Farrer's Tea &Coffee House

John Farrer, a Quaker from Grayrigg, bought the Stricklandgate coffee business in 1819, inside a building that began life in 1637 as the Wagon and Horses coaching inn. The Grace family has owned Farrer's since 1990 and now runs its second generation behind the counter. A separate company, John Farrer & Co, still roasts the coffee in Kendal and supplies the café along with other outlets across the Lake District. Customers can sit in for a pot of loose-leaf tea and a slice of Kendal-made cake, or buy beans, blends and brewing kit to take home. The shop keeps the original Georgian shopfront and Grade II listing intact. Café service runs to half past four, six days a week, with the retail counter staying open an hour longer.