Business owner, who revolutionised afternoon tea in Northampton, is the busiest she has ever been after a decade

A business owner, who has revolutionised the way afternoon tea is offered in Northampton over the past decade, says she is the busiest she has ever been.

Amy Whiting, from Duston, founded Amy’s Vintage Teas in 2013 when she started collecting vintage china.

Working as a waitress at the time and being a mother to two young children, Amy knew it was time to start something of her own.

Though her initial idea was to hire out the crockery for weddings and events, she saw a massive gap in the market for the afternoon tea experience to be brought to people’s homes.

She was the first business to introduce having afternoon tea delivered in the town – and has developed and built on the concept ever since.

What started out as providing small tea parties for eight to 10 guests in their home has led to bookings for larger parties, weddings and corporate events for up to 400 people.

In 2019, Amy met Gemma Colby, the owner of catering company The Copper Kitchen.

Gemma, from Roade, soon began supplying cakes and sandwiches for the afternoon teas as Amy did not bake herself.

With similar business journeys and the same drive, passion and creativity, the two businesses merged in 2020 and have not looked back since.

Amy and Gemma have only got busier, particularly since they started tapping into the corporate buffet market.

They have added to their offering of afternoon teas, buffets and grazing tables with breakfast brunches, which have gone down well in the corporate world.

As they are now just as busy during the week as they are at the weekends – making it a seven-day operation – the pair have recruited a team to help them out in the kitchen.

“It’s our busiest January to date,” said Amy. “We’re catering for 400 people this week.

“We get a lot of repeat customers and it feels really good. It shows we’re getting it right. We’re getting new bookings from recommendations and we’re really happy with where it’s at.”

Amy shared that Gemma had a baby just five months ago, and they now have a little helper in the kitchen to keep them entertained.

The two individuals continue to advertise under their own business names, as that is where their customers know them from, but work as a team with their newly expanded offering.

When asked how it felt to celebrate 10 years of Amy’s Vintage Teas last year, Amy said: “I’m super grateful. It doesn’t feel like 10 years. I remember the idea coming into my head and it’s evolved over the years slowly.

“The world’s a different place but the business has managed to evolve and adapt. I see myself doing this until I retire, even though it’s hard work and long hours.”

The business owner’s proudest achievement of the past year was successfully getting through August. With Gemma due to have her baby and double wedding days booked in, it was a very “unpredictable” time.

Having recruited support with the events, the weddings being completed successfully, and Gemma having given birth to her daughter, Amy described getting through August as a “relief”.

“It was peak season and a big achievement,” she said. “It made us feel like we could do anything.”

One of the biggest challenges Amy has had to overcome is interacting with customers, which is something that “terrified” her when she first set the business up.

“I pushed myself and it got easier,” she said. “I still get nervous with big jobs but it’s so much easier. It shows if you persevere with hang ups, you can get to the other side.”

The pair hope to continue what they do best in 2024 and get busier as time goes on. With all kinds of events already lined up for the year, they are ready to take it on.

You can visit Amy’s Vintage Teas’ Facebook page here.