Into the Spotlight, sponsored by Huddersfield-based Scriba PR, is a weekly business feature which highlights some great businesses. Here, for Last of the Summer Wine fans, we introduce Holmfirth-based tearoom, The Wrinkled Stocking.
Situated in close proximity to the beautiful River Holme, along the close-knit terrace of Huddersfield Road, The Wrinkled Stocking occupies the ground and first floor of the property used as the exterior for Compo’s house in the long-running TV comedy Last of the Summer Wine.
Traditional and quaint, the interior lends itself to its famous heritage – with snapshots from the TV series in which it featured distributed across the wall – whilst maintaining an all-important sense of ‘home’ through its cosy ambience.
Offering a treasure trove of speciality teas, delicious homemade cakes, hearty breakfasts, light lunches and traditional afternoon teas, the tearoom is a firm favourite for both Holmfirth locals and customers travelling further afield – with an impressive 4.8 out of 5 collective rating on Google reviews and a sum of over 5,000 followers across its social media pages.
“We get a lot of our custom through word of mouth – people are always coming in and letting us know how they heard of us through a friend of a friend, or that they were really impressed by what people have said online,” says co-owner, Jackie.
“But because of the history of the tearoom, we also see customers travelling from miles away to get involved in the experience. We even have a dear friend from Texas, who started out as a customer last year. People come from all over the world.”
And marking its 5th year under the ownership of husband and wife duo, Jackie and Dennis, The Wrinkled Stocking has gone from strength to strength this year – now boasting an even wider host of services extending beyond its traditional tearoom duties.
Most notably, the business now offers a speciality cold platter catering service to compliment events such as parties, business meetings and family get-togethers – something that begun as a quick pandemic business recovery response, and now sees Jackie working towards a whole range of budgets and themes.
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Having previously headed a bar together in Tenerife, where Sunday lunch pick-ups were a customer favourite, Jackie and Dennis had already experienced the success of a takeaway service – this time swapping a hearty roast for traditional tearoom bites – but hadn’t anticipated the popularity it would bring.
“We started with afternoon tea hampers, and they just absolutely took off. There was a real demand to expand our range, so we developed it into picnic platters, sweet treat trays, Easter baskets – all sorts! We do so many now and I just love being creative with them,” Jackie says.
But what really seems to sell at The Wrinkled Stocking, is the affable workforce who dedicate themselves to providing only the most memorable of experiences for those who visit – be it for a spot of reminiscing or just a quiet coffee and cake.
Jackie says: “As soon as someone walks through the door, it’s our responsibility to make them feel welcome. And our team are brilliant at that.
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“Even the younger members of staff, who have never seen an episode of Last of the Summer Wine, seem to pick up details that they can converse with guests about – they don’t shy away from anything at all. A lot of people come just to sit and chat. It’s not even a job for us anymore, it’s just part of our lives and we love it.”
To find out more about The Wrinkled Stocking, or for any enquiries, you can best reach the business on Facebook.
