Fannys Farm Shop (RH1 3AW)

Markedge Lane
Merstham, Surrey RH1 3AW
http://fannysfarm.com/


Another weekend, another farm shop and cafe - the unfortunately named Fanny's. While Fanny is a charming English girl's name from olden times (and is the name of the lady owner, Fanny Maiklem), it means an entirely different thing in Australia.

Fanny's is definitely unique. It is a crazy, colourful, riotous farm shop-garden-tea room complex nestled in the green, rolling Surrey countryside.
 

We entered via the front gate and followed the meandering garden path into the shop, past a medley of interesting displays of plants and odds and sods. The shop is packed with all sorts of jams and preserves, honey, eggs and other wholesome goodies.

The set up for cake is a little different to what I'm used to. The cakes are lined up along a counter on covered plastic trays, and you serve yourself to a slice of whichever takes your fancy. 

The cake I selected was mysteriously labelled "gluten free", and I'm still not sure what flavour it was supposed to be. Ben's choice was somewhat clearer - coffee walnut. I was a bit ambivalent about my cake - it didn't wow me.

Taking our cakes to the counter, we ordered tea (there's no coffee machine - only filtered coffee is available), and found a seat inside. The wait for our beverages was rather drawn out, and the annex where we sat was a tad chilly (a heater would not go amiss). Fortunately the tea was hot, so warmed us up quickly. 

The decor is eclectic and "busy", but I liked it. I wouldn't choose it for my house (would be a nightmare to dust!), but a lot of effort has gone into the theme. 

There are lots of little tea-areas (including a tree house) dotted around the property that can be hired out for private parties. Outside, the garden area is lovely, and a great sun-trap with plenty of seating.

The most exciting part of the visit was when we strolled up the lane out the back and met their two pigs - Bert and Ernie. As you can see from the photos, they are superstars. 

Despite the slightly bland cake offering and lack of coffee machine, I would go back to Fanny's because there is something really charming and honest about the place.

I might even take along some apples for the pigs. 

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Where Memories Meet (ME18 5NS)

188 Tonbridge Rd
Wateringbury, Kent ME18 5NS
http://www.wherememoriesmeet.com/

Another Sunday, another lazy drive into the countryside. I do love Kent, with its gently rolling hills, picturesque villages and meandering country lanes. It offers some of the best English countryside in my opinion.

This week, Ben was tasked with finding us a cafe to visit. He knows the brief... something with personality, that's unique and has character. Something that often proves a challenge to find in the countryside.

So off we set, in search of this elusive beast.

And thus we came to Where Memories Meet in the little town of Wateringbury. 

I was immediately charmed by the candy pink store front. If first impressions are anything to go by, I was in for a treat. 

The cafe also doubles as an antique shop. I have to confess that I'm becoming rather partial to the "cafe-cum-something else" combination. I find that having a theme (whether its vintage clothes, antiques or teapots) helps lift standard cafe decor from ordinary to something special. 

Where Memories Meet is no exception. I loved the interior, with its cute mismatched china (some of which is for sale), random ensembles of tables and chairs (I think these are for sale too), all surrounded by knick-knacks (also for sale). 

The olden days theme continued to the music, which was reminiscent of the 1950s and 1960s and reminded me of my mother. So many cafes forget to play music, but the sense of sound is just as important in creating a full dining experience as taste, smell and sight. 

Unfortunately, there are two areas that let us down. Firstly, the selection of cakes was very limited, with the only cakey choices being Victoria Sponge and chocolate. Yes, there was other food available, but this is a cake blog, so I rate on cake.

I reluctantly selected the Victoria Sponge. It's not one I'd usually go for, as I find the ratio of icing to cake to be lacking. I just couldn't get excited by it. The taste was OK, but I wanted more icing, more moisture. Ben ordered brioche toast with jam, so I ended up spreading some of his jam over my cake just to give it some flavour. 

The second let-down area? The coffee. Judging by the look on Ben's face, it wasn't good. 

I do have to mention something rather unique about Where Memories Meet. If you use the bathroom, you may be startled by the deafening sound of running water. I dismissed it as being a dishwasher or washing machine emptying. 

After our tea and cake we went downstairs to the basement to peruse the antiques... and discovered the source of the water sound. 

There is an open, spring-fed well downstairs! 

Now you don't see that every day. 

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Knead Food (CM7 4PY)

Braintree Road
Great Bardfield
Essex, CM7 4PY
http://www.theblueegg.co.uk/

I'm in the midst of a slight "farm cafe" voyage of discovery. Now, I'm a huge fan of animals, and thus farms. At risk of stating the obvious, I'm clearly a fan of cafes too. But normally I'm not one to get excited about the combination of the two. 

Yet when Ben proposed a weekend drive in the country to go visit the Blue Egg and its associated Knead Food cafe (conveniently positioned along a popular cycling route), who was I to say no?

My initial impression when we pulled into the rather muddy and churned up car park was a tad apprehensive. The milieu consists of a cafe, large gift shop, gourmet grocery and post office. The complex is currently undergoing expansion and renovation, so don't be put off by the slightly rough exterior. 

Any doubts I had instantly evaporated when I walked through the cafe door. The cakes! The cakes! I was confronted with an expanse of tempting home made freshly baked rustic goodies laid out before me.

I was torn with indecision. The chunky banana chocolate slice beckoned, as did the chocolate brownie. After a cursory inspection, it was with dismay that I realised I'd only seen the first cake table, and there were two more around the corner. Sometimes there is such a thing as "too much choice". 

I'd almost settled on the cheesecake, when I turned around and lo and behold! There was a magnificent carrot cake perched upon a platter behind me. Decision made. And a chocolate brownie to finish.

We arrived at the tail end of lunch, and the cafe was packed with customers and had a slightly chaotic feel. The staff struggled a little to keep the floor and tables clean and tidy, but once the crowds departed they swiftly set about putting things right. I felt that the ambiance could have been enhanced by music.

The food was excellent. My carrot cake had an interesting, slightly doughy consistency to the base, and the butter-cream icing was plentiful. Ben's raspberry, vanilla and nut slice was very good. The coffee was "passable" (which is Ben''s way of being kind).

The pièce de résistance however was the brownie. To date, the best brownie I've ever tasted is served by The Hackney Pearl. The Knead Food's brownie is almost as good, and that is saying something. It was a marvelous, decadent, luscious concoction of smooth chocolate ganache with a flaky sheen topping. 

What sold me on Knead Food is that they are truly committed to fresh, locally sourced sustainable food. They use a remarkable 487 eggs on average each week, and have recently purchased a flock of chickens to lay the eggs. You can't get more dedicated to quality than that!

On the whole, I enjoyed our visit. I will definitely return in summer to enjoy tea and cake outside on the patio. I just hope they don't run out of brownies. 

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