Focus on Margaret Thornby
Who is Margaret Thornby?
I began researching tea rooms the length and breadth of Britain in 1993, following a chance discussion whilst visiting a tea room with friends. I wanted to create a Guide to Tea Rooms that was comprehensive, thorough in the research and useful to people, like myself, who wanted to know where to find a good tea room on their travels. Thus, Margaret Thornby’s Guide to Tea Rooms of Britain was born.
How do I do the research?
In conducting the research, there are some guiding principles that distinguish my Tea Room Guides from others:
- All the research is carried out by me; Margaret Thornby. There is no team of researchers, thereby ensuring consistency in approach and criteria.
- No tea room can pay to be included in the Guide. All selection is by my personal decision and no one can influence that decision by offering money or other reward.
- All visits to tea rooms are carried out anonymously; I do not announce my visit to the proprietor or any of the tea room staff, thereby ensuring that I am treated the same as any customer. My visits, like anyone else’s, are a snapshot view of the tea room on that day.
- Due to the need to carry out anonymous visits, I do not have my photograph taken for any media or other publications. As soon as I am recognisable, my cover is blown! The 4th Edition of Margaret Thornby’s Guide to Tea Rooms had 215 entries. In the process of researching I must have visited nearly 1000 tea rooms in every county of England, as well as visiting Scotland and Wales.