot plate all good quality. Will use again. Thank you.

Warm welcome & fresh leaf tea .. Ordered bacon & scrambled egg sandwich.. wow the bread hand cut super fresh.. with tasty bacon .. creamy scrambled egg.. perfect 10/10 . Highly recommended. Look forward to visiting again.

A really quaint tearoom, chilled, friendly, food is excellent. Well worth a visit if you want a bit of nostalgia...

Love this place, so lovely and relaxing and the service is way above anywhere I have been. Nice and healthy food, definitely recommend.

Very friendly welcome ordered two teas and two fruit scones! Service lovely quality of scones awful ! Not sure if these are freshly baked on site or frozen and microwaved as advertised as warm scones! Should be warm spongy tasteless not even scones contained very little fruit and we’re not something to order again ! To be honest we are as they were +£4! Each scone with 2 small pack of butter and couple of raspberries on a cake stand ! Real shame as lady was lovely! All style no substance I’m afraid won’t be returning!

Very good selection of food and a phenomenal array of various types of tea. Something that would be useful on some of the more obscure blends of tea would be some kind of description of the taste, that way more people might be encouraged to try something new.

Lovely afternoon tea, scones and cream were fabulous. Staff and service was brilliant.

What a splendid discovery in Uttoxeter town centre. The whole experience was truly brilliant. The staff smiling and welcoming an entire tea menu (who knew there was so many!!). Lovely china cups and real tea. The service prompt the food well presented and delicious and above all reasonably priced. We will definitely isn’t again.

Went for afternoon tea. The food was lovely and the lady who served us was great. Highly recommended 😀

Wonderful experience. We went for brunch, great breakfast selection and in charming surroundings. Served with proper pots of loose leaf tea and china cups. The cake selection is home made, meaning very fresh and there was a choice of around 8 cakes. Noticed they had various home made soups which were vegan and gluten free. Lovely atmosphere and friendly service. Have also been a few years ago, it was just as good as remembered and would definitely recommend.

Friendly good food and service.

Nice atmosphere but service was very slow took ages for a scone and soup to appear. Soup was like dishwater as well

Very pleasant from the outside and inside Good menu but service is slow and coffee is made from one of those instant machines you get free in the office

We popped in today and couldn’t have chosen a better place for tea and tea cakes. Lovely atmosphere, and excellent service. Would really recommend a visit if you’re in Uttoxeter.

We found this lovely place by chance and so pleased we did. As new owners of a dog we are always on the look out for dog friendly places to break our journey and eat. I had the Cottage Pie which was home made and lovely, hubby had a bacon sandwich on lovely bakery bread from Ashbourne. You get a proper pot of tea not a 1 cup version with a tea bag stuck in it which meant we had enough tea to enjoy home made cake. Hot food finishes at 2pm but would still pop in for coffee and cake. Anne-Marie our server was lovely, we will be back .

Had the scones with cream and tea was lovely.and the staff were very helpful.

Had a lovely afternoon tea here this place was a great find. Very good selection of teas it was hard to choose. Lady who served me was very friendly and service was very good. I had oatcakes with a cream tea and I could have eaten it all again. Scone was lovely with fresh cream with a strawberry on the top. I've had many cream teas and this was one of the best.

What a gem of tea room. Lovely atmosphere and beautiful decor. Lyla and Freya were our lovely waitresses, very polite and attentive. Food was delicious. Would highly recommend.

Four of us just after lunch service had stopped at 14:00 for tea and cake. Four different combinations ordered including 1 gluten free. They served huge scones with lovely thick cream and a pot of Tiptree jam, a choice of 3 which is good as I have a Strawberry allergy. A huge choice of leaf and herbal teas and coffee . This is all in a lovely tearoom with friendly staff.

Fantastic service and food. I cannot recommend the afternoon tea enough. Everything is freshly made and the scones are still warm.

Small and friendly. Had a lovely taste homemade Cauliflower soup, husband had sandwiches. Both very good. Not the cheapest place but money well spent.

Lovely place friendly staff and good value for money Will be back again

Lovely tearoom good food a good service

I love this place because the tea and coffee cake is delicious and it is homemade cake.The staff are kind, it's affordable and if you haven't been here before I would really consider coming here, its my favourite place. From Tilly age 10

Went here as we were visiting uttoxeter for the day , how glad were we to find this beautiful place , we all partook in warm scones with one having a savoury one , with jam cream butter whatever you wanted , they were the lightest best scones we ve eaten and we ve had a fair few , plenty of different teas and coffees all served on proper China , 2 of us had bacon sandwiches too , they were large ! But delicious , the atmosphere was lovely , nice music and the staff were brilliant , there was quite an extensive menu too ,can’t recommend enough and we will definitely return

Very impressed will visit again when in the area

My husband and I have been a few times and the meals are always very very good. It's a cute restaurant

Popped in today for the first time and really enjoyed our cream tea

Had my daughters birthday here yesterday and had a wonderful time! The food, cake & coffee was absolutely delicious and the staff couldn't do enough to make our time there a delight. Than you Vintage Tea Emporium

A lovely place to visit. I no longer live in Uttoxeter, but I would still come back to visit this lovely tea room for lunch and afternoon tea. The owner and her staff are friendly and helpful, the food is very tasty, and also the beautiful furniture and decor make it a relaxing place to visit. What more could you want from a tea room?

Just had an amazing breakfast, poached eggs best ever, will definitely be back.

Right in the Centre of town with socially distanced seating on 2 levels, and good Covid provision. When we visited for lunch the street level was fully reserved, but tables were available in the basement. A good range of food is offered including hot dishes, salads, jacket potatoes, sandwiches and cakes. Our hot food was very tasty and served piping hot with salad accompaniment. Tea drinkers are very well catered for with lots of specialities, coffee drinkers much less so, although my coffee was perfectly fine. Service was very friendly and helpful but somewhat on the slow side, perhaps because we were downstairs? Prices are competitive.

disgusted with the old swan,so we moved on to the emporium,lovely food ,brill service,spotlessly sanitized,WELL DONE LADIES.

Visited today for the first time with my wife. Excellent service and great food that is both sensibly priced and enjoyable. Well done ladies. 5 Stars.

I visited the Tea Emporium, as a birthday treat for my friend. We arrived early, and were greeted with a warm welcome. Staff wasted no time taking us to our table, then asked what drink we would like to order! They have a great selection of Tea & coffee, this includes decaf. We didn't have to wait long for our afternoon tea to arrive. There was a selection of different sandwiches, cakes, jelly & the biggest scones I've ever seen! Everything was fresh & delicious. 😋 We stayed at the Vintage Tea, for about an 1.5 hours, during that time, we had lovely, friendly table service, endless cups of tea & coffee, and full tummies. We couldn't eat all our selection of cakes, so were given food containers to take them home!😀 This establishment has a wealth of people coming and going, is a lovely setting, and friendly staff. Even though they are very busy, nothing is too much trouble. I will certainly be returning in the future. You are also able to purchase your favourite tea or coffee, to take home & enjoy. Great idea. Thank you Sam for a lovely afternoon tea! 😊

Whenever I get the chance I sneak in here for a secret breakfast. It's great - none of the china matches, the tables are all higgledy piggledy but the service is warm and friendly. And, of course the tea is great! You have got to try it.........

I've been here with my family when they visited and my partner on a separate occasion, nice friendly staff, lots of food and drinks to choose from, they have an extensive tea menu so if you like tea then come here very nice decor and music playing great place

It's a while since I last visited but I went there for lunch Friday. Very interesting and you should try it. I had the Eggs Florentine which arrived with a perfectly poached egg, spinach, lots of strips of smoked salmon, and a nice balanced Hollandaise prawn based sauce. They have an outstanding menu of Teas. It tried an Orange one, excellent. Also a very pleasant White Zifandel Wine, which is a rose colour with delicate and smooth Strawberry hints. A well balanced wine in small bottles. A nutritious meal, new tastes and experiences and for only £15. Try the wines! Good table space, friendly staff, and I noticed they do barn door sized sandwiches for the local big foots to fill those 60 inch waist lines in an ex cattle market town. The cost of rents and rates have killed the poor town of course. Shops ever close, Stores have moved out, it's all Hairdressers, Cafes, Charity Shops and Bookies. Beyond sad. But if you wake up there and fear your dead, lunch at the Tea Emporium, it is a life experience and a cultural change for you. A car park behind is ever half empty with spaces, but pay for a ticket or the prowling Parking Skanks will ticket you. Vermin in suits feed off all. Vintage Tea Emporium is different try it. It makes that sad Dump of a Town bearable. Councils heh? It's a different Cafe approach. Try them. My last review of this shop got c 500 reads which will help them, and so should this one. I don't give good reviews easily. This is real novel English Tea shop with Global teas. Reward innovation, it's our nation. Try the teas and wines.

Been here 3 or 4 time’s now for afternoon tea and it’s by far the best we have had. The sandwiches are so tasty and the scones are divine. Need to try something off the menu next time as other people’s food looked beautiful. Love a proper tea pot too!

I was very impressed with this place. They are clearly making an effort to be a proper tea room, with appropriate decor and a very good choice of high quality loose-leaf teas in proper teapots. They have some good gluten-free options, including a choice of different gluten-free scones. My GF scone was very tasty, held together well, and I'd hardly have known that it was GF. There is lots of seating, on the ground floor and in the basement. The service was friendly and welcoming too. I will definitely return when I'm next in the area.

Absolutely brilliant will definitely be going again

Popped in here as we had an hour to kill before an appointment. The drinks and cake were reasonably priced and were of a good standard. It wasn't that busy and the service was slow, this is what let the rating down more than anything. When we asked for the bill, it also seemed like a hassle - shame as the quirkiness of the decor and the food and drinks were good!

First time to Uttoxeter, first time here. We'd already had lunch earlier, so just ordered a decaf cafetiere for 2. It was slightly weaker than I would normally have, but okay and served in lovely china tea cups. The decor was typical vintage style.

Poached eggs. Reasonable price. But everything tasted of vinegar. The eggs just vinegar tasting even the toast seemed to be drenched in vinegar. Shame as it spoiled the meal. Prompt service but overall taste was just of vinegar. Then we were given a bill for over £18 for just to plates of poached eggs. Obviously wrong but no apology.

My sister and I went for lunch , my first choice unavailable , my second choice , ham sandwich - thin fatty ham and stale salad , staff miserable - really ?? Don’t bother !

Me and family turned up for tea and cake at 15.20 bear it in mind they don’t close to 1600 the tables upstairs were busy so I went to go down stairs and this young girl said it was closed down stairs I replied I will go somewhere else and she said sarcastically go on then I’m a regular I go in there one or twice a week I’m so disappointed

Thank you so much all the staff at vintage tea, I was able to enjoy a gorgeous afternoon with my family without having to compromise. That vegan maple flapjack was absolutely amazing. I've still got cake left and I'm saving it for my dessert. Great service, gorgeous food and always love the atmosphere.

This place is lovely with its theme and all BUT if you only have an hour before you go to work don’t go here, 40 minutes for 2 cheese and bacon oatcakes! Not too sure whether they had to make the cheese or kill the pig first. This really let the place down and I don’t think despite being locals, that we will go here again. Shame really but there you go, it only takes one bad visit

Enjoyed the coffee here as it was just the right strength. Friendly service and pleasant atmosphere.

I have used it 3 times now. Excellent range of teas, very wide and well served. Tables good size, adequate room, clean and tidy. Friendly staff. An adequate range of snack food,s, but geared more to local demand.Bacon sandwiches etc. I had Fish pie, and before I visited I had egg based dishes. All OK, . They do single wine bottles.. Tourist grade. Good coffees etc. Well worth using as the unique teas make it. Prices standard for similar places. But the teas are the best range for miles. Parking on the public parks and the Parking Traffic Rats trawl often in twos, so make sure the meters are paid up. One pound buys you two hours and after 3 its free. But Uttoxeter has become such a dreadful dump of a town with closures everywhere, Business rates and rents have killed it. It's now full of Charity shops, hairdressers,, Bookies and pubs., Even the main food stores have moved out. Uttoxeter is the sad shape of things to come as towns fold under brain dead council tax grabs., as they load their own pensions, and like High Peaks Council take years to clear planning for new developments. As poor JCB found with the 106 demands, which has cost them 3 years so far. Uttoxeter is now a dead dump, and this Tea Shop at least is tenable Why anyone would visit the town today ??????????????????? The Councils are killing them. Pathetic Planners and grossly unfair rates. It's a pity. Time to really rethink Councils.

Excellent service by lovely polite staff. The afternoon tea was excellent value. As I’m unable to tolerate dairy food my needs were catered for. I would never have thought to use coconut cream for a scone by it was fab. Thank you vintage tea room.

We only had coffee but it was very good. I asked for a weaker one and that was done no problem. We were able to get 3 cups from one cafetiere. The waitress who took our order was very friendly and welcoming. However the decor was very frilly and feminine and i guess some men would be put off at this. Fine if they only want to attract women. However we did enjoy the drinks.

This restaurant has much to commend itself:

What a lovely place from the moment you walk in you were made to feel welcome we were seated down stairs the afternoon tea was lovely hot leaf tea and an array of delicious sandwiches , lovely fresh scones with cream and jam and cakes to choose from on your tray . The staff were lovely the young waitress even offered to take a picture for us Thankyou for making our day lovely ,we definitely will be back

Called in on a Monday morning. Most of Uttoxer is closed on a Monday. Lovely window display of teacups. Very welcoming staff, even happy to accommodate our poodle! Good quality pot of tea.

Had a lovely time enjoying tea with my boyfriend, and wondered how on earth this beautiful tea room was empty when it’s such a lovely space. However, after leaving I realised I had left my phone plugged into the socket next to my seat. Returned to get my phone back, and the woman working rudely and loudly confronted us in front of the whole room by saying “next time ask to use the plugs!” I was so shocked at being spoken to like this as everywhere else I have been for coffee it has never been a problem using plugs. I left feeling really deflated and embarrassed by her addressing me this way. I was thinking of having my hen do tea and friends baby shower there, however I will not even be returning for a cup of tea.

As we were on holiday this week we went for an afternoon tea with some of the family. It was lovely and we will go again for sure.

this gem of a place is charming in every way and the food and drink is first class however the staffing levels are often poor and some of them positively ignore the door chime meaning that a lot of customers in the morning give up and leave without being seen or greeted. i have had a few experiences like this myself and witnessed others coming in, waiting and after 10 mins leaving again without staff even saying hello. it says something about the place that i keep going back despite this lacksidsical attitude in the mornings.. Not somewhere to go in a hurry, service is good but trying to pay to leave can result in another 10-15 min stand at the till. Worth it despite the drawbacks

What a lovely atmosphere in here. I love all the china teapots, homemade cakes and especially the oatcakes! Staffordshire speciality not to be missed!!

The tea rooms don't normally open for food in the evenings but this was a one-off Christmas meal where they opened for the evening. The atmosphere was lovely, all candlelit and Christmassy. Food was good as was the service. They didn't rush us and the meal length was a good time without being overly long. My only comment on the food was that Christmassy bits like parsnips had been snuck on to the plate where they wouldn't normally be, which was a bit strange. As John and Greg would say on Masterchef - too much on the plate. I had the baked salmon with a tomato and fish sauce so didn't really need a parsnip! That's me being picky! Otherwise, a lovely night and I would recommend.

The Christmas supper menu was really good (particularly the vegetarian option) and the fairy light decor really added to the atmosphere. The service was great and the food was fabulous and plentiful. In fact we enjoyed it so much we went back the next day for the cream tea which is also lovely.

Swung in for a tea and a cake after a family day out. Very nice with friendly staff, staff even brought a miniature tea cup for our 2 year old daughter. Would recommend.

Lovely tea room. Nice staff, good food, lovely styling, quick service.

We had taken a trip into Uttoxeter to do a bit of Christmas shopping. Having passed The Vintage Tea Emporium we decided to pop in on our way back to our car for a drink and a quick bite. The premises looked lovely. We arrived at just before 11:50 and asked if it was possible to still have something off the 'breakfast' menu. As it was before 12 we were told 'yes'. We ordered a hot chocolate and a pot of black tea, one scrambled egg on toast and a bacon sandwich. Both drinks arrived promptly. As the tea is leaf tea it would be reasonable to expect to have a tea strainer but there was non provided. When I was able to eventually get hold of the waitress I asked her if I was to leave the tea leaves to settle at the bottom of the cup or was there a tea strainer available. Her response was 'oh' and then went off and arrived a few minutes later with the tea strainer and a fresh pot of tea by way of an apology. However, when we arrived at the café it wasn't really busy and we would have expected to have had our food promptly after our drinks. This was not the case, we eventually got our food at nearly 12:20 - almost 1/2 hr after we had arrived. We were very disappointed with the length of wait, the quantity of scrambled egg on the toast, which barely covered the bread (I saw another portion which had been ordered by another customer and it was FAR bigger) - and the bacon sandwich was tepid - no condiments were offered at any time. Sadly, I think this will be our one and only visit to this business.

Delightful tea rooms. We visited to grab tea and scones. Loved the China cups and scones were delicious. A lovely friendly atmosphere.

Two tiered tea shop excellent cream tea uses dainty unique cups & saucers local old town friendly service.

We only popped into town to grab some thermals for our Alton Towers trip and we walked past this kitsch tea room and it was filled

Went here with my granddaughter after a girly afternoon shopping in the town. It makes her feel very grown up. They serve tea in lovely China pots and cups. The cake is very good value for money.

I took my mother there for afternoon tea as we were early for an appointment , it was lovely and a nice change from the normal cafes when needing a cup of tea.

I met my friend for tea and cake at the vintage tea emporium. I’ve been many times but this time seemed different. The side boards were clear and it seemed to lack the Quirkiness that is previously fallen in love with. The cake was lovely - scones! Massive, fresh and tasty. But it lacked something .......

What a lovely place, great food, great value for money and great service. Thank you to my lovely friends for arranging this..

Excellent chicken caesar salad at excellent price. Friendly, helpful staff. Plenty of choice on the menu. Not keen on the downstairs area but ok at street level.

Quirky tea rooms with a nice selection of food, and to be fair our sandwiches were very tasty but it took an age for them to be served to us, it took a reminder to the waitress before they arrived.This appeared to be the norm as other tables around appeared to be waiting an eternity!

Excellent afternoon tea. Choice of scones, jams & teas! Friendly and efficient service, good value. Will be back.

I found the premises to be very cramped and the chairs were quite uncomfortable. The food was good though and the range of tea was good.

If afternoon tea is your thing then this of course is the place to go. Really lovely welcoming friendly place in the heart of town :-)

Nice surroundings, though a little cramped. Good selection on the menu, though not if you want gluten free! Friendly staff, just not enough of them so service a little slow.

I love the tea emporium. It is a little pricey, but the food is delicious a d the staff are always really friendly and helpful. Great for a treat or a special occasion

We had seen this lovely tea room and decided to book an afternoon tea for a baby shower. The process was very simple. The afternoon tea menu was extensive. It included a selection of six finger sandwiches. Scone jam and cream, small squares of lovely moist cakes, a cup cake and the most amazing lemon posset. Drinks from their extensive drinks menu including teas, coffee, hot chocolate and soft drinks.

We've heard about this lovely little tea emporium off friends so while we were in Uttoxeter we decided to give it a try. It was lunch time and it was busy so we had a little wait but not too long so all was well. The cakes were delicious and the scones which are light and fluffy were just a wonder to the tastebuds and they tasted lush. The decor is beautiful and it was nice just to spend a little time with a close friend in a lovely environment eating cakes and consuming tea.

Myself and my friend had afternoon tea here on Saturday. We booked in advance which I would recommend to do!

Huge selection of teas, and the food is extremely good. I'd highly recommend a visit. I felt very welcome and its just got a really nice atmosphere.

Uttoxeter,along with Leek and Lichfield are 3 places in Staffordshire very much on the up with lovely roundabouts full of flowers and sculptures which impress.This Tea Room is splendid and we were well looked after by Freya who was prompt,courteous,charming and efficient in every way.Tea Strainers-no tea bags here!!- added to the ambience and the teacakes were top notch.

Called in for a coffee and had a lovely scone, cream and butter. China cups and a huge variety of teas. This place is well worth a visit.

We brought our parents here for afternoon tea and would recommend hands down from the booking process to the service and food can not fault them and will be revisiting 🌟

A wonderful treat from my daughter. The afternoon tea was delicious with tasty sandwiches, warm scones, and gorgeous tiny cakes. Really substantial, so much so that we came home with doggy bags full of treats for later.

I bought my mum here for a belated mothers day celebration and I can whole heartedly say we will be returning!

We chose this café for an afternoon drink because it is conveniently in the centre of the town. The staff are friendly and helpful, everywhere was very clean and the drinks were reasonably priced.

We went today just to try some fancy tea. It was very delicious. But I ordered the camomile and it was really hard to pour it! Maybe I was doing it wrong. Regardless it was very nice and the woman who served us was very friendly and offered us some recommendations for things to do in the town.

Went to VTR with my friend. I don’t think there are many places to go in uttoxeter so this is lovely. Haven’t been for a while and the menu has changed. Personally I loved the roast beef sandwiches and the lasagne and neither are now on the menu. So I had the quiche and it was lovely. Of course - we had a pot of tea! The tea leaves drive me mad though, I prefer a t bag - but it’s all part of the quaintness! Lovely atmosphere, everyone’s pleasant and the home made cake is out of this world!