Popular eatery closes at Northants shopping village as new takeover venture is ‘welcomed so positively’

The 1867 was launched and rebranded by Paul Campbell in autumn 2022 at Heart of the Shires Shopping Village, after the business was purchased from Darlingtons Tea Rooms in July of that year.

The shopping village is located on Watling Street, just north of Weedon, and The 1867 remained open in its Victorian courtyard until March 27 this year.

Heart of the Shires has been described as a “quintessential gem of boutique, independent shops”, which attracts visitors from far and wide due to its central location.

The shopping destination opened in the early 80s with a handful of businesses and it was in late 2021 when Jackie and Jeremy Hunt, who also own Whilton Locks Garden Village, took over.

The 1867 was described by many as a welcoming space where guests could enjoy breakfasts and afternoon teas, with the motto ‘coffee, food, friends’.

As of March 27, The 1867 was taken over by Heart of the Shires Tearooms Ltd and is run in-house by the Hunt family. The Tea Room is now open in the farmhouse and The Tea Room Too is open in the newly extended area.

All of the staff members who previously worked at The 1867 were given the opportunity to stay, with friendly and familiar faces still serving at The Tea Room and The Tea Room Too if regular customers pay a visit to the new venture.

Paul says the much-loved coffee blend, food offering, ambience and extraordinary guest experience were what made The 1867 the success it was.

He told the Chronicle & Echo: “We definitely created the most amazing community of guests, which was just shy of 6,000 a month on a regular basis. I don’t have the words to describe it, apart from the hundreds of messages and calls I’ve had.”

It is understood that concerns were raised by the owners and fellow businesses about seating capacity, the wait for tables and not being able to get into The 1867 straight away during busy periods. Paul says the majority of customers understood the demand and were happy to wait for a call back.

With the meaning behind The 1867 brand being tied to Heart of the Shires, Paul says people can not expect it to pop up in another location and it ceased to exist following the closure at the end of March.

When approached by this newspaper, Jackie from Heart of the Shires said: “The Tea Room (in the farmhouse) and The Tea Room Too (in the newly extended area) offers super food and the much needed extra capacity. More space, more choice, more reasons to visit Heart of the Shires.

“This move, following an agreed private business sale, has been welcomed so positively by both our tenants and visitors. For further details please refer to our website or call in for a coffee.”