On Brick Lane, of course it's complete madness, but only because you didn't think of it first - and they have jobs!
I was working in Essex last week and discovered my B&B was B and no B so I had to go hunting for my breakfast. I headed for Dedham where I had heard there was a very good tea room which opens at 9am and served breakfast. Essex Rose Tea House is owned by Wilkin and Sons, famous for the Tiptree preserves.I ordered the Welsh Rarebit made with Tiptree mustard. Perfect, as was the service and the pot of tea.
There is floor to ceiling tea here at T2; different varieties and combinations including White, Black, Oolong, Tissanes, Floral and more. Tea paraphernalia like those specialist tea strainers and infusers that you can't find anywhere else that are essential for herb leaf tea, and lots of tea making for tasting - which when I got there was the perfect late morning pick-me-up (I tried French Earl Grey and Irish Breakfast). There is a Tea Society, a High Tea Society and a Secret Tea Society and a weird teapot that pours it out of the bottom...and they're from Australia, and have just arrived in the UK.
I took Johny Cakes out for a cup of tea today to one of my favourite, unconventional tea rooms in Norfolk. Caroline Dwen runs the quirky and tiny Rosy Lee's Tea Room in Loddon. Expect the warmest of welcomes, an enormous snack menu, local crab sandwiches and homemade cakes freshly baked by the W.I. Caroline suggested tea in the secret garden, across the road. Jack delivered the tea in a hamper basket. The pot of tea for two with two big slices of cake was £5.60.
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In what appears to be one of the most expensive towns in the region we are looking for lunch. The Cafe CouCou has a window full of fab cakes and we can see some home-made quiches so we take a seat. After a bit of confused waitressing about whether the falafel had been made there or not, and if there was any leek and bacon quiche left or not, and if the pear and frangipani tart was still on the menu or not, we order the falafel which came with flat bread, tzaziki and lots and lots of leaves, and a goats cheese and beetroot flan with olives and lots and lots of leaves. Both were fresh, home-made and really nice. A more interesting choice of accompanying salads would have taken it to the £10 per dish level it was, and although slates to serve it on are clearly still fashionable in Essex, give me a plate that the food doesn't fall off and a well informed waitress every time.
We like Bungay. This pretty little town has some great independent shops and a market every Thursday.
It also has The Earsham Street Cafe. We were too late for lunch, but liked the idea of the savoury afternoon tea with local Shipcord cheese and homemade carrot chutney.
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This multi function and award winning community building has a cafe, with enthusiastic staff and lots of homemade cakes. They tried to persuade me to have a full English breakfast, but for the sake of my arteries I settled for a capuccino.
Go upstairs to find out about the Pulham Pigs.
Maria Crick has always wanted to run her own restaurant and now her dream has come true. The new Cafe del Mar in Bury St Edmunds offers a tapas/meze menu with 3 dishes for £10. At the moment it is BYO wine, allowing for a very affordable night out.
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More...
This is the bowl of soup that I bought for my lunch at Morrisons cafe in Beccles yesterday. Presentation is obviously not high on the list!
Had to spend the day at Papworth hospital this week (not as a patient) but long enough to try their breakfast of deep fried sausage, deep fried bread, deep fried mushrooms, black pudding and bacon. But I did have tomatoes and it was only £3.49 for six items.
Started in Italy after the war when there wasn't much money about - yes, its an old idea - promoted in seventeen countries in the world and recently hi-jacked by Starbucks, here's how it is intended to work.
Choose a nice local independent cafe that has a discreet 'suspended coffee' sign in the window to buy your lunch, buy yourself a sandwich and a coffee. At the same time, pay for an extra coffee, asking for it to be suspended.
Johny Cakes - a man who has lost his job (it happened) is facing being homeless (not quite) and is looking for work, will see the sign that the cafe has out the front, saying they are taking part in suspended coffee, and asks if there are any suspended coffees available. Within five minutes he has a warm drink in his hands, thanks to the anonymous act of kindness of yourself and the cafe. Some places have extended it to food - I would like liver and bacon with mashed potatoes and runner beans please.
