A POPULAR Southampton tea rooms will not reopen following the coronavirus crisis after becoming the latest victim of the pandemic.

Evelyn's Tea House in Thornhill is to close permanently after five years and sell off all its fixtures and fittings.

But first, fans can enjoy one final bake off as a final batch of cakes, including cheese scones and brownies, will be baked and available for collection on the VE Day bank holiday today.

Owner Debs, who opened the business with her daughter Melissa in tribute to her grandmother Evelyn, posted a heartfelt message on the Evelyn's Tea House Facebook page to announce the closure.

She said: "We are devastated and heart broken to tell you that Evelyn's Tea House will not reopen after the Covid-19 lockdown is lifted.

"We had hoped to survive these turbulent times but alas, after a challenging trading period during the Brexit campaign and now Covid-19, this is just not possible and our little tea house dream is over.

"We are so grateful for all of the support and loyalty our customers have shown us over the past five years. Thank you to each and every one of you. We have loved baking for you, serving you, watching you enjoy the food that we created and most of all for the warmth, friendliness and atmosphere that was Evelyn's. You all helped to achieve a personal dream and for that I am sincerely grateful."

The family business, named after the grandmother who inspired a love of baking and all things cakey and vintage, began trading as Evelyn's Tea Rooms in Fair Oak Village in 2015. It moved to Thornhill Park Road in the summer of 2018, renamed Evelyn's Tea House to reflect the tea specialist side of the business, which served 100 different loose leaf teas.

All cakes, biscuits and pudding were homemade and the menu also offered breakfast, light snacks and cream teas.