Jameson’s is of course something of a local institution, especially when it comes to afternoon tea. How would you sum up the brand’s ethos?
We pride ourselves on offering our customers a greater experience than just a tearoom. We offer a high standard of customer service and attention to detail is a priority; everything from locally sourced produce, daily baked cakes, food preparation, presentation, to the silver Sheffield cutlery, vintage crockery, crisp white linen tablecloths and live music every day. The aesthetics of the tearoom is one of contemporary elegance and you’ll see that from the staff uniform to the newly installed ambient tearoom lighting.
How has the business managed during a difficult few months?
Yes, a difficult and unexpected time for all small business owner. The weekend prior to lockdown rules we were fully booked and had a live event planned to celebrate Mother’s Day. We quickly adapted to offer a takeaway and delivery service over that weekend in conjunction with City Grab, which has been fantastic. We closed everything down on Sunday 22nd March for seven weeks during the lockdown period, and due to shortages in supplies such as flour we were unable to reopen until we could hold a decent amount of stock. On 8 May we reopened to offer a limited menu as takeaway and delivery and now our customers can enjoy the Jameson’s experience at home with the ‘Jameson’s in a Box’ offer.
Can you tell us a bit about what else you’re offering customers on the City Grab app?
Our menu is condensed version of our tearoom menu. We have afternoon teas, sandwiches, bagels, salads, toasties, Ploughman’s, cheese platter sharers, homemade cakes, celebration cakes, hot and cold drinks – it’s all on there.
All going well as it can on the public health front, how are things shaping up over the next few months at the café?
We are continuing to listen to the advice from the government with regards to being able to reopen fully, but for now we are committed to continuing to offer our customers the Jameson’s experience out of a hamper box.
