Any good cafes

[Andy B]

Anyone out there got a list of good cyclists cafes around Essex and the Herts/Essex border.

We end up going to same ones and a bit of variation would be nice.

List tends to be

Hatfield Heath
Writtle College
Sawbridgeworth Antiques Centre
Papermill Lock
Dobbs Weir

The little Chef at Takeley has now shut :(

[racyrich]

Funny you should say that. I'm about to write a piece for our newsletter on the subject - ranking according to scone size and quality, and fitness of serving girls :D

Anyway, I don't go to any you mentioned. Current favourite is the new one opposite the Bear pub at Stock as I can get home in half an hour without getting the dreaded tea bonk.
We also regularly go to:
Blake End (south of Great Saling, just off A120)
Clocktower Teashop, Coggeshall (best ever scones)
Stisted teashop
Jemima's at Finchingfield
Hare St teashop
Norton Heath (not Sundays, and a bit transport caff-like)
High Easter
Danbury (behind green at main crossroads - best girlies!)
South Hanningfield (down track to reservoir, just past Windmill pub)
Old Mill, Stansted Mountfitchett (bottom of hill in from Elsenham)
Golden Ball, Reed (seriously long ride!!)
Teashop at Abridge in the corner
Gosfield Lakes caff
Magnolia tearooms, Castle Hedingham (next to where Buckley Saxon was)

[Whippet]

Golden Ball, Reed (seriously long ride!!)


Rich, don't you mean the Silver Ball?

[racyrich]

D'oh! I felt as I wrote it something wasn't quite right!

[metroid]

good thread!

not strictly cafes, but some regular faves to add:

corner bakery in thaxted - superior scone size/quality makes up for overbearing friendliness
the shop at great waltham - general bread/chocolate restock
bakery in theydon bois - excellent breadpudding; lotta girlies!; useful last stop into london if fuel's low

[racyrich]

Oh yeah, forgot to mention the teashop at Burnham, and the cafe on the side of the pub (Cherry Tree?) at Purleigh. I'm told there's also a place at a farm on the Althorne - Burnham road.
Anyone been in the teashop at the jam museum at Tiptree?

Girlies - it's that time of year again when it's actually worth shopping to see the hordes of seasonal Saturday girls. No relationship between shop quality and girl quality - Primark staff are gorgeous :P

[bigB]

Tearoom in Westmill

[Andy B]

Tearoom in Westmill

Where's that?

[bigB]

Tearoom in Westmill

Where's that?
Westmill is just south of Buntingford, about 2.5 miles.

[halcyon]

Theres a cool one on the cliff tops at Mundesley if you fancy a longer ride !

Coconut macaroons and everything

[MattN]

Theres a cool one on the cliff tops at Mundesley if you fancy a longer ride !

Coconut macaroons and everything

And the Eccles cakes OH don't forget the Eccles cakes...!

[racyrich]

We spent a pleasant hour in the teashop in Coggeshall yesterday, the one opposite the White Hart. Bargain buy was the chocolate topped flapjack. Some people (no names, they know who they are, shame) couldn't eat it all.
Scones were also lovely, as it seemed were beans and scrambled eggs on toast. A serious ride as you can tell :D

[Andy B]

We spent a pleasant hour in the teashop in Coggeshall yesterday, the one opposite the White Hart. Bargain buy was the chocolate topped flapjack. Some people (no names, they know who they are, shame) couldn't eat it all.
Scones were also lovely, as it seemed were beans and scrambled eggs on toast. A serious ride as you can tell :D

Why weren't you at work you lazy g!t?

[racyrich]

9 days holiday still left. So taking Weds off to go out with the other lazy gits. 10 of us out!!
However, the 90 odd miles has completely wrecked my knee. Can hardly stand up now

[Alan Lawrence]

Mo's cafe in Tiptree ! Does the best full English in Essex !! :lol:

8 slices of bacon, 2 fried eggs, 4 sausages, fried bread, baked beans, mushrooms and bread 'n' butter !! Oh yer as much tea as you can drink !! :lol:

..only problem is you would have to ride 12 hours home to burn off the calories !! :cry:

No, seriously a very friendly cafe and one worth a visit ! :wink:

PS. Just mention 'Alan' who used to ride from Lawford to Tiptree every morning throughout the winter of '94/'95. 7am every work day morning I would be there having beans on toast and a mug of tea, they were the days when I used to be keen !! The following year I was 2 points of a 1st Cat by June and then met the Mrs and gave up for 3 years !! :lol: :lol:

[Need2Rest]

9 days holiday still left. So taking Weds off to go out with the other lazy gits. 10 of us out!!
However, the 90 odd miles has completely wrecked my knee. Can hardly stand up now
I don't think lazy gits do 90 mile rides.

[Alan Lawrence]

9 days holiday still left. So taking Weds off to go out with the other lazy gits. 10 of us out!!
However, the 90 odd miles has completely wrecked my knee. Can hardly stand up now
I don't think lazy gits do 90 mile rides.

..na they do 100 miles. :lol: :lol: :wink:

[ChrisB]

Congratulations to Needs2Rest on becoming the forum's 100th member, by the way :D

[Pocket Rocket]

Congratulations to Needs2Rest on becoming the forum's 100th member, by the way :D
I was 13th, unlucky for some :shock: :wink:

[racyrich]

You lived at Lawford and were at Tiptree by 7. Bloody hell!!!
So where in Tiptree is this caff?
And I'm still looking for someone who's sampled the teashop at the jam museum.

[Andy B]

So what rides are being planned between Xmas and the New Year? I've got 29th - 31st off.
Rich - you doing any rides?

[Capsicum Zucchini]

:lol: The thought of the Orangerie in Hadleigh (Suffolk) brings a smile to my face ....... tea, a variety of cakes and some very nice crumpet.

Monks Eleigh (On the now defunct Babergh circuit) is a nice venue. Dedham too has a pleasant tearoom with a plentiful supply of attractive serving staff, which can be a disadvantage when in Lycra.

[racyrich]

Andy.
Yes, I have the whole week off after Christmas. Not sure what rides will be out yet though. Currently it's 10am Sats from Ongar, 9.30 Suns from Sun Corner and 9.30 Weds from Ongar. I would imagine holiday rides will be from Ongar. My knee had better get better or I'll have wasted my valuable holiday time.

Brett- teashop review in club newsletter soon. Anyone wanting a Word copy - email me!

[Andy B]

Andy.
Yes, I have the whole week off after Christmas. Not sure what rides will be out yet though. Currently it's 10am Sats from Ongar, 9.30 Suns from Sun Corner and 9.30 Weds from Ongar. I would imagine holiday rides will be from Ongar. My knee had better get better or I'll have wasted my valuable holiday time.

Brett- teashop review in club newsletter soon. Anyone wanting a Word copy - email me!

Is Ongar at the mini roundabout at Marden Ash where they always used to be?

[Alan Lawrence]

You lived at Lawford and were at Tiptree by 7. Bloody hell!!!
So where in Tiptree is this caff?
And I'm still looking for someone who's sampled the teashop at the jam museum.

..yer that's right, used to get up at 5.30am and head off about 5.50am. Would take about 50 mins, quick change of clothes, and in the Cafe for 7.00am. Must have been keen as it was through-out the winter whatever the weather, mind you can't remember road rage etc then !!?? :?

Mo's cafe is opposite Tesco's in the High Street, worth a visit ! :wink: :lol:

[nmcgann]

Funny you should say that. I'm about to write a piece for our newsletter on the subject - ranking according to scone size and quality, and fitness of serving girls :D

Anyway, I don't go to any you mentioned. Current favourite is the new one opposite the Bear pub at Stock as I can get home in half an hour without getting the dreaded tea bonk.

.....


Hi Rich,

What is the "dreaded tea bonk"? [trying to get a handle on my good performance prior to the tea stop and v poor showing post-tea for the last couple of weeks :oops: ]

Neil

[racyrich]

Andy - Ongar runs meet at the bus stop at the top of the High St. The council very nicely built a toilet there for us.

The dreaded tea bonk? Hmm, a very curious phenomenom, but definitely a real one. Since it occurs even without eating cakes it can't be a hypoglycaemic reaction, so presumably it is just the result of stopping and seizing up. And of course even once you get going again you're stopping for pees every 10 miles so never really get a rhythm back. I try to limit my stops to right at the end of the ride now so I can roll home 5 miles and not care if I'm a bollard.

[JohnSclark]

Try Hayes Hill Farm cafe, just off the B194, one mile north of Waltham Abbey. Open from 10am each day (although closed a few days over Xmas & New Year ).

[Andy B]

OK I've listed all of these plus a few from the London Cycle Sport forum in a page on our website which I'll post tonight.
URL will be http://easterleycycling.org.uk/cafes.html

If you find out any further info then let me know.

[Andy B]

OK I've listed all of these plus a few from the London Cycle Sport forum in a page on our website which I'll post tonight.
URL will be http://easterleycycling.org.uk/cafes.html

If you find out any further info then let me know.

As the club run season is approaching fast - just a reminder that if you have any suggestions for cafe stops then let me know. I'll be adding a couple more to the list tonight (Waters Edge, Hanningfield and a new tearoom in Stock).

[JT]

So what rides are being planned between Xmas and the New Year? I've got 29th - 31st off.
Rich - you doing any rides?

I am off both of those days if you want to meet up for a few hours

[Andy B]

So what rides are being planned between Xmas and the New Year? I've got 29th - 31st off.
Rich - you doing any rides?

I am off both of those days if you want to meet up for a few hours

erm - that was last year :!:

[JT]

So what rides are being planned between Xmas and the New Year? I've got 29th - 31st off.
Rich - you doing any rides?

I am off both of those days if you want to meet up for a few hours

erm - that was last year :!:

Dohh!!!!! :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops:

[JT]

So what rides are being planned between Xmas and the New Year? I've got 29th - 31st off.
Rich - you doing any rides?

I am off both of those days if you want to meet up for a few hours

erm - that was last year :!:

Dohh!!!!! :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: I 'll get my coat then :cry: :cry:
That's how far I am usually behind the other riders.... a year!

[Andy B]

So what rides are being planned between Xmas and the New Year? I've got 29th - 31st off.
Rich - you doing any rides?

I am off both of those days if you want to meet up for a few hours

erm - that was last year :!:

Dohh!!!!! :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: I 'll get my coat then :cry: :cry:
That's how far I am usually behind the other riders.... a year!

Having said that I'll probably take those days as holiday again so will probably be up for a ride. Last year 6 of us had quite a good ride over to Tylers Causeway and then back to Sawbridgeworth for a cuppa.

Will post something nearer the time.

[Big Tel]

Try the Lock Tearooms at Heybridge Basin (up on the Seawall) - great food - best looking girls. Run by the same people as the one at the Tiptree jam factory

Another good one down the lane off the B1019 (Hatfield Peverel to Maldon road) opposite Does. Only open for teas 10 -12 then 2 - 4 does lunches 12 - 2

[Andy B]

From Julia Freeman:-

Butterfly Tea Rooms,
Tropical Wings
Wickford Rd,
South Woodham Ferrers
Tel 01245 425394
www.tropicalwings.co.uk

"You can visit the tea rooms without paying admission and the food was very good. It is worth a visit to the place if you are looking for something to do, there is also a good farm shop attached"

Updated list should be on the website tonight.