A well-known name in the north of the island is back, and its new owner admits he’s ‘taken a bit of a gamble’.

The Bride Tearooms, which closed more than a year ago, has now reopened under the ownership of Lee Butterworth, a familiar face in Manx hospitality.

The closure had left the small northern village without a place to grab a cuppa, a bite to eat or a friendly chat, but Lee says he’s determined to bring that community feel back.

Lee said the decision to take on the tearooms came after encouragement from his family.

‘It was mainly my daughter and my partner,’ he explained. ‘They told me to take a gamble, and I did. I thought this place had real potential.

‘Food, waiting on, coffee, that’s all I’ve ever done, and I thought it was time to put all my experience into one place.’

Lee has spent the past three months working on the building ‘morning till night’ to get it ready, moving in upstairs to focus fully on the final push before opening.

He admits it hasn’t been without its challenges, particularly with the island’s minimum wage increase on the horizon, but says he’s not letting that hold him back.

‘It’s a tough time for small businesses,’ he said. ‘But I’m putting 100% into this.

‘As long as the food and service are good, people will travel for the experience. There’s a big car park, coaches have already been enquiring, and it just feels like the right place.’

The new-look tearoom promises a warm, welcoming atmosphere, complete with a roaring fire, and a menu that Lee plans to change regularly to keep things fresh.

‘I’ll be rotating dishes every couple of days,’ he said.

‘If lasagne’s sold out, I’ll put on sausage and mash, curry, or chilli. But we’ll always keep pie on the menu, people love a good pie!

‘We’ll also be doing breakfast baps, sandwiches, Sunday roasts and afternoon teas.’

He added that while the menu will stay small to manage costs, the focus will be on quality and flexibility.

‘If someone asks for something, I’ll try to get it on for the next week,’ he said. ‘It keeps things interesting and makes people want to come back.’

With years of experience running bars for Heron and Brearley, working in hotels and coffee shops, including a stint at Starbucks and time spent in kitchens in Australia, Lee says he’s drawing on everything he’s learned to create something unique.

‘I want this to be a different kind of place,’ he said.

‘More people want to go somewhere relaxed, have a coffee or a drink, and still be able to drive home. I just want to create that friendly atmosphere again. somewhere people in Bride and beyond can enjoy.’

Bride Tearooms is now open as of today (Wednesday, November 11), and if early interest is anything to go by, Lee’s ‘gamble’ might just pay off.