I
recently found myself having to go to Chelmsford, so took the opportunity to
check out a local café while in the area.
Our
first two attempts at café-ing were thwarted… the road to the first café was
impassable on all sides due to flooding from the recent continuous rains, and
the second café was packed to the rafters.
A
hasty search on Google maps revealed a café in the nearby town of Writtle.
Bygones of Writtle café is attached to a pretty gift shop that overlookes the
rather sweet little green. All that was lacking from the tableau was free
roaming sheep.
 |
| This is the gift shop. The tea room is out the back. |
The
café itself is in a tiny little granny flat in the back yard, crammed with big
pieces of furniture, complete with an old-fashioned juke box by the door. I
really liked it… it felt homey and unpretentious, tucked away from the street.
As
well as a selection of pretty cakes, they serve home-made scones and cupcakes.
I couldn’t resist the perennial favourite of carrot cake, and was not
disappointed. Ben selected the apple cinnamon crumble cake which was delicious.
He was cautious with his drink selection and decided to share a pot of tea with
me. A pot of tea of a size that could have sustained a small army (not that we
complained!)
One
of the nicest aspects of country cafes is that they don’t charge London prices,
yet the food is often as good as, or better than, what you get in the capital
and there really is no hint of being rushed out the door for the next customers.
With
the scarcity of decent independent cafes in the vicinity, and the abundance of
the likes of Starbucks, Café Nero and Costa, you’d be well placed to visit
Bygones of Writtle instead for a unique experience with a bit of character.
And
there’s plenty of space across the road to park your sheep (or your car).
CakeMyDayLondon Rating
