“There is something very unique about having proper afternoon tea in a bone china cup and saucer and we think people enjoy having a treat for not a lot of money.”

PEACOCKS Tearoom in Ely has been given an Award of Excellence in the Tea Guild’s coveted Top Tea Place 2012 awards.

Achieving an Award of Excellence is akin to a Michelin star in the restaurant business and is a sought after accolade among tea venues across Britain competing for the recognition of their quality.

Tearoom owner Rachel Peacock, said: “It is very nice to be recognised for all of the hard work, we were delighted.

“There is something very unique about having proper afternoon tea in a bone china cup and saucer and we think people enjoy having a treat for not a lot of money.”

Taking afternoon tea is an experience steeped in British tradition and will be particularly popular this year as the British public and overseas visitors celebrate British traditions with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Olympic Games.

The judges said they so impressed with the quality of the afternoon tea served at the Peacocks Tearoom, on Waterside, that they awarded them very high marks in every category resulting in an Award of Excellence.

Irene Gorman, head of the Tea Guild said: “Each year the standard of entrants for the awards continues to scale new heights, making the judges’ task of choosing those who achieve an Award of Excellence extremely challenging and this year’s competition was no exception.

“This Award of Excellence to Peacocks Tearoom was presented in recognition of consistently high standards of tea making and customer service, evident in the care and attention to detail with which afternoon tea was prepared and served.”