AN EVESHAM trader believes the town is beginning to ‘turn a corner’ after her tea shop brewed up a storm and reached the top of the charts on a leading travel website.
Lisa Whelan, who owns the JellyPickleJam vintage tea shop in Vine Mews, was left delighted after her shop – which is part of the Life Emporium chain – hit the number one spot on TripAdvisor as the leading restaurant in Evesham and the whole of the county.
The website, founded in 2000, offers advice and reviews from the public on venues around the world.
The shop’s success has been aided by the sale of nearly 500 vouchers for afternoon tea delivered in partnership with a major online retailer.
Earlier this year Life Emporium managing director Tony Fisher had told the Observer the business faced a rocky ride during its first year as delays to the Abbey Bridge and Viaduct re-opening meant not many people were visiting Vine Mews.
But with trade now much better, Mrs Whelan told the Observer the number one ranking was a fantastic achievement and an early indication footfall was slowly picking up again in Evesham.
“The No.1 ranking on TripAdvisor has been the icing on the cake.” she said.
“Regular local customers have also benefited from the deal but approximately 95 per cent have been new visitors from outside Evesham, which has not only been good for us but the town in general.
“I think it is very encouraging and shows things are picking up. It seems we are beginning to turn a corner.
“Many have said they would not have previously considered visiting the town and as a result have enjoyed boat trips and walks by the river, and taken in the heritage and local independent shops as part of their trip.
“I’d encourage other traders to continue their good work and raise their game further as the more people we can bring in the better for the town. I think the bridge re-opening has made a huge difference.”
Visit www.tripadvisor.co.uk and type ‘JellyPickleJam’ into the restaurant’s search box to see the shop’s profile, rating and reviews.
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