Date visited: Monday 28th March 2022
McCTaffs originally opened a tea room in The Brunel shopping centre. But after a pandemic and two of the centre’s largest stores closing, when their lease ended they relocated to College Street, just off one of the main shopping streets in Swindon town centre.
The new tea room is quite a bit smaller than McCTaffs’ previous premises, with just five tables for those taking tea. Cakes are now prominently displayed in the window and from their marketing they are clearly aiming to build a takeaway trade. On the occasion of my visit there were five large cakes and numerous cup cakes and brownies on display.
Although some things may have changed, much remains the same. They still have many regular customers and have retained their loyalty card scheme. Even the prices remain much the same. The menu is much as before, with a selection of cooked breakfasts and sandwiches offered in addition to cakes and afternoon teas. Beverages include coffees, soft drinks, and a very small selection of teas.
A well-filled BLT sandwich, a slice of chocolate cake, and a pot of tea came to £9.00. The cake was, as it has always been at McCTaffs, by far the best part of the offering. Serving a small portion of coleslaw on a crisp lettuce leaf was a nice touch too.
McCTaffs Tea Room in Swindon closed ‘temporarily’ in October 2022, but that closure became permanent in December.
