Tower and Town, April 2017

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The Polly Tea Rooms

The Polly Tea Rooms is at the heart of Marlborough history and lifestyle. As one of the oldest social establishments in the High Street we began to think, how much do people actually know about Polly's? Aside from the signature afternoon tea, and Sunday lunch, Polly's has catered for hundreds of thousands of people since it opened in 1912, including Kate Middleton and Robbie Williams. We wanted to find out just what makes it quite so special.

The tea rooms were first opened in 1912 by two women, Miss Dean Leath Hay and Miss Janet McCloud. Janet McCloud was one of the original leading suffragettes. Therefore Polly’s was made a safe place for women to meet and spend time having afternoon tea. The actual building itself hasn't changed that much except from a fire in the 1960's which destroyed a part of the building. Some of the cake recipes and tins are still the original ones from 1912!

We managed to secure ourselves an interview with Ann and David Clarke, who have been the owners of Polly's for the last four years. David decided to buy Polly's, after he retired, as a small project but little did he know how much work it would actually be! This small establishment can sometimes see over five hundred hungry visitors through the door in a day, and since this is at full capacity, Ann and David don't feel the need to expand, franchise or change Polly's more than is absolutely necessary.

We went behind the scenes of Polly's into the old bedrooms upstairs which are now offices and down into the kitchens where their feasts are prepared. We noticed as we were walking around that the ceiling was very low; we assumed this was because the building was built in the 1840s and being tall was uncommon. We witnessed midday lunch being cooked and prepared as well as the bakers working away on some large cake, Polly’s still uses some of the very first original recipes and that’s what makes their recipes so tasty! To conclude it seems that little has changed in one hundred years at the small but important location.

We learnt that Polly’s is going to open for evening meals in the upcoming month and that the owners are trying to expand their menu as well as the opening times. Also, tables have been put outside for sunny days. The threat from the ever-increasing big chain coffee chains doesn't seem to bother the owners as they explained to us that they offer a different kind of product and are unique with their background and old fashioned character, and that their food is freshly made every morning in comparison to the nearby coffee branches down the high street.

Polly Tea Rooms is a place that is extremely individual and serves delicious meals or cakes. At the heart of a special historical location with an amazing reputation to serve only the finest tea, we would recommend this to you all. We guarantee you will have an enjoyable experience and it will be worth your money. Long may the traditions of this excellent venue continue!

Jemima Stratton and Poppy Hughes