A January break in Suffolk has become my way of easing into the new year, and having spent pleasant trips to Beccles, Southwold, Aldeburgh, Wickham Market and Woodbridge over the previous few years, my companion and I ventured to Bungay which our Ordinance Survey Leisure Guide of East Anglia, published 1989, assured us was an 'interesting and beautiful town'.
We parked on the outskirts and entered the town by way of several adjoining charity shops. (We are very keen charity shoppers, and in Beccles the day before, companion had found an amazing full length woollen coat at a bargain price, amongst various other treasures.) However, after emerging empty-handed from our third charity shop in Bungay, we realised that the town was not going to offer such a rich hoarde, and began to feel a creeping anxiety that our much-needed tea and cake might be in short supply too.
The town is certainly possessed of some fine Georgian architecture, and amonst the plethora of rather dismal charity shops and vacant properties there is a great number of independent artisan shops which led us to hope that the town is establishing itself. We visited an excellent art suppliers as companion has recently taken up watercolour to considerable effect.
We spotted a couple of cafes which were still closed from the Christmas/New Year break and were wondering if the 'free hot drink with any fry-up' establishment was the only possibility, when we came upon The Old Bank Tearoom. What a delight! This tearoom has been created, indeed as the name suggests, from the old town bank, with it's wood panelling and large rounded windows. Downstairs the old bank vault is used to house various collectibles for sale, and upstairs there are two gallery rooms with work by local artists and craftspeople. The main room is dotted with tables of different sizes and all the furniture and furnishing is in keeping with the warm homely feel of the 1930s and '40s. There is a separate area (originally the bank manager's office which houses a large table suitable for parties. I was just a tiny bit reminded of Mr Mainwaring in here! ). The tablecloths feature vintage embroidery of the type my mother taught me, with daisy chains and lace edging. The crockery is a mixture of little vintage cups & saucers, teapots, jugs and plates. The music playing is from the same era, and companion and I enjoyed singing quietly along to 'Spread a little happiness' with the particular pronounciation of 'heppiness'!
We were greeted in friendly fashion by the owner and chose a seat in the window. An enquiry was made about the availability of gluten-free treats and we were delighted to be given a separate menu sheeting detailing various options. We settled for a pot of Assam tea; a slice of coffee & walnut cake and a gluten-free bread pudding which was served warm with a jug of cream.
The tea was loose-leaf, served in a pretty china teapot and we were later offered a re-fill of hot water. The cake selection was available to view on the sideboard and consisted of a chocolate sponge and a Victoria sponge besides the coffee & walnut and bread pudding. The menu also offered various other options such as toasted tea cakes. All the cakes were of a homely good quality, fitting to the ambience of the tearoom.In conclusion, we were completely captivated by this little gem which revived not only our tastebuds, but also this blog and our hopes for the future of Bungay!
