Robert William Stokes opened his first grocery shop in 1902, and very soon became fascinated by tea and coffee.
He began specialising in tea, coffee and cocoa whilst at his shop on Guildhall street, Lincoln, winning many prizes for creating new blends; most of which are still enjoyed by our customers today. (Some of these prizes, dating from the early part of last century, can be viewed at the High Bridge café)

In 1913, R.W. Stokes purchased the Lincoln Coffee Palace at 206 High St. (Where Marks & Spencer’s is now located…) and renamed it “Arcadia Café”. The Arcadia was extremely successful, and became the “society” place to be seen drinking tea during the 1920’s and 30’s. The Arcadia consisted of several dining rooms and separate gentlemen’s smoking rooms were available to escape the “chatter” of the ladies.

In 1937,The Arcadia Café was sold to Marks & Spencer for the sum of £21,000 (an enormous amount at the time) and RW Stokes moved next door to the High Bridge café.

 The High Bridge Cafe in 1937

When the High Bridge Cafe first opened, a full luncheon could be bought for 7 ½ pence.

The head cook was paid 50 pence per week with an extra 7½ pence for overtime.

If a customer wanted a glass of beer with their meal, the waitress would have to cross over the busy High street and buy one from the “Hotel Central” located on the opposite corner.

Every day, the fish was delivered in barrels fresh from the Grimsby docks.

The milk was brought in large churns.

All the waste and rubbish was carried down in buckets through the dining rooms and was collected daily by the pig swill man.

In the 1930's, the tea and coffee warehouse, where all the blending of tea and roasting of coffee took place, was located at Napoleon place

During the second world war, a bomb was dropped so close to the High Bridge that the cafe had to be closed for several days. Also during this period, due to the rationing of food, on one particular day, the cafe was full of hungry customers, but there was no food left in the kitchen. A welcome delivery of baked beans arrived and the whole dining room enjoyed a lunch of baked beans on toast.

During the big freeze of 1947, the water pipes were frozen solid for most of the winter. The cafe remained open despite this, with every drop of water being carried up in buckets.

In 1954, R.W.Stokes died.

In 1958 the High Bridge café was closed for fifteen weeks whilst alterations were being made to the building.

In 2002 the company celebrated it's 100th birthday.

Stokes High Bridge Café is one of last remaining family run businesses on Lincoln high street.