A WEST Cumbrian couple are waving goodbye to their much-loved tea room and its customers after a 'joyous' 14 years, as they say hello to retirement.

The Allonby Tearoom and Gift Shop, owned by Brenda and Michael Holyoake, aged 64 and 72, closed last Friday, September 20 as the couple retire after 14 years in the business.

Speaking about their years at the tearoom, Brenda said: "It's been a joy. I have gotten to do what I love, we have got wonderful customers, a lot of return customers."

Michael said that many who visited the tearoom 'started out as customers but have now become friends'. He said: "We built it up from small beginnings and kept adding on to the menu, building it up to a place where people really enjoyed coming."

After a small health issue for Michael at the start of this year, the couple were given 'pause for thought' and made the decision to retire from the business, with the pair hoping to spend more time with family and travel without the ties that running a hospitality business inevitably holds.

And it's not just the couple who will be retiring from the business. Colin, a French bulldog teapot who was a popular feature of the café, will also be off to enjoy his own happy retirement.

Colin the bulldog (centre) will be enjoying a happy retirement.Colin the bulldog (centre) will be enjoying a happy retirement. (Image: Supplied)

Brenda said: "Everybody had their favourite teapot! We had lots of different character and house teapots.

"Michael always made sure everybody got their right teapot. We had a teapot that was a French bulldog called Colin. We even had a group of customers who come every week that we called Colin's disciples.

"Colin is going to be having a happy retirement as well."

Michael and Brenda have thanked the many staff and customers that travelled far and wide and who have been extremely loyal to the tearoom over the last 14 years.

Brenda said: "A huge, huge thank you to all of our staff past and present.

"We are so grateful to have had all of our customers and have been so well supported. It's been incredibly emotional to read all of the messages and you wish you could reply to them all individually but there have been so many."