Georgina Worthington, 29, is serving a bustling roomful of regulars. It’s a cold afternoon outside, but inside her café all is cosy, rosy and sugar-coated. Georgina has lived in the area for five years, working as a fashion designer, but one day she happened across this property in the heart of the village. ‘The idea had been brewing for years and I love Highgate so really thought that it had to be here.’ She felt that Highgate village was crying out for an independent teahouse. Borrowing from the bank without a catering track record was tricky so, to release funds, she and her husband sold their flat – with the help of KFH – and bought a one-bedroom flat off Highgate Hill. ‘I get lots of people asking what it’s like to work around here. We’ve become an advice centre for people looking to buy in the area. It’s hard work, but I love it. You can see families grow – pregnant women who came in when we first opened are now bringing in their one-year-old kids!’
High Tea of Highgate, 50 Highgate High Street, N6 5HX, 020 8348 3162, www.highteaofhighgate.co.uk. Tues-Sun, 11am-5pm, closed Mon.
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