Dizzydixies needs lovely MNers who gave their favourite cafe/soup/menu ideas - please put them here cos the other thread has disappeared!

[gigglebells]

this is so we can have it in FOOD and we can all read it for ever more
TIA

thanks gigglebells

I had previously started a thread about MNers favourite cafes, their features and decor and item menus for example sandwich fillings/soups etc

all ideas very gratefully received and apologies for loosing the original one in chat, it was brilliant too

hi dizzy! I'll be following this one with interest. I think you know now what my recommendations would be - lots of soup and salad and sarnies and yummy cakes. Ah, do you remember the roast potato salad in Avoca?

I think I need therapy to stop me being such an avoca bore. I'll try not to mention the a word again.

So how's it going with the setting up - what stage are you at?

lol, another lovely MNer on my postnatal thread is a huge avoca junkie too so we bore them all over there too - maybe we should start a dedicated thread she is local though so can pop down whenever

thank you for asking the cafe is a community cafe that I am trying to get up and running on behalf of a local community trust. We've found premises, got a change in planning categories, secured funding for the technical drawings, building warrant is being submitted by the architects this week and the solicitors have set up the business and the bank account has been opened! there will need to be a refurb/refit and then hopefully we'll be open by the summer

wow that sounds fantastic! Oh I wish I were nearer so I could help - I think from your previous posts you sound if you were in Scotland?

Oooh, wailing baby - must dash... will be back to nose some more

if it's going to be a baby friendly cafe, you need to offer a half portion of everything so toddlers can eat normally instead of nugget'o'rama.

Good on you, Dizzy. That's an amazing achievement and you haven't even opened yet.

At my beloved cafe, they offer a small kids menu for £2.50 which offers a hot option of a bowl of pasta (with bolognese sauce or veggie sauce) and cheese on the side. The cold option is a child's version of a Ploughman's Lunch with big wedges of home-made bread (choice of white or wholemeal), cheese, carrot and celery sticks several different types of fresh fruit and raisins.

For drinks they offer 'fluffies' which is just the top of a latte with mini marshmallows and chocolate buttons in tiny little cups for 50p. This makes the kids feel very special!

Their cakes and biscuits are very good and they have two or three especially for kids such as domino biscuits and chocolate crunchies.

The adult menu is also small, but every day they have wraps, soup of the day and salads. Everything is very fresh (in fact, a lot of it is homegrown) and there's no fried food.

The coffees are easily the best in town and the decor is very Living Etc. I live in a small market town and I appreciate being able to enjoy a cafe that is well-designed and without a hint of tweeness. It boils down to white walls; blinds rather than curtains; wooden flooring; two funky chandeliers; and a black and white logo.

The staff are lovely and I also like the fact that the cafe is owned and run by two local women. They have thought about EVERYTHING and it has been a huge, well-deserved success.

Good luck!

Yummy soup. I am fed up of not being able to have nice soup when I go out.

DH says real cheese. All the cafes we have here seem to use plastice cheese that feels and looks like plasticine.

I am coming to visit hopefully when you are up and running.

Hi Dixie,

can I join the thread?

I am working on the menu for mine...based on my notes from the last thread.

Here is the kids menu

homemade fishfingers (baked in oven) plus mash and home made beans/peas

home made chicken goujons (baked in oven) plus mash and home made beans/peas

Macaroni cheese

Plain pasta/pasta with plain tomato sauce (cheese optional)

Snack plate,
Carrot batons, cucumber batons, hummus, bread/bread sticks/rice cake/grapes/cherry tomatoes etc

Boiled egg with soldiers

baked egg with soliders

Puds

Small portion of adult puds like crumble and rice pudding
jelly and ice cream

ice cream sunday
knickerbocker glory

Smoothies

hot chocolate/fluffy milk

half water/half juice

How does that look?

Yummy sandwiches with nice bread and a choice of fillings. I like salami with avocado and red onion and pesto chicken with avocado and red onion. I also love toasted sandwiches, especially tuna melt.

Home made soups a big winner too. I love the fact that Eat have a choice of a Bold or a Simple soup every day.

Baked potatoes also good - you could also give a choice of baked sweet potatoes. Would consider doing sweet potato chips as kids tend to love these.

Good salads also a good idea - a nice potato salad, pasta salad, rice salad etc.

Omlettes and home-made quiche also very attractive on a menu. I have a fab local cafe that does a choice of two quiches plus various salads for £5.

Home-made cakes very important - you'll attract the maternity leave mums with those. We went miles for good cakes when I was on leave.

A good take-away service is also pretty important. Plus at my local cafe they sell good local produce to take away. I pop in there a lot on my way home from work.

Breakfast important too - good bacon sandwich, sausage sandwich (my cafe does this with a gorgrous onion relish), scrambled eggs with various toppings, french toast with bacon and maple syrup.

Sorry this is mammoth - hope it helps

all great guys thank you - I've done a menu for ours but all suggestions very welcome - am grateful

GarryandtheWashingMachine - it sounds like EXACTLY the kind of vibe we've gone for - ours will hint slightly towards the nautical as we are a harbour town and it is right at the harbour however without being overrun by portholes/ropes & seagulls

Kayrz - I hope you do

MadameDefarge - would you like me to email you our menu? It is extensive as I have had to include everything due to a planning requirement for planning approval of the menu (was part of the conditions) all that is on it will not be served at any one time but I wanted it all approved in advance if that makes sense? email me if you do, am happy to help and no point in reinventing the wheel

[email protected]

Thanks dizzy, I have emailed you!

no problem I'm not on the right computer for the menu but I'll sort it out tonight if I get a chance

thanks missus!

As someone who is gluten free, I have to say that I'll make big diversions to go to a cafe that can cater for me. And lots of other people do too - so if you clearly mark your menu with gluten free/dairy free/egg free, and are able to provide df spread/rice milk/soy milk/gf bread it really is an added attraction.

So MadameDefarge, if you could put something on your menu so that df/gf kids could eat with you, you'll be very popular with those mums and children. Remember that gf bread can be frozen, so you can just pull out a couple of slices, and keeping Swedish Glace soy icecream would adapt jelly and icecream nicely for df children.

We go to a cafe where almost all their cakes are gf/df and they offer a fab vegan and vegetarian range. Their soups are gf/df with topping options and a choice of bread. It makes a huge difference to me to go in and be able to choose what to eat

gluten free range already on the menu for us CMOT but didn't know about the Swedish Glace soy icecream - thank you

CMOT, yes, that is def on the agenda.

And on dizzie's original thread, an Mnetter had a mate who did fab gluten free cakes...and of course I have lost the details....

Fabulous - nothing worse than an allergic toddler who has to sit and look at all the things everyone else can eat. A big sign saying that you are more than happy to help with allergies, and to just ask is always appreciated.

Almondy do some lovely gf frozen cakes that defrost in the microwave in 30s for a slice thats a nice option to offer. Cafe in our tiny town always has them on offer.

www.goodnessdirect.co.uk/cgi-local/frameset/detail/332848_Booja_Booja_Stuff_in_a_Tu bPompompousMapleandPecan_500ml.html Booja Booja]] have icecreams that are dairy, egg, and soy free - and delicious

brilliant, CMOT. I am planning to offer a limited, menu (only so much a girl can cook by herself!) but if you have any ideas for kids gluten free savouries, I would be grateful ( I am planning to coat the fishfingers and goujons with crushed organic cornflakes, the only tip from Annabel Karmel I am prepared to use!)

If you are going to use cornflakes anyway, if you can buy Whole Earth cornflakes which are gluten free, then you are sorted, especially if you have gf bread in the freezer, and df spread. Gives children with dairy, gluten, egg and soy allergies choices for main and pudding

If you are going to be using a pop up toaster, then toastabags mean that you can put gf bread in without any risk of cross contamination

I know I replied to the original thread but can't remember what I said, but almost certainly -

Soya milk alternatives to milk for tea & coffee and for hot choc.

Nachos

IKEA high chairs (universally adored by every mother and baby I know)

Big scones (not too sugary, so I can pretend to be healthy)

Flapjacks (oats, can pretend to be healthy)

Fruit salad (so can BE healthy)

WHERE.

IS.

IT?

cos i'm there.

kids' food at £2.50 is good, firebird in glasgow does toasted cheese soldiers, a mini-pizza (proper one, not weirdy mccain's) or pasta for that price.

i will travel far for a good steak sandwich.

Aitch - me or Madame?

I'm north east fife and I'm pretty sure Madame is London way?!

ooh! toasted cheese soldiers! I have rarebit for grownups, but that is great!

Ikea high chairs already on order (iyswim)

am now trying to fit a changing unit into the world's smallest toilet space..gah!

Yes, I am deepest darkest Hackney....

madame, the cafe I volunteer in only has a mat for parents to put on the floor - not ideal but its a start