The first week we moved to Apsley I wandered along the canal and peeked into a little gateway off the canal path. I followed a sign that said "coffee", and emerged into a little bark-chipped courtyard with signage pointing to a little cafe selling hot drinks, homemade cakes and various groceries and eco-friendly bits & bobs. Over the next weeks and months I would pop in for coffees but only recently did we manage to find time to have a lovely sit in the courtyard sunshine, and have some snacks.
Sunnyside Rural Trust is an incredible local social enterprise that works with vulnerable people to give them skills in rural activities. On site, they tend to chickens, keep bees, and grow plants from seeds to then sell on to people like us who always end up coming home with more than a few pots of plants! We even bought our potted Christmas Tree -lovingly named Douglas- from there and will watch him grow from year to year!
The cafe is open Monday to Saturday 10am-3pm and offers a lovely little menu of sandwiches, light lunches, and sweet baked goodies and treats. They also do a smashing hot chocolate with marshmallows which my inner 5 year old thoroughly enjoyed! So on a blisteringly hot morning J and I went for an early lunch in the sun and chose the intriguing Cheesy 'Chickin' tikka mango sauce toasty and a 'Meetball' mariana in a mediterranean khobez wrap. I've worked a lot with vegan products in the past and was really interested to see how these sandwiches were as they sounded amazing from the menu description. J needed some convincing, so I bribed him with a cookie (and there you see his inner 5 year old!)
I have to admit, we were both really impressed. If you hadn't told me they were vegan, I really wouldn't know. My cheesy tikka sandwich shouldnt have worked......mango + cheese + fake chicken? But yet it really did! There was sweetness from the mango, salty, lactic notes form the melty cheese (who can say no to a cheesey toasted sandwich, eh?), and the chicken was lightly spiced too. The whole thing was just delicious. J's "meetball" wrap was also toasted and oozy with marinara sauce and juicy "meetballs". I should really have not told J that it was vegan-he would never have known! I also like that they both came with tortilla chips and salad; nice touch!
The cookie was also great; a nice gooey centre and a crumbly edge. Plus is had smarties on top....that's a winner in my book. Their coffee is smooth and nutty, with a slight citrus note, which was very pleasant too.
It's a lovely little nook of Apsley just by the canal, and one which has us as very big fans and regulars! See you there?
Service:
Order inside at the counter and take a numbered spoon back to your table. Everyone was super friendly and helpful and service was efficient and timely.
Quality:
This isn't Michelin star, but it is excellently comforting, generous and tasty food with delicious coffee.
Value and price:
£5.99 a sandwich and around £2-£3 a hot drink. It's decent value.
OVERALL:
EXCELLENT: For a lovely, friendly local spot with good coffee, yummy nibbles, wonderful plants and supporting a local social enterprise, this place excels.
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