Village Squire, 1979-01, Page 12Jennifer Jackson tends the fire that gives the tearoom at Berson's Tearoom in Listowel a cosy,
relaxing feeling.
b]nglish
tradi tio n
comes to
Listowel
Tearoom adds a warming
to a shopping trip
touch
It's a welcome sight, with the snow slowly turning to slush in
the streets outside. The tables in the small room surround the
fireplace where a fire crackles invitingly.
In some places there would be nothing particularly special
about the scene. In some places tea rooms are plentiful. But here
in Western Ontario such informal friendly places are rare, and all
the more welcome.
One of the few area tearooms opened recently in Listowel, a
block off the main street in the rear of the old house that houses
Betson's Gifts and Tearoom. The two are operated by Jennifer
Jackson and her mother-in-law Clarice Jackson.
The Jacksons come by the tearoom tradition naturally. They
both come originally from England, though the family has been
in Canada for some time. They had been living in Toronto until
Jennifer's husband was transferred to Listowel with a local
manufacturing plant.
The shop out front is stocked with such beautiful items as
German china. Czechoslovakian crystal and English and Italian
cutlery. The shop opened in March of 1978 and was really part of
an extended family operation. Mrs. Jackson senior's youngest
son is in the gift and antique business in Toronto. This
connection made it much easier to start up a business in
Listowel. Most of the merchandise is imported directly although
some is obtained through wholesalers.
The Jacksons began looking for a place to set up the shop and
couldn't find just what they wanted. They looked on the main
streets of Listowel but there was nothing suitable. then looked in
a local shopping plaza but felt they needed to be downtown.
Finally they bought an old house on Argyle street and went about
renovating it. Jennifer Jackson says she doesn't know a lot about
the history of the house and would like to know more but she
does know that it sits on one of the earlier lots in the town, one
January 1979, Village Squire 9