Little Waitrose: Big Offer

The "Little Waitrose" in the City has tempting displays, fresh unrefrigerated baguettes ....

.... and free take-out coffee for Waitrose card holders.

Great Cafes Cafe of the Year 2013

 I am awarding Cafe of the Year to Yorks Bakery Cafe in Birmingham.

Great coffee (from the Caravan roastery in London), good food and terrific ambiance - more reasons why they get the accolade on  Monday.

The English Are Coming

Lille, France boasts almost no cafes such as we have in the UK and the first are just opening up.  Coffee Makers import Has Bean coffee from Staffordshire - a real export success.

 Ambient display of pastries and sandwiches

 The one small chain that does exist is called Notting Hill Coffee.

Hail the Kale

 Pret has kale in sandwiches.

Artisan Fresh

 Sourced at St Pancras sandwiches"are made fresh every morning with artisan bread"

It's not just your sandwiches that have to be fresh nowadays; your bread has to be made-that-morning-artisan fresh! See http://greatcafes.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/a-truly-fresh-sandwich.html

Well Done Starbucks

This roll at Starbucks is gluten-free and apparently they always have at least one gluten-free sandwich available.  One of my latest Cafe Tour clients (a coeliac) pointed it out and said how few chain or independent cafes have gluten-free sandwiches.  Guess which cafe always gets his custom.

Benugo's Latest

Wooden block signage at Benugo's Garden Cafe off Oxford Street

 plus good sandwiches

King's Cross Kiosk

 The Great Northern Hotel has set up this rather splendid hot meat sandwich Kiosk within King's Cross Station.

N4 Find

 Boulangerie Bon Martin in Finsbury Park N4

Style & Sandwiches

Food matches the style of cafe Maison 3 Garcons in Shoreditch - see http://greatcafes.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/more-style-in-shoreditch.html

Coming to a Tesco Near You?

 Harris & Hoole's flagship in Cannon Street has a good looking food offer.

Trugful of Sandwiches

 Attractive and appropriate sandwich presentation with linked crisp sales at Royal Botanic Gardens outpost Wakehurst Place by caterer Ampersand.

Small Cafe:Great Offer

 Tempting food display in the tiny Attendant cafe.

Two Magpies

 The Two Magpies Bakery in Southwold combines unpretentious food and signage with great home-baking.

More Style in Shoreditch

 Les Trois Garcons in Shoreditch is famous for its design and has spawned a cafe Maison 3 Garcons nearby.

Brilliant Balthazar

Great sandwiches at the New York-inspired Balthazar Boulangerie, Covent Garden.

Provencal tuna on potato and onion bread.

 'Tatinez' Montgomery cheddar, red onion marmalade on Pain de Seigle

 Bayonne ham and Gruyere on demi baguettes

More photos of their cakes, quiche and salads to come.

A Truly Fresh Sandwich

Bravo to Company of Cooks for being able to say that their sandwich bread is baked today.  Not even Pret can say that.

Over a Fiver Egg Sarnie

Individual box sandwich presentation plus crisps in Kilner jar and pickle for £5.45 at Burford Garden Company.

Crystal Cafe

Sodexo Prestige operate the cafe in The Crystal http://www.thecrystal.org/_html/about/about.html - a stunning new sustainable conference centre and exhibition building in East London.  Check out the adjacent Emirates Air Line cable car across the Thames which links the Crystal to the O2 arena.

Packaging and display is well thought through

Clear recycing messages