A farm shop cafe in Nottinghamshire has been hailed one of the best in the UK after making it to the finals of the Farm Retail Awards 2022. The cream of the crop included the Harley Cafe at Welbeck, which made it down to the last three after a public vote.
It was pipped at the post by the Lambing Shed in Cheshire. Newton Farm Foods in Bath was the other finalist. The Harley Cafe is a stone's throw from Welbeck Farm Shop and is a big advocate of using the best produce possible, including meat, bread and ale from the estate which was once home to the Duke of Portland.
The home-cooked breakfasts are popular and visitors know they will always find something new and seasonal for lunch - currently venison tagine, egg mimosa sandwiches and miso braised onions, a vegan dish. Cafe manager Darren Phillips said: "To be in the top three when you look at the two we were up against, it really good. We're very proud. Fair play to the Lambing Shed. If we had won I would have been amazed just due to the size difference - the others are quite big commercial projects."
The only awards to be judged by fellow farm retailers celebrate the best farm shops, farm cafes and restaurants, farmers’ markets and trade suppliers in the country.
