It's been quite a depressing week with two more locally owned cafes in Nottinghamshire closing down. The Speciality Coffee Shop in the city centre has gone. The same weekend the doors of the Revival Coffee Co. in Arnold closed for good., and a tearoom in the same town has decided to reinvent itself as a micro bar.
So it was good to see how busy the Crimson Tree in Sherwood was on Saturday morning - a miserable rainy one at that. We were lucky enough to bag just one of two remaining tables and before we got round to ordering were was a queue of customers waiting for a seat, which is a reassuring sign.
The Crimson Tree, in Mansfield Road, has been around for ten years but recently changed hands. I don't know how it got its name - the tree outside was still a verdant green with a few autumnal golden leaves. It's an attractive looking corner building with yellow and blue paintwork, flowery artwork on the pillars and a wreath on the yellow door.
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Inside is just as appealing with an eclectic mix of decor - think shabby chic tables, blue patterned tiles, a gilt framed mirror, chandeliers... and a flamingo in the toilets. We're seated near the cake display area, which has a bookcase stacked with recipe books, from the doyenne of cookery Mary Berry and Jamie Oliver to 'Grandma's best recipes'.
There's also a mini blackboard stating "you've asked, we've answered - vegan blueberry and lemon loaf." That's the thing about independent businesses. Unlike chains they have the freedom to make swift changes. Never be afraid to ask if there's something you'd like to see at your favourite spot.
Couples, families and a groups of friends have flocked to this neighbourhood cafe, creating a lively, chit-chatting atmosphere but it was too overbearing. Some reviewers have complained about slow service but our drinks arrived in no time at all despite all the tables now taken and a row of customers seated on stools at the window.
Sparkling water for hubby and a pot of tea for me. Proper tea, as in loose leaf with a tea strainer and a pretty floral cup and saucer. Not many cafes seem to use tea leaves any more. It's all about the bag.
The breakfast menu had everything you'd expect to see - a full English along with vegan and veggie versions, eggs on toast, breakfast sandwiches, porridge, French toast and pastries such as croissants and pain aux raisins.
The Monte Cristo grilled sandwich caught my eye. It's not a million miles from a Croque Monsieur with cheese and ham but with the addition of mustard. However, it was the dusting of icing sugar that put me off. I'm sweet enough as it is.
Persian eggs also captured my attention. Something different from the norm - and it had a touch of chilli. I love a bit of heat at breakfast time. If you're the same Google Jamie Oliver's eggy crumpets - they're simply the best.
I digress. It took a very acceptable ten minutes for our food to arrive at the table. My dish was an array of colour - and not just the orange rimmed plate. Two fried eggs with sunshine yellow yolks were cooked just how I like them with a slightly crisp edge.
They're sprinkled with zaatar, a Middle Eastern spice blend that adds a subtle nutty flavouring, and red Aleppo chilli. I'm well up on my chillies - habanero, jalapeño, naga, bird's eye, Carolina Reaper and I know all about the Scoville scale measuring heat - but I've never heard of Aleppo chilli. It turns out it's mostly used in Middle Eastern cookery. It was quite mild - nothing like the chilli flakes I've got in the spice rack. That said it certainly livened up the eggs and was tasty alternative to salt.
A sprinkling of chives is about as much greenery as I like on a breakfast. I don't mind a few added vitamins at lunch or dinner but why do some cafes insist of serving a salad garnish with eggs and bacon.? It's just wrong and I wonder how many times it ends up in the waste bin.
Alongside the eggs were several slices of beef tomato - about five or six centimetres in diameter I reckon and probably providing me me a week's amount of vitamin C. I hope the cafe owners bought them from Ozan supermarket opposite - I like the idea of local businesses supporting each other. A sprinkling of feta cheese adds a salty kick.
Four doorsteps of Turkish bread - white, fluffy and topped with sesame seeds - came in useful for mopping up the runny yolks. For my appetite they were more than ample. It was a very enjoyable plateful of food for £10 and one kept me going all day until the evening.
My husband is partial to a sausage sandwich. Not so long ago he had one at a cafe with a measly couple of chipolatas. This was at the other end of the scale - there was definitely no scrimping with two supersize patties bursting out of the soft white bread. His verdict of the £6 sarnie: meaty, peppery and almost too much sausage. Almost.
The overall bill came to £22.25 - a much cheaper treat than going out for dinner. It seems like the Crimson Tree has a very loyal following. Long may it continue.
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