Wednesday 29 February 2012

The End of the World is Coming

Young to 4 year old Iberian hams
Acorn fed and expensive

see previous blog post from the UK:



Tuesday 28 February 2012

Excel's Wood, Slate & Jars

Hotelympia Themes 2012
Wood - boards, holders, mini display tables are very much in
plus slate
and Kilner jars


Monday 27 February 2012

Suki Tea

Quality tea and attractive tea pots - Suki tea at Dobbies garden centre cafe, Ashford.  Are you still offering a cheap stainless steel dribbling teapot with no-name untagged teabag?



Sunday 26 February 2012

Let It All Hang Out

Love the glass panelled fridges at Leon - such a good way to show off what you have in stock.  Making a positive out of back-of-house space and storage is right on-trend.

Saturday 25 February 2012

Friday 24 February 2012

Variations on an Egg

Scotch Eggs - Scrumpy, Ploughman's, Chilli, Classic, Smokey Joe and best seller Black Watch (sold out but contains black pudding) at the deli at edgbaston in Birmingham.  Bravo to owner Simon who also operates the grocer at edgbaston http://www.thegroceratedgbaston.co.uk/

Thursday 23 February 2012

Bakery Cafes

Dobbies garden centres are really serious about their baking and cakes.

Wednesday 22 February 2012

Design Tips

Wall as blackboard as menu at Pimlico Fresh
Light feature at Hackney Empire's Urban Pantry
Memorable cafe name - Tina, we salute you - in Dalston
Treasure those butcher's blocks at Leon


Tuesday 21 February 2012

Baked Fries

Forget the fryer; Leon offer baked fries - seasoned with smoked paprika and Anglesey sea salt!

Monday 20 February 2012

Ever Sat on a Mop?

Mop head seats at Passatge del temps - one of Barcelona's Wax Museum's brilliant cafes.

Sunday 19 February 2012

Speakeasy

Speakeasy Espresso & Brew Bar is off Carnaby Street and the second unit of the Dept of Coffee & Social Affairs folk in Leather Lane.  They reckon they are the only UK cafe to sell Bellocq tea from the USA.
The downstairs Brew Bar

Saturday 18 February 2012

Spring has come Early

The savoury sandwich is getting more adventurous - this is Carluccios Pane Casareccio - a stuffed (cheese meat and egg) savoury bread ring.
Apparently eaten by Italians on Easter Monday to celebrate the unofficial start of Spring.  Bit like our year round hot cross buns.

See previous blog: http://greatcafes.blogspot.com/2012/01/tortino.html

Thursday 16 February 2012

A Healthy Station

Sourced Market fruit display at St Pancras station with simple, inviting price point

Wednesday 15 February 2012

Under the Arches - More Cafes; Less Eels

E5 Bakehouse under the arches in Hackney - passionate about sourdough.
Next door is the Happy Kitchen Canteen, Bakery & Pantry
A short distance away in Broadway Market, one of the few remaining eel and pie houses





Tuesday 14 February 2012

Red (Chocolate) Roses

Three special ladies in my life - wife and twin teenage daughters - will get Carluccios chocolate roses and a short break to Barcelona - anyone know some great cafes there?
"Marry Me?" cakes and cupcakes at Dobbies garden centre cafe at Ashford - this is one very switched-on cafe operation and a treasure trove of future blog posts.  Tesco, who owns Dobbies, is on to a winner.  Will Dobbies will sort out Tesco cafes one day?
You just cannot get enough heart shapes - Krispy Kreme's doughnuts and Millies cookies.  I prefer the chocolate roses.


Monday 13 February 2012

Buckets of Ingenuity

Chozen Noodles' new unit in Borough High Street with lights in buckets from Ikea - the contents of the buckets are changed with the season.  Eye-catching and inexpensive.

Sunday 12 February 2012

No Froth Here!


A. Gold - traditional foods of Britain - in Spitalfields has proudly not joined the  espresso revolution.  Great place for new ideas of well packaged British food and drink.  Check out http://www.agoldshop.com/



         A.Gold - Campbell's Irish Tea

Saturday 11 February 2012

A Great Start to the Day

Bacon Sandwich with HG Walter's organic bacon and Lantana tomato chutney on white sourdough bread.  £6 of great grub at Lantana Cafe, W1.


Friday 10 February 2012

Jamie's Chic Shack

Bicester Village - the chic outlet shopping venue for hordes of overseas visitors - has an interesting mix of catering.  The largest Pret I have ever seen plus Carluccios, Villandry Grand Cafe, Busaba Eathai and this shed by Jamie Oliver's outside catering company Fabulous Feasts.  Quite what the visitors think of chelsea buns and eccles cakes, goodness knows but they were of good quality.


Thursday 9 February 2012

Snacking

Apostrophe

Benugo
Pret
"Healthy" snacks = Growing sales

Tuesday 7 February 2012

Container Cafe





The Box Park, alongside the railway line in Shoreditch,  is the "world's first pop-up mall" http://www.boxpark.co.uk/  
Two of the boxes/containers are taken by Foxcroft & Ginger with their latest cafe.  Wonderfully innovative.