‘NO risk, no gain’, sums up Dotty’s Liz Baylis and Graham Rowcliffe’s business creed.

It goes some way to explain how the plucky couple could sell off one of Newbury’s highest rated cafés and hotfoot it to Old Town for new adventures, all in the time it takes to shake hands and call it a deal.

Reckless, impulsive, downright mad you say?

After all they are the entrepreneurs who bought their first business, a burger van, on eBay eight years ago in the middle of a crippling recession from the comfort of their sun loungers in Alicante, Spain.

“I’m quite impulsive,”smiles Graham. “We just thought it would be a fun thing to do.

“The recession was biting hard but the figures were telling us it was the right thing to do. There is always an element of risk in business.”

Dipping his toe in the ruthless restaurant trade had never crossed Graham’s mind until, after a lifetime of licking spoons but keeping firmly away from the kitchen, the plant hire industry worker attempted to bake a sponge 15 years ago.

The fluffy dessert was enough to pique his interest. By the time he met Liz he was more than ready to give the food business a whirl.

From a modest van selling hot rolls and sandwiches in a Newbury builders’ yard, Snack Base moved into a large portacabin expanding its food offering with warm lunches and homemade cakes. At its height, the café reached fourth best eatery out of 157 on TripAdvisor.

When the thriving Snack Base caught the eye of a buyer earlier this year, the pair who had relocated to Grange Park, set their sights on the defunct café in Old Town.

“Opportunity knocked again and we took it,” explains Graham, 56. “We always said if something better and bigger came along we would take it.

“The plan was to renovate but maybe not to that extent originally. But once we were in we were committed.”

From the word go their vision for the new venture was clear. The spacious unit was large enough for Liz’s dream tea room.

“I had always had this tea room at the back of my mind,” says Liz, 50, a former nurse.“I wanted an inviting tea room with a shabby chic, homely feel. We named it after my late mum. She would have loved it here, chatting to and meeting customers.”

The cosy atmosphere of the snug eatery is undeniably a departure from the builders’ café but despite the change of scenery and clientele, Graham’s approach to his craft has remained exactly the same.

“We want to offer good wholesome home-cooked food at a sensible price, with sensible portions and use local suppliers.

“If you look around Old Town no other place does it. There is so much choice in Old Town you have to make sure you have your own niche.”

But the leap from the punctual builders’ crowd to a more diverse clientele with an unpredictable schedule took some getting used to, they both concede.

The prospect of competing with dozens of established restaurants and delis after holding an uncontested monopoly in Newbury also filled Liz with trepidation.

“We’re dealing with different clientele and people come in all the time. Builders all come at the same time every day. It is an adjustment.

“We were also a bit nervous about the competition. In Newbury it was just us in the yard.

“But I had faith in Graham. When he says something will work he is always right,” she adds with a smile.

“It’s still about the personal touch and welcome.”

The menu boasts breakfast, fresh scones, sponges, cakes plus warming stews, American-style burgers, pies, salads and inventive daily specials.

While the fledgling Dotty’s finds its feet, Graham is quietly confident the tea room will find a place in Old Town.

“We have had a good response and it’s been busy. We hope it will stay that way. Nothing ventured, nothing gained,” concludes Graham.

Dotty’s on Devizes Road is open Monday to Saturday from 8am to 3pm and on Sunday from 10am to 2pm.

Call 01793 542552 or visit Dotty’s Facebook page.