When Diane Bryant and her business partner launched the Teapot tea shop in Cookham High Street earlier this month they were hoping to appeal to an upmarket clientele.
But less than two weeks after they opened Ms Bryant arrived to discover about 50 cockroaches crawling around on the floor after they were 'posted' through the letterbox during the night.
The cockroaches have been taken away for tests, but they are believed to have been Madagascan hissing cockroaches, a large species not native to the UK.
It happened less than two weeks after the shop was opened as a new venture for Ms Bryant and her business partner Magda, who both have backgrounds in the care industry.
She said "It's a disgusting thing to do, it's vicious. We are a brand new tea shop. For someone to do this is just vile."
The two women have no idea who is behind the attack or their motives but one theory is a rival business may be trying to get the teashop off to a bad start.
They have been 'overwhelmed' by the support of Cookham residents whop have rallied round to offer help and support after hearing about the disgusting attack.
Ms Bryant said locals have been welcoming them with open arms since they opened and many residents have been quick to condemn the attacks.
"We have had an awful lot of lovely people who have been very supportive" said the 43-year-old, who lives in Holmer Green.
"Everybody has been knocking on the door and are absolutely shocked by what has happened."
Many television celebrities and sports stars live in luxury houses along the River Thames at Cookham, near Maidenhead, Berkshire.
The teashop was forced to close but was open for business again the next day, receiving a clean bill of health and the highest rating available from food safety inspectors who visited following the incident.
A pest control specialist who came to round up the cockroaches told the women he had never seen the species in more than 25 years' experience in the industry.
A Thames Valley Police spokeswoman said detectives are appealing for witnesses and said anyone with information should contact them, anonymously if necessary.
