Quarry Tea House in Hunwick wins 'Best Café in County Durham'

Quarry Tea House, in Hunwick, received the gong at a ceremony held at the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead on Sunday (March 22).

Owner Julie Bell and head chef Katie Butler were invited to the stage to be presented with the award.

Julie Bell and Katie Butler (Image: The Quarry Tea House)

Julie said: “We were absolutely not expecting this at all. It’s such an honour.

“We’re absolutely over the moon. I feel very honoured to have received it, especially as we previously won the same award in 2022 and went on to win the national final.

“To now win again for County Durham and be heading back to the national finals is just incredible.

“A huge thank you goes to our amazing team and our customers who support us every single day. We’ll keep working hard to make everyone proud.”

The latest win adds to a successful track record for the independent tearoom.

With this latest award, Quarry Tea House has now secured its place at the national finals of the England Business Awards, which are expected to take place in Birmingham in November.

Julie and Martin Bell (Image: The Quarry Tea House)

Julie added: “We’re very honoured and excited to be finalists again and can’t wait to represent County Durham on a national stage.”

The tearoom is celebrating its fifth anniversary in July after opening shortly after the Covid pandemic.

Last month, ITV presenter Josie Gibson was spotted while the crew were filming a new programme in the area.

Josie Gibson with the staff from Quarry Tea House (Image: Quarry Tea House)

Julie previously said serving well-known TV faces has become a “regular occurrence” for her business.

She said: “It’s bizarre really, but it keeps happening.

“We’ve had Zoe Ball come in before and Scarlett Moffatt visits quite often. It’s really good for the business and really lovely for the team.”