Mancakes

Breakfast Cupcake - Vanilla base with smoked bacon and egg custard filling, maple syrup buttercream icing and crisp granola crunch.

 Righting the wrong that's been done to cupcakes at Mancakes, Vancouver!

 King Kong, Pink Peppercorn Grapefruit, Chicago and Apple Brie flavours.

 Bacon Chili Chocolate, Breakfast, Buffalo Wing and Godzilla variations.

 Rum & Coke, Chocolate Red Wine, Tequile Pineapple and Whiskey Lime cupcakes.

Tesco's Bakery Project

 Just opened at Tesco Loudwater and rolling out down south.

 Inspired by their Euphorium Bakery purchase, the 'posh' bowler hat lights and open display look good.

 Definitely 'buy with your eyes' presentation.

Grabbing Your Attention

Signage outside gents' hairdresser Barber & Co in Vancouver

 Worst milkshakes and craft beer at Vancouver's best shoe shop John Fluevog.

We ♥ Van

 Popular water in Vancouver that donates 10% of profits to help the homeless (see http://www.welovevan.com/ ) plus water in cardboard cartons (see http://www.boxedwaterisbetter.com/ ).  We now commence a season of what's new and interesting on the cafe scene in Vancouver plus launch a new blog to complement Great Cafes - Great Street Food at http://greatstreetfood.blogspot.co.uk/ We really do love Van.

Not Just the Horses Get Recognition

Great catering service at Royal Ascot rewarded by Sodexo Prestige's service pins.  Simple, it works and the staff we met really appreciated the recognition.

Tis Time for Lemonade

Home-made lemonade; refreshing, appealing and wonderful profit margin at the Island Bakery on St Agnes.

Loved by 1,500

Holkham Estate's Beach Cafe at Wells-next-the-Sea is now up to 1,500 members of its K9 Club and you can see why.  

Queues for the Wash 'n' Wag dog cleaning station.

 
Hydration Station - Drink Responsibly!

Gluten Free World Expands

Cheese Bites range from Mrs Crimble's adds to the gluten free choice and rivals crisps although not cheap at £2.99 (albeit in a cafe on the Isle of Tresco).

A Real Living Museum

 The Black Country Living Museum in Dudley lives up to its name with boiled sweets produced daily and all on show for the visitors.  Sweet stuff.

What If?

 This is more thought for the day than Great Cafes but allows me to announce a whole series of postings later this month about some superb cafes and street sights in Vancouver.  If you want to see the photos uploaded almost as they are taken, go to
 https://plus.google.com/photos/109676056046114476162/albums/6044508565775365329?banner=pwa

 Bravo Terry Fox.

Cafe → Restaurant

Coastguards Cafe by day and High Tide seafood restaurant by night and, remarkably, run by two separate families.  It may be down to the small friendly St Agnes island spirit in the Isles of Scilly but the logic is inescapable - two bites of the cherry in terms of maximising sales, spreading the investment and having a work/life balance.

Healthy Happy Meal

 McDonald's offers free fruit (a pineapple stick) on the first Friday of the month - it may be one of your five a day once a month but the health message is getting louder.  What does your cafe do to promote health?

Three at a Time

The Five Bells in Wickham, West Berks serves their 9 Real Ales and 7 Real Ciders in 1/3 pint glasses so you can try 3 at a time.  Seems a great idea and thanks to my brother Simon who undertook the sampling on behalf of Great Cafes readers.

Little Island:Big Trend

 Bakery cafes are a trend we have been going on about for some time.  On the little island of St Margaret's in the Scilly Isles the Island Bakery manages to do well off the tourists.

Posh Cheese On Toast

 M&S's new Posh Cheese on Toast spread at £2.75 - two types of cheese, double cream, Dijon mustard and Worcester sauce.

Popular Bookham & Harrison Cheese on Toast unit at Ascot and Goodwood features Sussex Charmer with a Parmesan zing!

Warm Welcome = Good Business

Clever Brasserie Blanc welcomes mums - today is the start of National Breastfeeding Week and all their restaurants are offering a free cup of tea or coffee between 10am and 11.30am.  How did they get the idea - see http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/cheltenham-restaurants-breastfeeding-sign-goes-viral-after-offering-mums-free-tea-and-place-to-relax-9614490.html