A new tearoom is getting ready to open its doors in Workington.
The former Tognarelli’s Café, on Pow Street, is being transformed into V’s Tearoom by Venita Saffill, 56, of Workington.
Venita – who used to visit the former café with her nana – has taken over the venue from Martin and Angela Tognarelli.
The family previously owned the venue for 120 years before they retired in October.
Venita said: “I have always always wanted a little tearoom. I used to work in healthcare for most of my life so everyone knows me from that, but I’ve called it V’s because nobody could ever say my name, so I was just V.
“Even when I worked in hospitals I used to take meals to all the staff on nightshift, so I’ve always baked.
“Two Christmases ago I was on an 18 hour shift and I still made sure 10 people had Christmas dinners and puddings – it’s just in my nature, I just love to feed people.
“But now I’ve retired I have the confidence to do it, I just thought this is it, I’ve always wanted to do this, so I’m going to go for it.”
The new tearoom has a bee theme running throughout – which Venita said had a special reason behind it.
She said: “Martin and Angela have left it so nice for us, they’ve been brilliant and left us everything, but I’ve made it a bit more my own and put my own mark on the inside.
“Everyone keeps asking me where the bee theme has come from, it’s because of a lady with special needs I used to look after during my time in healthcare, she’s made a big impact on my life.
“She couldn’t say Venita or V so she would say bee bee and everyone kept buying me bee stuff so I thought it would be fitting to do a bee theme.”
Venita added that the community has been very supportive of her move to breathe new life into the well-loved tearoom.
She said: “I’m really looking forward to it, I really am. Even when I’ve been working in the shop over the past two weeks people keep knocking on the window and saying are you open yet and we’ll come every Friday or we used to come every Wednesday, which is just so nice.
“I can’t believe how much support everyone has shown us.”
V’s Tearoom is set to open officially in the first week of March this year with space to sit in and options to take away.
Eight new staff members have also been employed at the tearoom – which will serve everything from cakes to pies and more.
But Venita said it wouldn’t have been possible without her family and friends support.
Venita added: “My family and friends have believed in me and have been helping me and they’ve been fantastic. To be honest I was worried my family would tell me to not do it, but they’ve backed me and told me to go for it 100 per cent.”
V’s Tearoom is also currently offering pre-orders for takeaway afternoon tea for Mother’s Day.
