Tilly's Tearoom opens in Midhurst
Husband and wife team Neil and Teresa Canning have revamped Chantilly Vintage Tea after it closed several months ago, re-opening it as Tilly’s.
Neil, who worked as a professional chef for many years, said the community had been very supportive since the eatery opened on April 24.
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Hide AdHe said: “We’re pleased, considering we’re a new business, the premises had been shut for quite a number of months.
“We’re starting from scratch as it were.
“We’ve had a lot of people come in and say ‘this is just what Midhurst needs’.
“We didn’t want to be terribly modern or vintage, we’ve gone for middle of the road, modern with a twist in it.
“‘Elegant rustic’ is what a customer described it as, which I take as a compliment.”
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Hide AdHe said the small shop area was just the right size for the business, which he and Teresa will run between them, so they can give a good service to their customers.
Neil has worked for more than three decades as a chef, working in a five-star restaurant, among others, while Teresa’s background is in hospitality and running a family business.
Their shop offers a range of homemade soups, savoury tarts, scones, cakes and biscuits but it’s the cakes that Neil is most looking forward to serving up, having learnt to make them in college.
Gluten free and vegan options will be included and the couple are confident their culinary delights will go down a treat.
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Hide AdNeil said: “We’ve been coming to Midhurst for years, going for a coffee and going shopping and we thought it was a lovely area because all the people are very friendly and very welcoming.
“It’s always something I’d like to have done. I’ve been a chef for 30 odd years and it just happened to be Midhurst because we’d always liked it here.”
Chantilly Vintage Tea at Hill House was opened in January last year by self-taught caterer Clare Barclay, offering light lunches and afternoon teas in 1940s and 1950s decor.