Keeping up with what's new?

A short video of our acclaimed London Cafe Tour - see what our clients say at http://greatcafes.blogspot.co.uk/p/london-cafe-tour-benefits.html

Anything for the Weekend?

For regular followers of this blog you will have noticed that we have started taking the weekends off (after 460 consecutive days posts) but there is no rest for the dedicated cafe professional.  Weekend slots will be reserved for guest contributions and re-runs of our very own London Cafe Tour video.  Send us your latest discoveries.

Guest Spot

Thank-you to Ben Duffy for his notes and photos following a visit to Teacup on Thomas Street in Manchester.  Ben was impressed with "a large unit and rammed at 10.30 Saturday morning".

Wimbledon Cupcakes

Hummingbird have kept the quality of their cupcakes and bakery stores.  Check out their three-layer cakes, whoopie pies and famous red velvet cupcakes.

Sweet & Petite

The mini/petite pastry at a high price point is becoming more prevalent - perhaps this will be the way we keep the weight off and indulge our sweet tooth.  It will certainly help our food cost.  Konditor & Cook's £1 Mini Tart special offer and Starbucks' £1.55 eat in Petites.

Game, Set & Strawberries

Talkington Bates, the business and industry caterer, offers complimentary strawberries and cream with every main meal dish purchased

Fame in Falmouth

We visited the excellent Stones bakery in Falmouth, having visited a year ago, and they are just about to add a cafe section.  Good strawberry tarts plus they asked if I was the Great Cafes blogger - fame at last.

See http://greatcafes.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/fortunate-falmouth.html

Free To Smoke

The harbour water taxi in Fowey (where this sign was spotted) may not be your standard cafe but smokers are a special interest group, have money to spend and like to be made welcome like anyone else.  No, I am not a smoker but if you have an outside space and are able to make people feel welcome, that sounds good business to me.