Spotlight on Prestwich: Time for Tea

Reporter: Kevin Burke
Date online: 06 October 2010

Prestwich is a hotbed of unexplored cafes and restaurants, and sometimes stepping into one feels like stepping out of Manchester and into the countryside.

Time for Tea is such a place. A quaint tea room where you can buy a traditional British meal, gulp it down with countless cups of tea, and relax in a quiet and charming atmosphere feels like something from a bygone era and it’s almost disorientating to leave.

The building used to be Village Antiques, but Julie Comac took it over and opened a unique tearoom in 2005.

“There were a lot of cafes in Prestwich but no tearooms,” she explained. “We’re a unique old-fashioned tea room, we use china cups and tea pots and you can’t get this experience any more.”

She believes tea should only be served out of a china cup and teapot, and customers can choose which teapot they would like out of more than 50 on display.

People come in with old or unwanted teapots and donate them to the shop, so the collection is always growing and the staff will match your teapot with cups and plates, always making sure your cuppa is as aesthetically pleasing as possible.

Despite the fine china, children are welcome. Ms Comac comes from a large family and is somewhat used to them.

Ms Comac makes a special effort to make her food as good as possible. “It’s homemade food and I grow some of the vegetables in my garden,” she said.

“It’s not been a very good year if I’m honest but you’ve got to keep persevering. I make a big vegetable broth using as much from my garden as possible. There are no chemicals in my food, it’s all natural, and the customers really appreciate it.”

Standing guard outside the shop is Tilly the Waitress, a mannequin dressed in a maid’s outfit, keeping any bad vibes away. Ms Comac explains, “Tilly is very famous around here and a local landmark. She’s a great way for people to recognise the shop. Some people find her a bit scary but our regulars love her.”

It is truly one of the quirkiest places in Manchester but is a real delight to eat and drink in and has a well established group of regulars. “There’s nowhere quite like this,” Ms Cormac says.