Foodies Festival at Tatton Park to feature demo by Tea Room owner

Harriet Henry, the co-owner and chief baker at The Tea Room, was surprised and delighted to be approached by the team behind this summer's Foodies Festival.

Known as Gastro Glastonbury, the three-day festival in July boasts a star-studded line-up of celebrity chefs and chart-topping performers.

And this week, it was announced Harriet will be joining them to give a demonstration in the Cake and Bake theatre.

She said: "I was shocked our little Tea Room was on the Foodies Festival’s radar let alone be asked to lead a session.

"The Cake and Bake theatre is one of the most popular features of the festival and usually attracts an audience of around 150.

"All of them watching me bake. It is both an honour and terrifying!”

The Foodies Festival team approached Harriet via an Instagram post to ask about her taking part.

Harriet Henry is The Tea Room's chief baker (Image: The Tea Room)

She will be on stage at 3pm on Friday, July 12, alongside a compere who will put her at ease while chatting about her career, The Tea Room, and teasing out any baking hints and tips for the audience to take home.

The Tea Room is a firm favourite with both Knutsford residents and tourists and has an enviable position within the town – the centre of King Street but with a little courtyard for al fresco dining.

The cafe was born when Harriet and mum Susan Henry bought the previous business at the site in 2018.

Since, The Tea Room has gone from strength to strength, now offering around 18 bakes (including both dairy and gluten free) alongside a full menu, evening quiz nights and music concerts.

Harriet added: "We have a wonderfully supportive team that feels like family - and I even get to work with my best friend from school, Patrick Smith-Tracz.

"It was a slightly reckless decision for us to buy the business given that we’d no previous experience, but when you have a passion and ‘gut feel’ you’ve got to follow it.

"Although I grew up baking with my Grandma, I had never baked professionally so I successfully completed a course at Raymond Blanc’s school in Oxfordshire and as the saying goes, practice makes perfect.

"I have honed my baking skills on the job and now have a resource of recipes ready to be baked by the team for customers to enjoy."

Harriet feels The Tea Room is more than just a ‘tea room’ and plays a key role in Knutsford’s close-knit community.

It is part of the Chatty Café scheme, Take a Seat initiative, offers Hanging Coffees, accepts the Knutsford voucher and is part of Knutsford’s food tour Taste Knutsford.

Harriet added: “From day one we knew we wanted to be part of the community and are happy to get involved in all things ‘Knutsford'."