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.
CakeMyDayLondon Rating
