Watch: Mary & Martha's reopens in Ahoghill months after closing because of a 'family death'

The Ahoghill premises was just reopened on July 9 by owner Donna Ashcroft.

Donna whose 30-year-old daughter Emma died suddenly 10 months ago, said her family decided to reopen because ‘my daughter was my biggest supporter and we are doing it for her’.

Mary & Martha's Vintage Tea Room describes itself on social media as a ‘multi-award winning gem in the quaint village of Ahoghill, serving exclusively home cooked and home baked goods in a cosy vintage setting’.

‘Visit us for a warm welcome, timeless charm, and food made with love,’ it adds.

Mother-of-three Donna says “we do everything home made here, from cakes to granola bowls, Spanish eggs, pancakes and French toast.

“We do take pride in what we are making and we use the highest quality ingredients and make our own dressings.

"I make it all myself and everything is home baked.

"We also have our soups, homemade sausage rolls and speciality salads,” she added.

Donna, who spoke to the Farming Life whilst prepping scones, added: “We source our own produce locally and we open Wednesday to Saturday.

“It is very busy in the coffee shop and my other daughter works with me along with my wee granddaughter.

"I also have a couple of other girls who work for me as well as we have a fantastic breakfast/brunch, lunch menu with our signature specialty dishes which are served all day,” she added.

The Co Antrim business owner added that “we make our food aesthetically pleasing so it looks as good at is tastes” cautioning that can be difficult as it is “pretty busy with customers”.

"It can be hectic and you can’t take pictures when people are sitting waiting on their food,” she adds.

"Presentation is so important because whilst we know the food is good, it needs to look good on the plate as well.

“That is why we have consistently been awarded a 5 star rating, as we offer the same standard of food for customers every time.

"We source our produce locally - our local butcher, local bread and fruits and vegetables.

"But as everyone knows the cost of everything has gone up and it is hard getting the balance right between a fair price and making some profit".

The 56-year-old Christian added that the name of the coffee shop comes from “the Biblical story of sisters Mary and Martha where one of them was away getting stuff ready and the other one was sitting down – and in the end Mary was sitting at the feet of Jesus”.

"It is a lovely story which tells you to take time for things that are important in life”.

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