July.1999 / Page4
The 1940s Onwards: 　The war years were an eventful time for Bettys. At the York shop, an incendiary device came crashing through the roof, but with the help of the local 'fire watcher' the building was saved. 　Even Bettys' menu was influenced by the war and, thanks to rationing, customers enjoyed the unusual delights of fishcakes and 'corned beef hash.' And there is a huge picture mirror (sadly damaged in an air raid) in the downstairs Oak Room of the York Tea Room that bears the name of nearly 600 American and Canadian bombers who drank tea and coffee at Bettys during those war years and scratched their signatures on to the glass before flying off on dangerous missions. 　The 1960s and 1970s were a busy and dynamic time for the company. In 1962, Bettys bought their own tea and coffee company from their close rivals the Taylor family and today Taylors of Harrogate is thriving, supplying Bettys Cafes with a fine selection of specialty teas and coffees. 　Taylors of Harrogate was founded in 1886 by Charles Taylor who had acquired a wealth of experience in the tea trade while he was the northern agent for a London tea company. He had noticed how variations in the water supply could affect the quality of brewed tea and made it his first priority to supply the most suitable blend for a customer's area. While Bettys concentrated on running the cafes, Taylors decided to build on their particular strength of blending tea suited to the local water. This led to the creation of ' Yorkshire Tea' which has become one of the country's top tea brands, with over 8 million cups being drunk every day. 　The 1980s and 1990s have been a time of recognition and accolades, as Bettys won a number of prestigious national awards ranging from Top Tea Place of the Year to Confectioner and Baker of the Year, National Training Awards and Investors in People Kitemarks. And at the award wining Craft Bakery on the outskirts of Harrogate, over 400 specialties are made by hand using traditional skills. Every day, the cakes, biscuits, chocolates and breads are dispatched in distinctive Bettys vans to the cafes and shops across Yorkshire. While the bread makers bake traditional Yorkshire loaves and continental breads, the confectioners prepare fruit cakes, muffins, scones, biscuits, meringues, vanilla slices, and savory treats. 　Bettys and Taylors is still owned and managed by descendents of Frederick Belmont, and the Swiss connection is also very much alive with Bettys Bakers and Confectioners training at the Richemont College in Lucerne, Switzerland. Today there are Cafe Tea Rooms in Harrogate, York, Ilkley and Northallerton, and Taylors Tea Rooms − also in York, just a short walk from Bettys.
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