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Northampton's rather unusual Cafe & Cocktail Bar
Eat, Drink, Be Quirky
Opening Hours
Monday to Friday - 10am - 3pm
Saturday - 11am - 6pm
Sunday - 11am - 3pm
Our Story
The Home of the Tiddley Tea
since 2021
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Welcome to The Eccentric Englishman,
an establishment like no other in this fair town.
Here, anything goes and Lord and Lady Muck invite you to partake in a little refreshment and step back in time to the age of 19th century gothic-industrial steam-powered machinery.
Inspired by the spirit of Phileas Fogg, the bizarre inventions of HG Wells and the strange genre of Steampunk, we celebrate all things soft-gothic with elegance...and Tea, Gin and Prosecco.
As Phileas Fogg said to his trusty valet, Passepartout,
“If to live in this style is to be eccentric, it must be confessed that there is something good in eccentricity.”
We’ll drink to that!
The origin of Tiddley Tea
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Discover the thinking behind the famous Tiddley Tea and why it's been so well received in Northampton. When "The Eccentric Englishman" was a mere twinkle in the eyes of Lady and Lord Muck, Northampton was in real need of something different and, with the tea rooms, at 21 St Giles Street, now open to all, the town certainly offers something different now! A Tiddley Tea is, at first glance, a hearty Afternoon Tea, with a tempting array of savoury and sweet morsels made on the premises, by Lady Muck. These delicacies are served on 3-tier cake stands, accompanied by a wide choice of teas.....only, it's not tea at all - it's a Tiddley cocktail, wine or spirit served in a tea and sipped from a china tea cup. The cocktails are specifically designed with Northampton in mind with names such as "The Enchanted English Rose" which is a tribute to Princess Diana, whose family home, Althorp, is situated just a few miles out of the town. The "Scrum Bucket" is a nod to the Northampton 'Saints' Rugby Team and "Our Curious Cobbler" is dedicated to world-renowned Northampton shoe industry. Of course, guests don't have to partake in alcohol at all; there is a non-alcoholic version of this tea extravaganza, called the "Prohibition" Tea and is proving just as popular as its alcoholic counterpart. The fun and quirky Tiddley Tea menu has earned quite a reputation with the townspeople of Northampton voting "The Eccentic Englishman" winner of the "Muddy Stillettos Award" in 2022 and the tearoom was award Finalist at the "Northampton Live" Awards in 3 categories. It's a winner all round and our customers agree that "Afternoon Tea has never been so much fun!"
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Who are Lord and Lady Muck when they're at home?
Lord and Lady Muck - aka Lizzie Cox and the larger-than-life 'Mucker' - truly represent Northampton in all its forms. They are both Northampton born and bred and universally renowned among the town's business fraternity for their generosity, "never say die" attitudes and larger-than-life personalities. Lizzie is the landlady of The Eccentric Englishman, which was established in May 2021. "When we first viewed the Old Weights and Measures House in St Giles Street it was an absolute wreck," she said. "It needed so much work that we wondered if we were doing the right thing, but it was at the centre of my vision for the 'The Eccentric Englishman' and I had an immovable picture in my head as to how I wanted it to look and come alive. Mucker single-handedly set about seeking out the right fixtures and fittings - and I couldn't walk past a tea pot, without wanting it immediately. I dreamt about Phileas Fogg and the Mad Hatter for months...don't tell Mucker that though". Lizzie's background is in the catering business. She spent many years running successful restaurants and bars in the Canary Islands before coming back to the UK and managing the Five Bells in Kingsthorpe for many years. 'The Eccentric Englishman' was always in the back of her mind, though, and her love for baking cakes and Mucker's know-how and local business connections meant that, with her own business, she could become Lady Muck in her own quirky castle. The front door of 'The Eccentric Englishman' was thrust open, to the curious public, in May 2021 and, within a year, had won the coveted "Muddy Stillettos" Award and was finalist in three categories of the Northants Live Awards. This year they have, once again, been nominated for the "Muddy Stilettos" and "Northants Life" Awards' 'Best Bar' and also 'Best Small Business' by "Northants Life".
Take a trip down St Giles Street - find out the history behind The Old Weights & Measures Office
The charming building, 'The Eccentric Englishman' now occupies, has a history dating back to 1872, when it was the Northampton "Weights & Measures Office". However, before Lord and Lady Muck transformed it into the jaw-dropping slice of Wonderland it is today, it housed a Gin and Cocktail Bar but, prior to that, the building was modernised (we call it "defaced" - tut! ) and became the premises for a hairdressers. Interestingly we have discovered an article from the Northampton Chronicle & Echo archives from August 2009: "Workers uncover a piece of history. A hidden piece of Northampton's history was uncovered by builders working at a town centre hairdressers. A sign for the town's former 'Office for Weights and Measures' made out of ceramic tiles was uncovered during restoration work at the Finn Salon in St Giles Street. Builder Anthony Duggan uncovered the sign while working on the building. He said: "We found the date 1872 first then we just carried on uncovering the sign from there. "It had about eight layers of paint on it, so I reckon it must have been covered up for certainly a good few decades. It was a real surprise to find it, but it's a very old building, so there was always a chance there was going to be some history there. "At first I didn't think I'd be able to save all the lettering, but I'm really pleased I have. It's in perfect condition now." The building, which is just a few yards away from the Guildhall and is still owned by Northampton Borough Council, is believed to be one of the oldest in St Giles Street. The sign proves it was previously used as a base for the Mayor's sargeant, who had the job of making sure all the weights and measures used by tradesmen in the town were legal. The owner of the salon, Findlay Kelly-Jeans, said he was delighted by the find. He added: "We had no idea there was anything like this up there. I actually always thought the building was an old school house. "But this shows it's a real part of Northampton's history and we're definitely going to leave the sign up there. I think it is absolutely beautiful." So this all goes to show that you should never judge a book by its cover. If you have any other interesting facts about the building, please share it on our Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/theeccentricenglishman