A Victorian themed tea room in Bradford on Avon has been named as one of the best places in the UK for a cuppa, after winning a top accolade from the Tea Guild.

The Bridge Tea Rooms in Bridge Street, run by husband and wife duo Roy, 42, and Alison Hayward, 43, was presented with the Guild’s Top Tea Place 2009 Award on Friday.

Mr Hayward, who started up the business with his wife in December 2006 in the 17th century former blacksmith’s cottage, said: “We are really pleased with the award.

“We are trying to get more people in drinking tea, so we try to make it less formal and more accessible for everybody.

“We don’t have any big plans to change - we want to keep it as it is now. People like that it hasn’t changed for 20 years.”

The event, now in its 24th year, is the ‘Michelin star’ of tea awards, with Britain’s best tea rooms, country and city hotels all competing for the honour.

The UK Tea Council’s team of inspectors travelled the country to seek out the finest tea experiences and the judges, who make secret visits to all member tea rooms and hotels, awarded points for the variety and excellence of the teas offered, as well as rating the service, décor, ambience, knowledge and presentation.

The Bridge Tea Rooms was visited by the anonymous inspectors three times before being confirmed in the top spot, gaining a near perfect score.

Mr Hayward, who lives in Bath with his wife and their three children, said: “We saw that there was a huge amount of potential but we had to go back to the drawing board and think about what customers really wanted.

“We set about redesigning the menu and sourcing the best food and teas available.”

Victorian photographs, pictures and ornaments, together with staff dressed in Victorian-style uniforms, created an ambience which impressed the visiting inspectors.

Irene Gorman, head of the Tea Guild, said: “The Bridge Tea Rooms is in a lovely location and is absolutely full of character, charm and atmosphere.

“The staff are incredibly helpful, courteous and friendly and the choice of tea and home cooked foods with Alison, an accomplished chef, in charge of the kitchen is extremely impressive.

“Roy and Alison Hayward’s determination to offer the perfect location for tea lovers is very apparent and as parents of young children themselves they are delighted to welcome children who can even choose from their own menu.”