Buttermilk Coffee House in Derbyshire Dales

Lovely place to have a quiet coffee and good breakfast

We visited Buttermilk today as a family of 4 - family friendly, great service, great food (& cakes) what more could you want?! I can highly recommend the halloumi burger, it was delicious and with it being the summer holidays the kids ate free with a paying adult meal. We’ll definitely be returning.

A regular customer who chose to use the Hayloft venue at the Buttermilk to host a private brunch and very pleased I did. Wonderful support from the organising, booking, styling of the room and service on the day, all guests commented on how amazing the staff, service & venue was. We chose the graze board option and had 20 guests on the day, Chloe gave me free rein with the styling of the room. Both Chloe and Laura supported me in ensuring everything was perfect. The food was perfect with a huge variety and great quality, Laura's service behind the bar was also perfect. Would definitely recommend for any private events/hiring and will continue to be a regular customer for the lovely food and atmosphere.

I regularly pop in here and the cafe always has such a warm and friendly vibe. The food is amazing, especially the halloumi burger, and the menu changes seasonally to keep things new. The cakes and bakes are always fresh and unique and have clearly been made with a lot of care. Plus, the staff are always very welcoming and happy to chat. I’ve also attended buttermilk at a few of their events in the hayloft, which is a lovely space available for hire. I recently have enjoyed coming by on sunny days to sit on the outdoor patio, which has been tastefully decorated with nice furniture, umbrellas and plants. I would recommend this cafe to everyone.

Brilliant little cafe. Great cakes and the staff are really friendly.

My initial review below was written almost 7 year ago. It was positive then and it’s even more positive today. I have experienced Buttermilk and the team on several occasions on both personal and professional levels. We have had family parties, afternoon teas, takeaway breakfasts, held flower workshops in the Hayloft & Dovecote for work and provided fresh flowers for the coffee house for many years now. It’s always a friendly and warm welcome upon entering the coffee house and the food and coffee is delicious all within a beautiful setting. Keep it up Buttermilk family - 10/10 from all of our family and my customers highly rate the setting in which we hold our workshops too 🙌🏻 First time visit yesterday and it was lovely! So calm and relaxing whilst I worked away and enjoyed 2 pots of tea and scrambled eggs on toast. Lovely welcoming staff who were very attentive. I’ll be having a return visit or two for sure. Thanks again x

Saturday and the sun is shining. Not at The Buttermilk cafe, though. I was the only customer in the place at peak time - 1.30pm. I walked in to an awkward grave yard and couldn’t really walk out after seeing the menu which needs some work. It’s exceedingly limited. I think there’s just a choice of 5 things to eat and three of those contained cheese. I had the most disgusting cheese and ham sandwich I’ve ever had. I asked for it toasted. God only knows what she brought over. Soggy wet hot bread and the honey ham is literally ham with a spoon of honey on it. It was grim. I took a couple of bites of the outer edge. Decided I couldn’t eat it . No one checked to see if all was ok. I left telling the girl that I really didn’t like the sandwich and I’d left it because of the honey. She still charged me full whack and said the owner was looking at the menu soon so that’s ok. I’ll pass it on. Honey roast ham is what I thought I was getting. What I got was some wet hot bread with cold cheese not melted and ham with a sickly dollop of honey on it. Ugh! Even now I feel a bit sicky.

Rang in advance to see what time they closed, got there 30 mins in advance to be told most of the staff had gone but could have take away coffee. Did not find member of staff very welcoming and the coffee was not as expected.

Great little find..... Brilliant breaky, great service and a nice environment.. Thanks Malc & Stella

The Hayloft was a fantastic venue for my Sister's Hen Do. The room was beautiful and all the staff were so lovely and accommodating. We had grazing platters and they were really supportive to all dietary requirements and allergies. I highly recommend the Hayloft, thank you for such a a wonderful memorable experience.

Lovely place lovely cakes lovely coffee lovely people ❤️

Pleasant cafe. Always relaxing. Good food.

A beautiful and cosy cafe, with smiling good service and delicious home cooked food.

Booked for breakfast but left after just a coffee. Really don't want to eat with dogs, especially one sat at the table, on the lap of its owner, right in front of me. At least the dog was quiet, probably because its owner hardly paused for breath, sharing her views with her outside voice, for the entire cafe to endure. Clearly the business has no control over what appeared to be a very loud regular & her companion but they have chosen to allow animals in which will be off putting to many.

The food was lovely, a perfect portion size, really good quality food and very tasty! It is lovely and welcoming and a bonus of being dog friendly along with getting a Pup cup for our pooch. Atmosphere was so relaxing, I could have stayed in there all day due to how cosy it was. Lovely cafe to visit after our dog walking sessions. It will certainly become a regular for us!

Lovely bacon sandwich which and a hot chocolate which was nice and hot. My companions had an avocado on sourdough which was delightful. Highly recommended.

First disappointment at The Buttermilk I’ve been here a number of times and always enjoyed it. The quality of the food more than made up for the fairly high prices and leisurely service. Unfortunately the cooked breakfast today was a real let down. The main issue being that it was stone cold, even the beans were room temperature at best. When we pointed it out, the server seemed confused and the cook was clearly annoyed. To be fair it was eventually taken off the bill. Some friendly suggestions: 1. Serve cooked food warm and use heated plates - they help keep the food warm. 2. Give your serving staff trays, that way they won’t have to make individual trips to a table with every individual mug or plate. 3. Come and ask if the food is OK after it’s been served rather than hiding in the kitchen. 4. Your coffee is quite sour (I don’t take milk) - dial in the grinder to suit the beans. 5. Do something about the big hole at your car park entrance. I know lots of your customers walk or drive Chelsea Tractors but it could easily damage a normal car.

Love having this cafe in our village. It’s delicious and has such a lovely selection of food. They offer coffee and cakes to take away too which is great for a Sunday morning walk.

Great food, service and atmosphere

A great little retreat, small but very nice menu, staff that are welcoming & accommodating.

A great little find when looking for a coffee and you don't know the area.

Wonderful food and absolutely lovely staff

High quality lovely food with very friendly service. In addition they kindly let our Dogs into the cafe. We are staying in the area on holiday and will definitely be visiting again before we leave.

Awfully dirty inside seats covered in stains, tables not wiped down, dead flies in the window sills debris on the floor.

Place was so dirty , the floor under chairs was full of dust crumbs food hadn’t been swept in a while , seats was all stained , dead flies on window sills ,tables wasn’t cleaned properly , both kitchen and main door was open so there was flies everywhere which was annoying when trying to enjoy a cake , food was very over priced , we hadn’t booked and there was plenty of empty tables , staff was very young and quite stand off ish this was our first visit we won’t be returning not good to say 5 star on door

Been many times for coffee and cake - delicious! Parents were visiting so we thought we would treat them to lunch here. On turning up we were told items weren't available (typically the ones we wanted) but chose alternatives, only to be told ingredients had run out so many items couldn't be made. When we got our food the portions were tiny (cake was turning to crumbs it was so thin) and the food was processed appearing to be from a supermarket not freshly made as we were expecting. Overall disappointed and given we aren't too local Im not sure we will return, which is a shame as we love the setting and the menu looks nice its just the execution that lets it down.

I have passed the new premises many times when on the way to Ashbourne so decided to stop for a drink and bite to eat. Plenty of car parking at the rear, entrance is also here with outside seating, inside tables well spaced out with good decor. Decent breakfast menu choice and a very good choice of cakes on offer. Full breakfast was tasty and an ample portion size and comes with a drink and was well worth the cost. Staff were very welcoming and service was very good.

Nice food, small portions, overpriced (£9 for a small piece of quiche with token side salad and coleslaw). No suitable baby change facility.

Disappointing first visit. Good and bad points: Good parking and nice interior. But, the experience was spoiled by dirty glass tables, and stains on the light coloured fabric of the low chairs next to the windows. ( Actually an impractical choice for a cafe because the wooden tables and chairs looked fine). The single toasted tea cake was thin and not toasted properly amd we paid £3.60 for it. On the plus side, the coffee was in a good sized cup and tasted nice. It wasn't cheap though. We paid over £10 for two coffees and one toasted teacake! Worst part- the young waitress , although pleasant, had a cough and was sneezing! Doesnt say much about the management of this otherwise pleasant little cafe. I guess we caught them on a bad day.

Not quite,as good as normal today, wobbly table and a few items not available

The eggs Benedict were delicious.

Sorry to write this, honestly, as in the past we have had such great food there. Today I chose the cheese and ham bagel…. Which is as a slice of processed wet square of ham, a slice of processed cheese in a slightly stale bagel, for £9.00. This isn’t what I’d expect from a “delicatessen style cafe”

The vegetarian full English is excellent!

The girls there helped us when we were lost and gave us a free warm drink ...respect people excellent business.

Superb find, excellent coffee & toasted tea cake. Wish we had had more time to stay for something more substantial.

Called in as passing for a slice of cake to take away hardly any choice ended up with Bakewell tart wish I’d not bothered chewy pastry and more almond essence than you can shake a stick at not sure who does your baking but need to revise recipe !!! Slice about 2”x3” and at £3.25 an absolute rip off avoid unless you want to pay a fortune for something not great !!!!

Lovely place, great coffee and cake and friendly staff.

Great little cafe with good parking on both sides of the building. Quite popular at the weekends and some tables are reserved! Friendly staff with great beverages and food. The only slight blemish would be the ventilation some times appears poor with the seated area getting quite smoky. We smelt like we'd done a breakfast shift when we got home..

Very nice quaint Café restaurant worth a visit.

Good food, reasonable prices, parking limited

Fantastic little place. Great food and friendly service. Highly recommended.

Lovely staff, great food! Good selection of fresh cakes! Loved it!

Pleasant and friendly cafe. Limited menu at present. Plenty seating indoors and out. Parking too.

Lovely breakfast and delicious ice-cream 😋

Friendly and helpful staff, sanitiser by the door and table service. Great choice of gluten free options - had a gluten free cupcake which was delicious with a pot of tea. My friends were equally pleased with their choices too.

One of the best scones I've had in a while. Wife had a very nice gluten free cupcake. All homemade and baked on site .........lovely.

All good, nice coffee, shame they finish food a bit eatly

Friendly, 'can do' service in a bright newly refurbished building. Easy parking on site and the sunshine facing the outdoor courtyard and seating in the afternoon. We all had really delicious food too (full cooked breakfast) with all small touches considered like lemon water, dog biscuits and fresh flowers on the tables. They were happy to change the menu to offer a toastie my daughter liked, a couple more options for children's dining would be a great addition. A perfect place, what you waiting for?

A new premises but the offering is still excellent. They have moved into a bigger site since we last visited. We sat out in the small courtyard and enjoyed the September sun. We had very good breakfast rolls. Cakes were as tempting as ever.

Lovely location easy parking close to other small local businesses tea & cake reasonably priced

The service was a little slow, however, it sounds like there is an event on upstairs and we arrived just behind a group of seven. Delicious cake, great coffee, wonderful staff.

It's is a lovely place, especially now it's moved a few doors down, very pleasant to sit outside on a nice day, staff very friendly, but do find it rather expensive !

A nice location and tasty food. My only suggestions would be that the full English was a little stingy - usually they'll come with 2 eggs or 2 pieces of toast. It would be great if the breakfast had slightly bigger portions or the option to add extras for growing lads! The service was a little bit slow but was very friendly, and the cake was very tasty!!

Really nice decor, cosy but modern and great breakfast.

Ill start by saying I had a really lovely breakfast bagel and will definitely go back again. However as a coffee lover, ordered a flat white and it was more like a white Americano with a cappuccino head of foam. Really didn't taste great. Nothing like the pictures on Instagram that lured me in with a really nice looking cup 😂

Would highly recommend. Very nice friendly place

Visited first time today. Service was so so, asked for milk with coffee didn't come with it- had to ask. Also ordered a couple of tea cakes which they forgot and I had to ask. Very apologetic but place wasn't over busy so no excuse. Will return for a second visit as it is local and we all need a second chance. On the plus side beautiful decor.

First time we have visited since their move to larger premises. Very enjoyable breakfast menu. Quality of food was good as well as nicely cooked and presented. Covid safe.

Absolutely brilliant, we rocked up with four boisterous children all four and under, it was never going to be easy. All of the staff were Absolutely amazing, they couldn't do enough. Food was impressive too, couldn't fault anything xxx

We had a late breakfast the food and drinks were delicious, sitting outside in the sun what more could you ask for 🙂

Great little location for bites to eat, hot or cold with friendly staff and outdoor seating. Staff were friendly and helpful, great for a quick stop on whatever excursion you are on around the area.

Such a shame to see a business that has got through the COVID difficulties and invested a lot of money refurbishing the premises but fails on customer service. Maybe this was a one off but we were made to feel unwelcome because we hadn’t booked even though there were very few customers and then waited over 15 minutes after being signed in before giving up and leaving. I hope this was an exception because we need businesses like this to succeed. Good communications and politeness cost nothing and build goodwill and future business.

Espresso was great, highly recommended.

New premises...Lovely place ... just moved to new location just a minutes walk from the original location, really nice.. popped in for breakfast which was the usual great standard . Nice selection on the menu ... we had breakfast cobs and coffee. Nice helpful staff and COVID safe with plenty of room to distance your selves. Free parking right outside ... great plsace... .. .will visit again soon ... lets hope we can sample the inside seating ... yum!

On the way back from Ashbourne noticed that Buttermilk was open and decided to stop for a takeaway coffee and cake which we had sitting in the car because of the ongoing Covid19 situation. Come on folks lets keep these small businesses afloat till better times return.

A really great surprise Great food and really good coffee We were served quickly and the staff were very courteous

Lovely cafe that i had not visited before, impromptu visit. Very friendly, quick service, good quality produce, comprehensive menu. Fresh, bright decoration. Definitely recommend.

Once again fabulous friendly service with such a lovely and tasty afternoon tea take out.Buttermilk created a lovely afternoon tea for my Mum’s 60th birthday which we had at home.Nothing was too much trouble and the result was just as lovely as it always is.Thanks so much again Buttermilk!It wasn’t the 60th celebration we had planned, but you made it special for us all.

I've been here about 10 times and never had a problem. I'm guessing the staff feel pressurised due to the COVID-19 requirements which I fully understand - but to pass this on as rudeness to customers is not acceptable. I asked for milk for my coffee. Forgotten. I asked for a glass of water forgotten. I'm not so bothered about that but when I asked for a poached egg the girl doing the cooking might as well have spat at me. Felt very uncomfortable today. I must say that the food was good but creating a good vibe is important too!

Booking presently required if you want to sit inside, but as we were passing and it was a pleasant day we fancied a drink/cake and we were more than happy to sit outside. Staff had the appropriate PPE and we were more than happy to fill in the track/trace form. Yummy selection of cakes and a drink whilst chatting and watching the world go by and enjoying the new normal.

A lovely afternoon tea arranged by my niece. Difficult to see from the main road. A nice selection of sandwich and cakes. Pot of tea for everyone. Highlight dog friendly and a lovely traditional homely feel. Well worth a visit

We dropped in here on the way to Dovedale, looking around the handful of adjoining shops. Nice coffee and cake, there was good selection of food available. I would recommend this coffee shop if you are travelling from Derby towards Ashbourne

We stopped by when we were working nearby, Great coffee and even better Smoked Salmon Bagel!! The Homemade Coleslaw was lovely too ;) Thanks ladies.

We booked for afternoon tea for my baby shower after looking up their advertised images for afternoon tea across their social media platforms and seeing the excellent reviews. The food itself was very good and we can't fault that or the staff as they were very polite. The issue we found was that it was actually more of a buffet self service rather than a served afternoon tea. Having never actually been for an afternoon tea before, I was excited but sadly left disappointed and embarrassed for my guests. The cafe is small but it would have been easier for my guests to pass things down the table rather than having to wait for other people to return to their seats so that they could then sit down and enjoy their food. It was also awkward to sort out the scones due to it being a buffet style and only about 6 knives being put out when there was 18 of us, to put on the jam cream and butter from the small pots.Also looking at other venues that offer afternoon teas, I was under the impression that more than one style of tea is normally offered (earl grey, darjeeling etc.) but it was only weak English breakfast tea or an americano that was on offer. Any other style coffees were charged as extra and no other tea was offered.The layout of the tables also made it difficult for me to actually talk to some of my guests as I physically couldn't get to them. An L shape may have been more practical.Can't fault the food, the decorations were lovely, staff were kind but be aware if you are in a larger group, don't expect table service and it will be a squeeze.

First time in Buttermilk Coffee Shop today and wow! We had chocolate cake and tea,the cake was to die for! Home made too, so delicious and massive slices.All the cakes looked amazing.Lovely and bright inside.clean and very friendly staff. We will be visiting again

Those girls did a very good job, they managed to create a cosy and welcoming coffee shop optimising the space and applying personal decorations. Booking is recommended. Food is mostly local, prices are average but to be honest portions are a bit small. Pouch eggs should be runny, we had some which were a bit too hard for my taste, but honestly I should have asked that myself when I ordered. Overall, it's one of the best places for breakfast of the area!

I dropped in for a quick lunchtime snack whilst out cycling. I only wanted a coffee and a toasted teacake and they were quickly served in their nice warm premises. Staff were very friendly and although the refreshment was second to none it was not expensive. I noticed that there was plenty of room for car parking outside

I called in for breakfast and lunch to take away. Fantastic quality bacon which is cooked to perfection! Highly recommend!

We stopped here one lunch and had a lovely coffee and cake such a choice on snacks sandwiches and cakes very nice set just off the A52 in our favourite village Brailsford .Very nice and friendly place with lovely staff, Don't drive past call in you will enjoy it.

Awesome breakfast, great service

Popped in for some lunch on the way to Ashbourne knowing that there was easy and accessible parking. Although it was 2pm lunch was still being served and luckily we found the last table free. I had poached eggs and avocado on a muffin and my friend had a panini. Both simple meals, but nicely cooked and seasoned well. Lovely clean cafe and friendly staff, thank you!

Very expensive but the staff were very nice

Good food, good coffee, very clean, very friendly with excellent service

Good food resonance cost. Food could be hotter xx

Nice scones! Would I go back? Yes

Friendly Staff good food and Coffee 👍👍👍

It looked lovely and the menu appeared tasty and reasonable. Sadly, I was just delivering a demonstration vehicle there!!

Delicious afternoon tea..staff so helpful..unobtrusive but always there when we needed anything...would highly recommend...thank you..

Great food, cosy atmosphere and really friendly helpful staff

Great stop while out cycling, chocolate Brownie to die for!

On the edge of Brailsford. Small cafe with tables in and out (well behaved dogs welcome inside). Good selection of breakfast items (can vouch for both the bacon and the sausage sandwiches) and luscious cakes. Friendly staff. Small car park on the Derby side of Brailsford.

Lovely little cafe with friendly staff. Little ones well catered for, my toddler's food was brought out as soon as it was ready; always a small blessing as he's not the most patient! Drinks and food were excellent, with the brownie being the best I've tasted. Will certainly be back again!

Lovely little place. Recommended!

Quaint little place, great staff, wonderful food

First visit, it won't be the last. Lovely café, great service and they are open every day.

Found this place by accident. A warm welcome into a pristine cafe and gift shop which looked newly decorated. Not big but not cramped. We had light snacks which included a gluten-free version of egg on toast. A little on the chilly side the morning we called in but that’s probably as much to do with the English weather.

Stopped off here after a long country walk. Great milkshakes and cakes. Small number of tables outside and they also allow well behaved dogs inside

Our first call for a lazy Saturday, coffee shop adventure, good selection tea and coffee, well presented. Lovely gift shop near, great place to start a coffee shop experience.

Stopped here unexpectedly waiting for another business to open and what a lovely surprise. Admittedly not much to look at from the outside, a real treat of a place with very friendly staff and wonderful sandwiches, cakes, scones and a variety of very special coffees. We had a latte and a black forest mocha. I enjoyed my latte very much, nice strength and depth of flavour. My wife's mocha was too rich for me but she has a sweet tooth a was very happy with it. Clean and well kept, it is obviously run with love and I will be going back soon for a breakfast. Recommended!

Good coffee, great cakes and can recommend breakfast too. Parking available. Pleasant and friendly staff.