Visitors will have an especially good reason to visit Helmingham Hall Gardens near Stowmarket this summer, as a new café will be opening on May 2 offering a variety of breakfast, brunch, lunch and afternoon tea options as well as a selection of drinks and sweet treats.

To celebrate opening for the 2023 season, and introduce visitors to the new café, the first 50 people to visit on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday May 2-4 will receive free entry to the Gardens and a free hot drink from the new café.

A second outlet for Wright’s in addition to the popular Bury St Edmunds branch, the menu will include a range of salads, open sandwiches, posh cheese toasties and speciality coffee, alongside cakes, puddings and weekly specials. Wright’s at Helmingham Hall will be housed in the former Coach House and the new layout has been designed to meet various visitor needs, including plenty of space for wheelchair users and even a double buggy to move easily between tables.

During a swift four-month programme, the old tearooms have been fully renovated and redesigned. The interiors reflect the existing Wright’s brand in terms of colour palette and styling, with specific nods to Helmingham from botanical prints, vintage crockery and gardening books for youngsters in the children’s corner. There’s even a reference to Lady Xa Tollemache’s Gold medal winning Chelsea Garden Show design which, owner Adam says, “is there, but you’ll have to look for it!”. Staff are trained to confirm whether visitors have spotted the connection.

Over the past five years, Adam has built up a relationship with the team at Helmingham largely through event catering. “When the operator of our previous tearooms decided to retire, Adam was the obvious choice as a natural successor,” explains Katy Day, Marketing and Events Manager at Helmingham. “We knew that Wright’s would bring a fantastic new energy to the visitor offering here, and help visitors to enjoy a complete day out. Adam’s been so creative in incorporating elements of Helmingham’s history into the new café's design and we can’t wait to work more closely in terms of introducing produce from the Estate into the menus.”

“From our first coffee shop, to the larger café and our vintage food truck, the project at Helmingham is by far our most exciting to date. The location is an absolute gift, not least as it allows us to really showcase the best of local produce from field (or gardens) to fork,” says Adam.

Suffolk-based suppliers include Grain Culture for bread, chutneys and sauces from Scarlett & Mustard, Heart of Suffolk gin, Niche cocktails and Preserves of Suffolk. “We’re really excited about this opportunity to introduce more of Suffolk’s amazing small producers to a wider audience and can’t wait to start to using produce grown on the Estate itself too.”

Ahead of its full opening, Wright’s at Helmingham Hall will be catering for the private view and opening weekend of the Art for Cure sculpture trail and exhibition, from 28 – 31 April including evening openings.

From Tuesday May 2, Wright’s will be open from 10am – 5pm, Sunday to Thursday inclusive. Tables can be booked in advance at: wrightscafe.co.uk/helmingham-hall-gardens. Both the café and gift shop are accessible independently of Gardens entry. Helmingham Hall is located near Stowmarket in Suffolk, approximately 20 minutes from Ipswich, 70 minutes from Norwich or Cambridge.

* Helmingham Hall Gardens are open seasonally from May to September, Sunday through Thursday from 10am to 5pm. Grade 1 listed and redeveloped over 40 years by Chelsea Gold Medal winner Xa Tollemache, the gardens include a parterre, walled kitchen garden, ancient Apple Walk, two rose gardens, topiary, wildflower and woodland gardens and a variety of borders planted to bloom across the full opening period. New for 2023, Wright’s Café is open alongside the Gardens, as well as the Hall’s gift shop. Throughout the year, the Gardens also host a variety of events including evening openings, live music, Festival of Classic and Sports Cars and plant fairs. Visit: www.helmingham.com