Stokes High Bridge Café History

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 on the walls of the High Bridge cafe)

In 1913, Mr. Stokes purchased the Lincoln Coffee Palace at 206 High St. (Where Marks & Spencer’s is now located) and renamed it the Arcadia Cafe. The Arcadia was extremely successful, and became the society place to have tea during the 1920’s and 1930’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 Cafe 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. When the High Bridge Cafe first opened its doors a full luncheon could be bought for 7 pence. If a customer wanted a glass of beer with their meal, the waitress would have to cross over the busy High street, which was not pedestrianised as it is today, and buy one from the Hotel Central located on the opposite corner. Every day, fresh fish was delivered in barrels from the Grimsby docks. The milk was brought in large churns and all the waste and rubbish was carried down in buckets through the dining rooms and was collected by the pig swill man.

In 1937 the head cook was paid 50 pence per week with an extra 7 pence for overtime. During the Second World War (1939-1945), a bomb was dropped so close to the High Bridge that the cafe had to be evacuated and remained closed for several days.

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 at all left in the kitchen apart from some loaves of bread. A welcome delivery of baked beans arrived and both dining rooms 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 by the kitchen staff. In 1954, R.W.Stokes died.

In 1958 the High Bridge cafe was closed for fifteen weeks whilst alterations were being made to the building. The location of the kitchen was altered to its present position. In 2002 the company celebrated its 100th birthday. Stokes High Bridge Cafe is one of last remaining family run businesses on Lincoln high street.