The Tea Room opened in April 2017 as a joint project between the two organisations, with any profits shared equally between the Regional College and the Cathedral.

It will remain closed whilst the Cathedral actively explores possibilities for its future.

Andrew Roberts, the Cathedral Administrator said: “We would like to thank Venture Catering for all their hard work in setting up and establishing the Tea Room. We are also grateful to the loyal customers who have visited regularly and would like to assure them that we are exploring various options so that we can continue to offer hospitality to Cathedral visitors.”

Paul Tapparno-Clark of Venture Catering said: “It has been a privilege to be the first to run Becket’s Tea Room following the Becket Chapel’s internal refurbishment in 2017 and it has been wonderful to use it as a training ground for PRC students working alongside our professional catering staff. However, visitor numbers have fluctuated and despite a number of loyal customers there was insufficient business to continue trading. Whilst PRCV has done all it can to support staff at this time, sadly we have had to make a number redundant.”

The site of the Tea Room, the Becket Chapel, dates substantially from around 1320 and incorporates the remains of a building constructed in the 1170s to house holy relics from St Thomas Becket. In 1541 the Chapel became the new King’s School and remained so until 1885 when it became the first home for Peterborough Museum. Since then it has been used as a Chapter House, meeting room and rehearsal space for the Cathedral Choir, as well as a café run by volunteers during the 1990s.

To enquire about booking the space for an event, please contact bookings@peterborough-cathedral.org.uk