Tag: Colchester

No. 11 – The Barn at Stanway

Well, we all made it this week – yay – so off to a good start. The Barn is a garden centre and cafe located on Turkey Cock Lane in Stanway (and yes, we all had a predictably juvenile reaction to the name).  How could we not pay a visit?  Sister X was particularly keen – always had my suspicions about that one!  It’s actually a really nice garden centre with loads of lovely ‘things’ for sale.  You know the type of ‘things’ – all that beautiful vintage-look stuff that you know would never look quite right unless you owned a stunning Georgian house or Victorian cottage with a quaint country garden.  The rustic crates and shabby chic milk churns certainly wouldn’t have the same wow factor in a 60’s semi!

Anyway, the tea room is big with lots of tables but still feels quite cosy.  I had no trouble locating a high chair and there was space for the buggy, although I did have to tuck it out of the way by the door or there wouldn’t have been room for people to walk past.  The toilets are also very nice and clean with decent baby-change facilities.

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The cakes looked amazing on the counter under big glass kloshes – I went for chocolate, Sister Y had lemon and Sister X had ginger again (she’s not pregnant, really, she just likes ginger cake!).  Sister Y and I both agreed that there was way too much butter icing on ours – nice cake but too sickly.  Sister X said hers was more gingery than The Woodlands offering last week but not as sticky so she couldn’t quite decide between the two.  £5.75 for tea and cake so on the expensive side but I did get 3 (small) cups out of the pot.  I think we will be heading back there at some point.  In fact, Sister Y already has been – she took Husband Y in an attempt to convince him that they did actually need lots of lovely vintage-looking tat for their garden (don’t think he came up for it though … ).

 

 

 

No. 9 – Wyvale

My 20 year old self would have firmly believed that tell-tale sign of middle age is acquiring a Wyvale Garden Centre loyalty card.  We of the Sisterhood all have such a thing in our possession.  However, I would protest that the only reason I got one was because it entitles the children to use the soft play for 50p less than the non-member price – and Sister Y suggested it!!  (we used to frequent the Wyvale at Stanway regularly when our little ones were of pre-school age).  Anyway, it did come in very handy this week when we all got our weekly/monthly? email containing all the current offers.  Obviously, the ones about actual gardening are of no interest (pah!) but the one that declares ‘FREE hot beverage with any slice of cake’ is a sure fire winner.  How could we possibly resist such enticement?  So off to Stanway Wyvale we went.  I did not require the buggy but it is a big, open café and there would have been room for it if necessary.  They have lots of high chairs but never enough staff at this place.  There is always a long queue of retired folk and frazzled looking mums waiting patiently for one woman to take orders, make all the hot drinks and take payment single handed – despite the fact that there are two tills.

I went for a Victoria Sponge and the sisters both opted for a Chocolate Orange Drizzle Cake.  Mine was a little on the dry side (I think it must have been a few days old) but very tasty nonetheless.  The orange cake was apparently very scrummy – not a crumb remained on either plate!

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So, I reckon, discounted ‘member’ price taken into account, about a 7/10 for Wyvale.  The soft play is great for little ones and, whilst being in the café, it is shut off so not a disturbance for other customers but mums can enjoy a drink in semi peace knowing that the children are safe and visible through the windows.  And they have an outlet of The Works (love it!) which we always end up spending loads of money in.  But they need to rethink the staff ratios and till operating system.  Shame there’s nowhere to walk nearby as all our trousers are getting a little tight now – we really must put more effort to finding some new places with exercise opportunities!

Until next time x