Restaurant owner expands into neighbouring business via NatWest finance

A Pooley Bridge restaurant owner is expanding the business with the purchase of a popular tearoom after securing a finance package from NatWest.

Gary Dudson and wife Leila, owners of the Secret Garden restaurant and cafe in Pooley Bridge, have bought next door property Granny Dowbekins tea room for the asking price of £2m.

Gary and Leila bought the former Pooley Bridge post office and general stores in 2019 and developed the rear of the site into the Secret Garden riverside café, which opened in 2020. With the business “thriving”, and now employing 14 full time and 35 part time staff, when the café came up for sale next door, it proved an ideal opportunity to expand.

Gary commented: “Granny Dowbekins is a firm favourite with locals and visitors alike and given the proximity to the Secret Garden and the synergies of the two businesses, when it came up for sale we were interested right away. We’re delighted to be able to call ourselves the new owners and excited for the future of both businesses.

“The tearoom has a fantastic reputation and we’ll be keeping all of the current staff, so they can help us continue the great service that the tearoom is known for. We’re hoping to build on the opening hours and, of course, make the most of the wonderful riverside setting that both venues benefit from.”

The business is a true family affair with Gary’s older sons running the Post Office, shop and restaurant and his younger boys often helping out here and there to get a taste for the business. Leila meanwhile manages the human resources and accounting side of the business.

Gary added: “Our success at the Secret Garden is down to the fantastic team we have. We want everyone to enjoy coming to work as when they do, we know that our customers enjoy the service they get too. We’re really looking forward to welcoming staff from Granny Dowbekins into the family.”

Mark Ward, senior relationship manager at NatWest, concluded: “It has been fantastic to help Gary and his family to expand their business when this ideal opportunity came along, literally on their doorstep. I can’t wait to see the Secret Garden and Granny Dowbekins continue to thrive.”

By Matthew Neville – Senior Correspondent, Bdaily

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