A historic Coventry venue is celebrating its second anniversary since reopening – by offering the people of the region the chance to mark their own occasion in nearly 700-year-old surroundings!
It is two years since St Mary’s Guildhall, which is located at the heart of Coventry’s Cathedral Quarter, reopened to the public after a major restoration and refurbishment programme.
The 14th century historic gem has been transformed into a heritage visitor attraction, offering a window into the past as well as staging events and educational visits, with around 30,000 visitors coming through the door including around 7,000 people taking part in either education or community events.
It has also become one of Coventry city centre’s ‘go to’ places for lunch, brunch and afternoon tea at its atmospheric undercroft Tales of Tea dining experience.
In the past two years it has served more than 42,000 customers, as well as catering for a range of events, including weddings.
Now, No Ordinary Hospitality Management (NOHM), which operates the venue, is looking to make it an evening attraction too by opening up Tales of Tea to people who want to hold a celebration event such as a birthday or anniversary party, with free room hire on offer.
Ron Terry, Group Operations Director at NOHM, said: “The two years since St Mary’s Guildhall reopened has flown by and, to mark our own landmark occasion, we are opening the venue for others to do the same!
“There is no other venue quite like it in Coventry city centre – with all of its amazing history. It has been a place of incredible importance for the past 700 years and has played a key role in the city’s history. Visitors are stunned by the transformation and say it is an amazing addition to the city’s Cathedral Quarter.
“By offering the room free of charge, we are able to open up in the evening and make even more use of the space and working with those who wish to hold their event with us on food and beverage packages.”
Abi Moore, the heritage and venue manager of St Mary’s Guildhall, added: “The heritage and educational aspect of St Mary’s Guildhall has been a real draw for local visitors, tourists and schools because we offer such a fantastic experience.
“The first two years have gone by so quickly and we look forward to expanding our offer and increasing the number of visitors in the coming weeks and months by keeping the Guildhall at the heart of the community and raising the profile of this previously hidden treasure.”
The recent major package of restoration and refurbishment at St Mary’s Guildhall has been made possible through the Cultural Capital Investment Fund resourced by Coventry City Council, Arts Council England, and the Government’s Getting Britain Building Fund through Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership, and with the support of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery players.
For more information on booking Tales of Tea, go to https://www.stmarysguildhall.co.uk/tales-of-tea/