Ipswich business The Blitz 1940s Tea Room in St Peter’s Street shuts its doors – for now

Embodying the spirit of wartime optimism and echoing the famous words of Dame Vera Lynn, a popular 1940s-themed tea room in Ipswich shut its doors over the weekend.

Joined by regulars and new customers alike, The Blitz Tea Room in St Peter’s Street hosted a farewell party on Saturday, allowing visitors to celebrate and send their well-wishes.

Co-owners Adam Gray and Clive Driver announced at the end of July that the business would close due to rising costs, but remained hopeful they’d be able to reopen once they get back on their feet.

Adam said utility bills had skyrocketed, and that putting the business on hold was the sensible choice. On their final day, they wanted to ‘go out with a bang’ and celebrate what they’d built over the last three years.

He said: “It was both a sad and lovely day for us. It was hard to say goodbye to some of our regulars, but the day went very well.

“What we wanted was to create a celebratory mood. Everyone had a fantastic time and wished us well.

“We had singers with us for the whole day, singing songs from the 1940s, and customers joined us for lunch and afternoon tea. Some customers even volunteered to lend us a hand, as they just wanted to be there for the atmosphere on our final day.

“We’re really embracing the words of Vera Lynn, that ‘We’ll Meet Again’ and be able to welcome customers somewhere else in the future. It’s farewell but not goodbye.”

The singers arrived at the start of the event. Aside from relaying hits from the time, they also hosted a raffle and played instruments.

Adam said the event was attended by many regulars – but some new faces also joined in the celebrations.

He said the tea rooms were regularly packed since the couple announced they were closing.

Customers took turns signing a card for the pair, and ‘heartwarming’ messages were posted online and social media, Adam noted.

“We know people love the business, we’ve remained popular, and the concept of a Blitz-themed tea room works, so we hope we can, when the time is right, bring it back to life,” Adam said.

Some of the tea room’s customers grew up during World War Two – and reminisced about their experiences as children.

Items that date back to the 1940s have also been donated to the business.

The Blitz Tea Rooms opened shortly before the first lockdown in 2020, and built a loyal following.

Adam said the pair did not take the decision to close lightly.

He added: “With the rising cost of utilities, as well as food and drink, we decided closing would be the sensible choice.

“Our immediate plans are to place everything in storage and make the company dormant. Clive and myself will then look at getting back into work and assessing the situation.

“We wanted to thank our landlord, who was amazing and continued to support us.

“Hopefully, it’ll work out and we’ll be able to welcome customers back at a different location with open arms.”