Everyone's Nuts

Greggs join the Cronut bandwagon with their layered doughnut and Greggsnut.  See previous posts:
http://greatcafes.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/croissant-doughnuts-cronuts.html
http://greatcafes.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/dum-dums-zebras.html

Great Great Grandmothers

Guest Spot

The Beach Cafe at Wells-next-the-Sea may have a seasonal trade but they keep up the humour and appeal to attract dog owners, cyclists, nature-lovers and mums all year round.

From Rome with Love

 Chocolate specialist Said from Rome has opened in Broadwick Street with homemade cakes and lashings of chocolate sauce.

Hot Chocolate in three versions - dark, milk and ganache.

 Chocolate cake to die for.

French Flee France

 Yet more French influence at Pain de Mie cafe on New Oxford Street.

Simple Self-Serve

 Pay at the till where you are given a mug and then serve yourself.  It works well at an Asda cafe and the calorie count is clear.

Trucking

WiFi password code at 193 Cafe on Wardour Street.

Catch Them Young

Disposable bibs at Asda cafe.

8.5 Million Moggies

 The fact that there are 8.5 million cat owners in the UK might explain the extraordinary success of Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium cafe in Shoreditch.

 £5 cover charge per person for a two hour session and they are booked up until June.

There is a real lesson for all cafe operators about the power of attracting special interest groups.

 Enjoy your moggie, macchiato and macarons!

Latte & Lager

 Bars are going to have to watch out as more and more cafes sell beer/alcohol and extend their hours and customer base.

 Bulldog Edition is the cafe inside the Ace hotel in Shoreditch.

The Mull cheese and truffled leek toasted sandwich (at £4.80) was original and excellent.  Note the beer taps.

Dum Dum's Zebras

 Dum Dum Donutterie in Boxpark does their version of a Cronut with layers of chocolate and plain croissant in a Zebra.

The Croconut with coconut

 Raspberry Creme

Extend a Favourite

Shortbread in five flavours - Classic, Cinnamon, Vanilla, Mint Chocolate Chip and Treacle Toffee - at £3 a slice at the Cafe  Royal's Cafe.

Dum Dum Good

 Creme Brulee donuts and the special part is that they are baked, not deep fried.

 Dum Dum Donutterie have only been open three weeks at Boxpark with their superior baked donuts and they are flying.  Watch out for more openings as the owner is on a mission to produce the world's best donuts.

 Banoffee and Real Raspberry

Double Dipped Almond Glaze and special of Morello Cherries and Pistachio

Alice in Wonderland Cake Tables

Great Cafes is launching a competition for the best 'buy with your eyes' cafe cake table inspired by a comment from foodie Jason Danciger, new F&B Director at the Garden Centre Group, at a recent garden centre catering conference of his wish to create "Alice in Wonderland" cake tables.  Email entries to me.  Still the best I have seen is Ottolenghi - who can do better?

A-Board Fun at Caffeine

 New magazine Caffeine says "give a barista an A-Board and you'll have gags all week".

 The magazine is available for free at good coffee shops http://www.caffeinemag.com/findus/

Doorsteps

Fish finger and cheese/marmite doorstep sandwiches at the Cupcake Cafe, Margate

Tables with a Difference

 Wonderful solid wood table at the National Trust's headquarters cafe in Swindon

Suitcase tables at Timberyard's new cafe at Seven Dials in London

Love, Hugs and Coffee Mugs

Breakfast Club in Spitalfields manages to convey humour and a positive message at every turn.

Brown Sugar

Sugar pot with attitude at The Liberty of Norton Folgate in the City.

Cycle Buns

 Cinnamon and cardamom buns at Rapha's cycle clothing cafe store by Piccadilly.

Vanilla Gran Cru does it for Me

La Patisserie des Reves in Marylebone.

 Delectable pastries - coffee eclair

 Raspberry and Matcha Tea Pound Cake

 Tarte Tatin

and my top favourite - Vanilla Gran Cru.