Award Winning Church (Cafe)

The Wren Cafe in an amazing space in the City of London - simple, high quality and award-winning.

Great Cafes Hits 1,000

1,000 blog posts and going strong - cafes are doing just great throughout the UK.  We are busy working on new cafe feasibilities and improving existing operations for:

• Abbeys
• Businesses
• Castles
• Cathedrals
• Courts
• Distilleries
• Farm Attractions
• Farm Shops
• Galleries
• Garden Centres
• Libraries
• Museums
• Palaces
• Parks
• Racecourses
• Stately Homes
• Theatres
• Universities
• Venues
• Visitor Centres
• Zoos

Get in touch if we can help you.

Peyton's Pies

 Peyton & Byrne's Modern British Bakery in Covent Garden.

  Twice Cooked Pulled Pork & Sweet Potato Pie

Nothing Changes

Staff back of T-shirt message at Gordon's Wine Bar by Embankment tube: Nothing Changes ... Pickpockets Still Abound.  Please Watch Your Valuables.

Joined the Juice Bandwagon Yet?

Raw & Naked's superfood smoothies

Crusshed's juices, green juices, super smoothies and boosters

Brownie Bar

 If you want to see a real selection of brownies, visit The Brownie Bar in Newcastle or http://www.browniebar.co.uk/flavours.php

Pobble Popular

I never thought it would take off but bubble drinks are fashionable and increasingly available.  Wild Monk sell cartons of their juice 'pobbles' so you can make up your own drinks with bubbles in.

Drop That Scone

 Gail's Bakery has some new menu items - Gruyere & Chive Drop Scones

 Maple & Pecan Drop Scone topped with a maple glaze while still hot from the oven

Chocolate Chew

Chocolate Rose by Peyton & Byrne - soft and chewy chocolate biscuit with a rose marshmallow centre.

Cake Stands at Home

Mini cupcake selection on its own cake stand at M&S

Digest the Logo

Guest Spot

From Sticky Beaks Cafe in Cambridge - their logo is a bird, so a neat way of updating a classic biscuit in their own handwriting!  Sent in by Claire Martinsen, Founder of Breckland Orchard Drinks.

Weirdoughs

Savoury doughnuts - what next?!  Spotted by my teenage daughter Natalie.

Expensive Furniture

 Pop up cafe at Caffe Culture show with low cost tea chest table and pallet seating - all you need.

Bottled Sunshine

 Gazpacho in a bottle from Cho www.chogazpacho.com

Buffins

Bunnychow have come up with their own take on filled buffins/muffins:

• Lemon Meringue filled with lemon curd
• Jaffa filled with marmalade
• Chocolate filled with chocolate custard and topped with popping candy

Gluten Free with Appeal

 Gluten free does not have to be stodgy and boring - check out Fig, Cardamom & Orange Cake and Pear, Parsnip and Salted Caramel Cake from the Free From Bakehouse www.thefreefrombakehouse.com

 Lola's new 'free from' cupcake range.

Forging the Cafe of the Future

The Forge in Shoreditch is a really interesting example of a cafe that has come of age and includes all the options - coworking space, cafe, lounge, canteen, art gallery, wi-fi, good coffee, juices, beer (from the on-display tanks), wines and cocktails.

 Expect to see more cafes blur the boundaries with pubs, restaurants and social spaces.

Pretzel Boom

 Pretzel and peanut butter brownies from The Brownie Bar www.browniebar.co.uk

Pretzel eye-level display at Kamps, the German baker, at High St Kensington tube.

Clerkenwell Buns

 Peanut and Chocolate Clerkenwell (not Chelsea) Bun at Granger & Co's new Clerkenwell cafe outpost.  Delicious and made fresh that day.

Happy for a Week

 Starbuck's Happy Hour - two hours for a week with a Frappucino.

Free Treats

Dogs and their owners really can increase your trade.  Large sign outside Wallingford eatery.

Wash N Wag

The Beach Cafe at Wells-next-the-Sea does it again with their appeal to dog owners.  This is their new self service dog wash for sand and seawater-soaked mutts.  9 million dog owners are a serious market to attract to your cafe.

Sweet Wrap

M&S introduces sweet wraps

Cappucino Costs

Allegra's calculation of coffee costs and profit as reported in The Times

Clerkenwell Cake

Granger & Co's new second outlet in Clerkenwell.  Check out the menus:

Barefoot in Oxford

 Barefoot Bookstore in Oxford has their Storytellers Cafe

 Winner of Junior Magazine's Best Family Restaurant Award in 2013 - see
http://www.juniormagazine.co.uk/food-and-dining-awards/best-family-restaurant-2013-winner-barefoot-books-storytellers-cafe/16065.html

The Year of the Bun

 Buns are in at Gail's - Cinnamon, Cardamom, Chelsea, Soho (cream bun packed with chocolate chips), Chocolate & Hazelnut and Sour Cherry & Pistachio