Wizard’s Tea Experience Opens at the Steel Cauldron
A new magical tearoom has opened in Broomhill, Sheffield in the United Kingdom. This one is much different from Madam Puddifoot’s. The Steel Cauldron is a delight for all who enter the establishment. There are bright colors, twinkling lights, cozy chairs, fascinating items, and a hum of magic in the air.
Rob and Nikki Downham are the owners of this business. The wizarding-themed tearoom and overall experience opened on July 31 in honor of Harry Potter’s 40th birthday.
I think people were ready for some magic, after the year we’ve had so far.
When promotion began for the website last month, there were over 1,000 subscriptions in one day! Once the couple was ready to launch the Wizard’s Tea experience, they received 700 bookings from the 1,000 subscribers in an hour. It definitely seems like everyone is ready for some magic.
Counter and chair area in The Steel Cauldron tearoom. (Credit: The Star)
The journey to opening the magical experience has been anything but easy. Rob signed the lease in March, and a week later, the country went on lockdown. The building needed a complete remodel, and the couple had little to no access to materials and labor, so they worked their own magic. Rob and Nikki put in the work with the help of some volunteers and completed almost all the work needed on their own.
The idea for the Steel Cauldron came from the family’s love of magic. Rob is a Lord of the Rings fan, and Nikki is a huge Harry Potter fan. They are still planning on adding additional experiences to go along with the tea events, including a virtual reality area, a “Legozone,” wand making, potion brewing, and even cocktails. The tearoom has Harry Potter merchandise and is working on getting Steel Cauldron merchandise as well.
Cozy armchairs in a sitting area of The Steel Cauldron. (Credit: The Star)
One of the most exciting features of the Steel Cauldron is the Harry Potter-themed apartment upstairs! The family is planning on renting this room out for magical getaways. When you enter upstairs, a brick wall entrance opens up to Diagon Alley.
We couldn’t think of anything better for Harry Potter fans than entering the apartment and finding themselves in the middle of Diagon Alley. It’s a three-bedroom, eight-bed space, with a living area, dining area and kitchen.
The immaculate attention to detail and the labor of love from the Downham family shows in every room of the building, upstairs and down.
With social distancing still in place, the tearoom has limited seating and will be complying with all government guidelines. The couple’s goal was to create something that made people happy. This is definitely something that sparks happiness and fun. Sign up as a subscriber today on the website so you can book your own Wizard’s Tea experience. Will you be visiting the Steel Cauldron? Let us know!
