By Angela Cole

A couple who have devoted their lives to building up a world-famous collection of teapots at their coffee shop are selling up – but there is a question mark over what will happen to their beloved pots.

Sue and Keith Blazye, and later with their son Luke, have been running Teapot Island, a two-time Guinness World Records winner which draws visitors from all over the world, for 21 years in Yalding, but now want a quieter life.

They’ve put the 0.75-acre site up for sale, but without the 8,000 teapots. And it has left them with a heart-wrenching conundrum.

“We thought it might put some buyers off by including the teapots in the sale,” said Keith, 69.

“But the ideal would be for someone to buy the whole thing together. It is an attraction. Really, whoever buys it, if they don’t want the teapots they need their heads testing.”

Sue, 73, said: “We love these teapots.”

If they aren’t able to find a buyer who wants them, they will be put into storage until they can be found a home.

“If anyone has any ideas for where they can go, let us know,” said Sue.

“We just want them to stay together. It has taken us years to build up this collection.”

The pair’s collection began with Sue’s nan’s teapot which she gave them to fill a space in a glass cabinet in 1987.

From there, they began seriously collecting and, by the time they decided to set up Teapot Island, had 3,500 teapots in their four-bedroom home in Sidcup.

They spotted the site, which is where three rivers converge in Yalding, while out on their boat.

They bought it and eventually redesigned it to incorporate the huge display cabinets housing thousands of teapots.

Many of their favourites in the collection are made by famed teapot maker and designer Paul Cardew.

His company had open days where special pots were available for collectors and sold items they didn’t want to miss.

Keith and Sue’s collection features some weird and wonderful teapots; branded ones; practical ones and thoroughly impractical ones; some that could make some visitors blush, and some which make political statements - or royal statements.

One, in particular, had to be put out of sight when the then Prince Charles and Camilla visited in 2014, while on a trip to Yalding to see the devastation caused by severe flooding.

“Let’s just say, it might have offended them,” says Keith.

“They had a good look at the whole collection though and laughed at plenty too.”

And despite the decision to sell up, and move to a bungalow for some much-needed retirement, the couple still can’t resist the odd acquisition - Sue clutches one to her chest which she has acquired after several years of searching.

“This could be the very last one we add to the collection,” she says.

Plenty of visitors to the busy café with seating inside and out may not pay the small cost of admission to see the pots, but they can still see hundreds lined up along the walls of the café.

Business is booming at Teapot Island – so much so the pair rarely get a day off.

“We are victims of our own success,” said Keith. “We get so busy there is no time for us to stop.

“We have spent the last 21 years building it up to what it is and looking for teapots.

“Whoever takes it on is going to get a thriving business. But there has got to be a point when life has to come first.”

The site is up for sale for £950,000, without the teapots. To find out more click here.

What do you think should be done with the teapots? Let us know by emailing maidstoneeditorial@thekmgroup.co.uk.