Tea room reopens with new menu in popular antiques emporium

The tea tooms at Looses Emporium in Magdalen Street has reopened under new management and team with a revamped menu to boot.

Looses Tea Rooms has an onsite baker providing the cafe with freshly bakes goods every day (Image: Archant)

Amanda Cook, 45, is no stranger to the site as she has been a pitch holder in the store for a year.

She has no experience of catering but when the owner approached her about taking the cafe on she "painted through the night" to get the space ready.

She said: "We turned it around in six weeks so that it looked new and fresh."

Looses Tea Rooms opens after a revamp in the Looses Emporium. Pictured are Katherine Scarff, Amanda Cook and Connie Cossland. (Image: Archant)

Amanda, who previously worked in the property sector, said: “I really like a new challenge so it has been quite exciting to learn as I go.

"I enjoy working with the public and talking to people and this business gave me the perfect opportunity to do just that."

Amanda Cook was excited by the challenge of taking on the tea room and puts a lot of the early success down to her staff (Image: Archant)

Amanda refers to it as being “the right place at the right time” for her deciding to take on the café.

She added: “I had a vision for it – I wanted to make sure it had a vintage feel with comfortable chairs and sofas.

“The owner, Patrick, feels like the tea room is an asset to the shop. I agree, I want people to feel like they can stop for tea and some cake after they have done the downstairs of the shop."

Looses Tea Rooms has a lot of Alice in Wonderland themed trinkets around the seating area to pay homage to the tea party scene in the well-known story (Image: Archant)

On the menu she revealed: “I have an on-site baker so we are able to offer freshly baked cakes, flapjacks and cheese scones among other things.

“You can come along and see her baking in the background - when you walk into the shop you can smell things are baking.”

Amanda has also ensured that the tea room can cater for vegans and people who require gluten-free options.

Looses Tea Rooms will offer tea, coffee, hot chocolate and a variety of freshly bakes goods (Image: Archant)

She said: “I want people to come and appreciate Looses – offering tea, coffee and tasty food will help it to continue to be as welcoming as it is.”

The team room is open daily from 10am to 3.30pm.

Looses Emporium, Magdalen Street, has two floors of weird and wonderful items from more than 60 dealers. Photo: Neil Perry (Image: Archant)

A history of Magdalen Street

The early history of Magdalen Street - from 1100s to the 1600s - is pretty patchy but it is thought it was first known as Fybriggate.

This is thought to be derived from the nearby Fye Bridge, which collapsed in 1570.

Loose's store in Magdalen Street in 1935, with proprietor Jimmy Loose, right, and warehouseman George Budrey. Photo: submitted Copy: Shaun Lowthorpe For: EDP Archant Norfolk pics (C) 2005 (01603) 772434 (Image: Archant (C) 2005)

The wooden bridge was rebuilt in 1573.

From the mid-1600s to the late 1800s Magdalen Street underwent a mini industrial revolution with pubs and factories joining its church.

The area was fairly impoverished meaning slums cropped up in the area, however these were cleared in the late 1930s.

An EDP photograph of a 'bull in a china shop' in Loose's store in Magdalen Street in July 1964. Photo: submitted Copy: Shaun Lowthorpe For: EDP Archant Norfolk pics (C) 2005 (01603) 772434 (Image: Archant (C) 2005)

In the late 1950s Magdalen Street underwent a facelift with every business on the road asked to pay £80 towards the revamp.

In the late 1960s the area got a further boost courtesy of an exciting new project coming to the street - Anglia Square.

Norwich Streets -- M Magdalen Street Dated -- 1 December 1972 Photograph -- C3807 (Image: Archant)

This included a cinema and shopping centre which businesses hoped would boost footfall.

Today Magdalen Street is still a popular shopping precinct, connecting the city centre to the up-and-coming NR3 suburb.