To think that tea rooms close too early

[CoolForCats09]

This probably sounds like a totally pointless thread but this kind of annoys me - why do most tea rooms close at 4?
I get that places might open early so close early but I'd love to find more places that are open until 5 at least. I think ideal tea and cake time is about 4ish but there's never anywhere open by then, unless it's Costa.

Has anyone else ever thought the same?

I agree.
Opening at 11 and staying open until 6 ish (last orders maybe at 5 or 5.30) seems a much more sensible timing to me.

Yes!! One near us has just opened and is doing 9-5 daily. Fantastic. Took DCs after school on Friday, about 3.30pm. We loved it. Place was dead though so I fear they will shorten the hours before long. Use it or lose it!

I have often pondered this issue.

I agree on both fronts. Pointless (well, relatively speaking given the current state of affairs in the UK and no offence intended) but so annoying. Wanted to take my 7 year old for a book buy then hot chocolate the other day after school and it meant rushing or going home for it 🤷‍♀️

I often wonder this. I love the ending of "The Tiger Who Came To Tea" when the family went out to a cafe for dinner. When my kids were little I used to wish we had a cafe like that nearby, which stayed open till 6pm so that I could have a night off cooking tea!

It does seem strange that they're open for afternoon tea, but close before yer actual Teatime, doesn't it?

I could have written this thread… bloody annoying ! Have been that person on trip advisor !

Never actually thought about this but yeah, you are right. Someone needs to open one & call it 'late cake'

I blame the U.K. drinking culture. It's assumed "everyone" will go home for their dinner and then it's wine o'clock/pub time so there would be no business for cafes, I don't believe that to be true at all.

I for one would love an independent quirky place I could get a light meal/slice of cake and a great coffee at say 7pm without having to negotiate around drunks or drink Costa style coffee.

I do think the market for this will grow as stats are showing teens drink a lot less than before and they may become the new cafe culture clients.

You’ve been speaking to my DH… it’s a common rant of his ( to which I agree). I remember this year we had a holiday in Norfolk and did a walk to a neighbouring village for afternoon tea to find the tea room closed. We ended up in a rather fancy hotel having the full works ( high tea… it was delicious).

Fully agree! This has always been a bugbear of mine ! 5pm please

Yes I agree with this! The ones in my local town all close at 3 or 4pm and then there's only Costa left. Would lobe for them to be open until 6 - would definitely go!

I was on Scilly … all the inter-island ferries got to St Mary’s for 4 pm, all the tea shops shut. I know everyone needs to stop work at the end of the day but I’d have spent out every day for coffee and a nice cake.

I've been trying to find somewhere to book fir DC to take their DGM for tea but they all want you to book for 2.30, which is far too close to lunch I think.
So I agree with you OP. According to the song, everything stops for tea at 4pm. Tea shops which don't offer tea at teatime shouldn't be called tea shops!

Totally agree, 5pm and even later would be wonderful. Would love to be able to meet friends for a coffee and a sweet treat occasionally in the evening. Or it would be lovely to take my teenage daughter out for an evening treat - it's a shame that pubs seem to be the only evening option in most places.

100%

My friend is an alcoholic who tries to avoid drinking but his waking hours are screwed so after work is at least 7pm. There is pretty much nowhere we can go that doesn't we've alcohol other than the cinema.

Totally agree

I agree! Especially in the summer, local beach cafe closes at 3:30pm, in the height of summer. It's madness

I also completely agree. There are three I can think of locally that don’t open later than 3 one said he doesn’t want school kids in. Another said they have made enough money during the day and it is not worth it to open beyond 3, the other runs it between school hours so can go home to her family. The people she employs are also wanting to go home and she doesn’t need to extend the hours particularly to pay others to manage the tea room.
garden centres are the best round here for late cake.

Yep I agree too! We regularly find we've misjudged the time and missed the opportunity for tea and cake. 19 yr old dd doesn't drink and would love to go out in the evening to somewhere other than pubs and clubs sometimes.

I agree

I'm not in the UK, but it's the same here, and yes, it's annoying. It's even more annoying when you are sitting there just after 3 pm and they start sweeping the floor and make it obvious they are getting ready to close!

This really bugs me about the Lakes. We do a lot of fell walking and really fancy a drink and snack in a cafe before we go home if we’re on a day trip out, but everywhere is shut by the time we get off the hill. We end up pulling into a service station for mediocre food instead.

Yes, I completely agree!

My husband and I moan about this every time we're on holiday or on a day trip in this country and can't find anywhere for a drink and cake or a cream tea after about 3pm. The places open until 4pm are often winding down by 3pm. Drives me mad. Even if places in tourist locations stayed open later just in the summer months, it would be an improvement.

There is one coffee shop locally that stays open until 5.30pm. And it's always busy late in the afternoon. Don't get why more don't do it, although at the moment I can see staffing might be an issue if they stayed open longer.

In Germany, we used to go out after dinner to a café/ice cream parlour for dessert and coffee. Would love to do that here!

I agree @CoolForCats09 and guess what is even more annoying, the cafe I really love in my town closes at fricking 3pm every day!!!!

It’s very normal for coffee shops to be open late in Europe. We just need more of that culture in the U.K.