New seaside tea-room is dog friendly - and you might meet resident pooch Poppy too

Well-behaved dogs are more than welcome at a new tea room where its resident namesake already enjoys pats and chats from customers.

Winterton and its dog-walker wilderness have proved too much of a draw for the Farace family who have taken over the post office and shop, and added a cosy cafe, complete with flint-flecked walls and flickering fire.

Having named it after their German shepherd/collie cross Poppy, allowing pooches to mingle with patrons is part of Poppy's appeal, said Jeanne Farace who moved to the village from Enfield three years ago.

Mrs Farace, husband Gino, and daughter Becky, 19. are working all hours to make the business - which comprises a shop, newsagents, post office and most recently a tea-room - a community hub.

The shop is a haven for all things local with Norfolk products, including ciders and gins, and locally-made crafts filling the shelves alongside more ordinary basket-fillers.

And now the tea-room is continuing the theme with as much as possible being locally sourced.

Mrs Farace, a passionate baker, makes 80pc of the cakes and scones, the rest coming from Parravanis in Suffolk.

The family had been holidaying in the village for some 20 years but made the leap in August 2016 completing their cosy tea-room in the last few weeks.

On the menu are all the tea-room classics and selection of cakes including rhubarb and custard, lemon drizzle and lemon and blueberry.

Afternoon tea, served in the traditional way on china cake stands, costs from £10.95, but you are asked to book in advance.

Mrs Farace said it was a far cry from her life in a dental lab.

"We want to make it an experience," she said.

"The Norfolk tea is served up in a pot with a tea cosy and a timer so it is brewed just right.

"We want it to be cosy like someone's front room."

Being part of the community was important, she added, providing a lifeline service with the post office and shop, as well as a place for people to meet.

She described the decor as "shabby-chic" and said it was a nice opportunity to bring out her best family china and "entertain" guests.

Some of the items had been donated by villagers and her mother had crocheted all the tea cosies.

The shop is open from 6.15am to around 5.30pm seven days a week.

The cafe opens at 8.30am with last orders at around 4.30pm.

To book an afternoon tea call Poppy's on 01493 393238.