A NEW railway station tearoom is not expected to open until next year despite undergoing refurbishment.
Centenary Lounge, who are preparing to take over the former Lady Foley’s tearoom, have said they do not currently have a reopening date and the renovations are still going through the planning process.
A spokesperson for the company said they hope to open in the early part of next year.
Lady Foley’s Tearoom closed in October 2023 after serving customers on platform 1 for more than 35 years, leaving the historic café space vacant.
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The inside of the Great Malvern station tearoom, which is to be refurbished (Image: Centenary Lounge)
Centenary Lounge owns a number of railway station tearooms across the Midlands, including at Birmingham Moor Street, and is also behind the art deco-themed café at The Cross in Worcester.
A Malvern Hills District Council press release hinted the business was ‘opening soon’, but a spokesperson has confirmed no opening date is set.
The refurbishment project was announced last month and remains subject to planning considerations by the district council.
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Great Malvern station tearoom is set to be refurbished (Image: Phil Wilkinson-Jones/LDRS)
The plans include replacing existing counters and furniture, removing carpeting to reveal and restore the original limestone paving beneath, and refurbishing the current tables and chairs for continued use at the Grade II listed station tearoom.
Speaking previously, the company said: ‘The proposals have been designed to retain the principal architectural and historic features of the accommodation while allowing the room to function effectively as a contemporary café.
‘The proposed works seek to continue this established use of this area as a café, and allow it to continue to make a positive contribution to the active use of the listed station.’
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Great Malvern Station is widely regarded as one of the finest examples of Victorian railway architecture in the country.
The tearoom takes its name from Lady Emily Foley, a prominent 19th-century landowner and benefactor who lived at Stoke Edith.
A frequent rail traveller, she was provided with her own private waiting room at the station, separate from other passengers.
That former private accommodation was later converted into the café.
Historic features including stained-glass windows and timber panelling remain in place, although parts of the interior were replaced following a fire in 1986.
