Elder Street Farm Shop & Deli Cafe in Uttlesford

Absolutely fantastic café. Amazing quality food for really reasonable prices. Always so impressed by the food there.

Firstly the food we saw being served looked very good. However the service is poor. The staff are polite, seem busy, but continually apologising as clearly there isn’t enough staff. We asked 3 times if somebody could take our order, then we waited 40 minutes before our food arrived. Coffees were provided before the food arrived which was fine but they were warm not hot. Cutlery had water marks on them. Might help if customers were allowed to order at the counter rather than waiting for orders to be taken at the table. Interesting that there are not many replies to previous Trip Advisor reviews. Always a measure of the customer care or lack of it. This is a great location and I’m sure the traders around might be affected by the poor service in the cafe. Well done to the staff who are trying hard but need additional staff. False economy in not doing so.

I’ve been coming here for many years and thought it was about time I did a review. This is a truly wonderful place in a beautiful setting. The food has always been exceptional and all is home made to order. The menu is varied and interesting for breakfast and lunches etc along with sumptuous cakes. The service is really good and the staff are always polite and helpful and the scotch eggs and sausage rolls from the deli are excellent quality! When the sun shines it’s even nicer!

Great setting and the food is always delicious! Unfortunately the service is fairly slow and the staff not very attentive.

Lovely food and lots of variety but very slow service. Advised that there was a short delay waited nearly an hour with no updates.

Strongly recommend not visiting here. We stood at the counter waiting to order food and drinks while the waitresses ignored us. The waitress was then extremely rude stating they were full, despite there being tables free and not reserved. Awful service. We will be spreading the word to avoid this cafe.

I've eaten here a few times, and it's always great. It's a casual easy going place with very good staff and a relaxed atmosphere. Careful selection of great ingredients, plenty of interesting choices that are cooked really well, basically it's a dream destination! Really worth a trip out.

One of our favourite places to eat. My husband almost always goes for their fish and chips "best ever" he rates them! On this occasion I had beef salad...yummy. Good choice of wines beers teas and coffee non alcoholic etc. Service always cheerful and obliging. Have never had a disappointing visit

I have to leave a review praising the amazing sandwiches at Elder Street Café! Absolutely delicious, packed with filling in gorgeous bread - the smoked salmon with prawn & avocado super yummy! And the English rose wines they offer are simply superb. Lovely location with good service. Looking forward to going back:-)

Staff were so accommodating for our family lunch yesterday. With four adults, a number of dietary issues and a baby, we also wanted to change table between main course and dessert. No problems whatsoever, in fact we were made so welcome. The food was also first class. Well done Elder Street Café👏👏👏

More than a village café, it’s real foodie destination! The menu is so well put together by the chef-owner and his wife, with an emphasis on global flavours. We enjoyed Crispy Baja Fish Tacos with sweet potato fries and curtido as well as Lobster & Crayfish roll with truffled pecorino cheesy fries and slaw. The homemade lemonades were fab. Coffee, tea and vic sponge for dessert. Lots of seating outside. Recommend ringing them to book as it’s a popular spot.

A massive thank you to all the staff at this venue. We were there to celebrate my brothers 75th birthday. The food was good and the staff were all very friendly...there were 10 of us and the meals all came out together. Will definitely recommend this place to my friends,

Absolutely incredible, been here quite a few times everytime is equally as good if not better. Highly recommend to anyone. Very friendly staff felt very well looked after, quick service and the food is sensational. 10/10!

Absolutely amazing. The choice of food and drinks is second to none. I have tried most of the menu and it’s all delicious and very generous portion sizes! Staff were so friendly and accommodating. Gregg and Anna are brilliant and have such a special menu including beautiful English wines and the most hearty food. Lovely patio outside and it makes for a must visit. Without a doubt the best place to eat in Saffron Walden!

Disappointed - food was underwhelming & over priced - service not great: this place looked great and the menu exciting but the actual delivered plates were disappointing

Visited here on 21 April. No gluten-free food indicated on menu. I asked what they could offer me. I was told, with no apology - nothing! So my family ate and I sat & watched. DO NOT GO IF YOU NEED GF. Very disappinted with their attitude to food allergies

Friends took us for lunch to the Elder Street Cafe and we all REALLY enjoyed it! The hot dishes were piping hot. The Tanzanian coconut fish curry with tabbouleh was superb so my friend said, my hand cut chips were wonderful! just how they should be! for once I was so enjoying my lunch of first class home made pork pie with chips, I forgot to take a photo!! Pork pie was jammed full of tasty meat, pastry spot on. Delicious! My husband couldn't get over his Fen Man's 'Docky' platter!!! such a generous portion and really attractively presented. He managed to very happily eat the lot saying every bite was delicious! The Maghreb Shakshuka with Merguez sausage was very good, served with flatbread. We cant' wait to go back!

Wonderful staff. Tasty freshly made dishes with cakes and bakes made on the premises. Nothing seemed to much trouble to the staff and we were a couple with 2 noisy kids and their grandparent. Super tasting coffee- we will return!

5 Adults and one Child for Christmas Afternoon tea. The food was delivered on a huge tray with savouries mixed in with cakes etc, completely overwhelming, looked a complete mess! One adult had a mulled wine then asked for a cup to share the tea that was already on the table, charged £2.50 for an empty cup! The afternoon tea experiences I've had previously include top-ups of tea at no extra cost. When requested the waitress insisted on knowing the number of people the tea was for, yes you guessed it, charged another £12.50. We'll say nothing of the furniture moving that was going on around us, it was like a builders canteen while the burly waitress heaved tables and chairs around and the surly attitude to requests for service. I don't think I'll be going back here again!

For a start it is located within grounds housing all sorts of shops selling fascinating goods. Lots of free parking too. Tables and chairs inside and out, and dogs welcome. Super menu - gosh I wish I lived nearby to try everything out. We went for breakfast. The Egyptian breakfast was fabulous; as was the mushrooms and eggs on toast. Very tasty, well presented and great service. Take-away food is also available via the deli - looked scrumptious. Will go back when in the area.

Why is it so difficult to 1, bring four plates of food out in one go And 2, to have already brought the condiments over? Food ok Music great but far too loud

We use this place a lot as the food and service are always excellent, yesterday was no exception!! The extensive menu means we've never had the same thing twice (apart from the amazing Egyptian Breakfast) even though we've probably been there 20+ times! Just keep...

Use this place often, called in in the chance for a coffee with a 93 year disabled mother, all booked which is understand Father’s Day, but young lady suggested sit inside as table not occupied yet and could see how unstable my mother was. Ordered...

Menu description not good. Ordered crispy crab Mac and cheese. Expected a Mac cheese with crispy top. We were served breadcrumbed cakes that were filled with Luke warm macaroni and a bit of crab, could not taste cheese or crab only dill. Not very good...

Whenever I’m nearby I visit this lovely venue and it never disappoints. Special mention to the new staff member who was warm and friendly.

We called in just for cake and a drink. Very busy so sat upstairs. The cakes (carrot cake and fruit scone) were excellent and clearly fresh. When checking the cuisines of this café on Tripadvisor, I didn’t see any mention of Polish foods. That’s a...

I have been going to Elder Street for a year now on many different occasions and for brunch and lunch. There is plenty of seating both inside and out that also allows you to have a dog or children without upsetting those who do not....

Great location beautiful day but just felt we were a hindrance to the staff . No acknowledgment to our party despite pre paying , had to fend for ourselves no one came to check we were ok or had everything we needed , felt it...

Amazing food and very generous helpings. Staff are lovely and very helpful. What more can I say but I highly recommend this place. Five stars all the way!

We were lucky with the weather so sat outside and it almost felt like we were on holiday! They were pretty busy but managing to keep on top of things. I had the aubergine flatbread, which was absolutely delicious, my friend had the lamb burger,...

We visited for Father's Day afternoon tea and OMG it was incredible! Hands down the best afternoon tea in the area 😋 There were two trays of beautiful open sandwiches, homemade cakes and pastries (including mini eclairs and donuts with salted caramel sauce), huge scones...

Great country restaurant always serving first class food whether breakfast or lunch.. with good choice of local wines and beers. Varied menu and efficient, friendly service.

I had the lamb flat bread which was dry, too much bread and not enough filling, too much feta and not enough veg, humus quite dry, flavours didn’t really work. Last week had the crispy egg and asparagus- the old recipe with the pesto and...

Elder street is my favourite cafe in the area by far. It is so lovely to sit both inside and outside, the highlight being the beautiful fire ball in the centre of the patio area. It has a feel of a Greek cafe and makes...

I do love this place, I've been a number of times over the last 5 years. This time was no different, delicious food. Never had a bad meal breakfast or lunch. I feel I must leave some feedback though, the fire pit in the middle....

Myself and my wife had booked a table a few days in advance to try the special on offer (Greek style mussels) arrived on time and had to wait outside 10 minutes to be seated, was then given menus but not asked if we wanted...

My partner and I have called in here for lunch a couple of times recently, and we really can’t fault the place. Excellent quality, freshly cooked food; friendly service and a nice little location. Reasonably priced for the quality of food you get. We’ll call in again next time we’re passing.

Good covid measures. We were offered a table upstairs during a very busy lunch hour. Ordered carrot and cumin soup which came with two large slices of rosemary and cheese bread (I am guessing home made) butter and olive oil/balsalmic dip. The soup had a garnish of onion bajee. All very well presented and a delicious combination for a quite filling lunch, and such good value. This place has a different choice of food on the menu and I have always enjoyed everything I have ordered. Previous comments about service are unfair. This is not a fast food cafe and the staff are very eager to please. We will be back.

Worth the wait as food really nice, coffe great too. Staff are slow but if you have the time to wait then it’s fine

Although the food was very tasty and all made with fresh ingredients the service was very slow and the staff came across disinterested. Waited over 20 minutes for a drink and then after we was cleared our main we wanted coffees and scones but were never asked if we wanted anything else, so we decided to leave once we hunted them down for the bill. The food is very good and lots of choice on the menu just a little let down by the poor service.

Just had breakfast here, outstanding food - Egyptian breakfast gorgeous. Quite busy but the staff were so professional and calm. Favourite place in Saffron Walden.

Amazing food, really big helpings of scrumptious food. Staff really lovely too. Only wish they could do something about the wasp problem.

What an amazing place with such great food choices and attentive staff ! Great breakfast but also all day menu that will want you going back for more and more every week Thank u all

Found by chance whilst on holiday and saw signs for Debden Barns. Cafe has an amazing varied menu with lots of homemade choices. Very friendly staff. Would definitely be a regular if lived in the area.

Met up with family here for some lunch. It's just outside Saffron Walden (follow the signs for Debden Barns) in a rural and rather American-country-style setting.You can eat both inside and outside on the porch.As it was sunny we had a table outside. They provided each table with a hand sanitizer, which was good. The slightly grubby menus were less good as was the pretty dirty floor. The wasps were a bit of a nuisance but the restaurant couldn't help that.The menu contains many interesting and varied options ranging from falafel Scotch eggs, mezze, sandwiches, burgers and even a Polish beer platter. I had the flatbread with merguez sausages. The sausage was good and came with an intriguing crispy egg. Arguably, the flatbread was rather thick and difficult to eat on a wooden board. The shoestring fries that came with it were actually just ordinary French fries.The relatives enjoyed their meals.I had an iced coffe instead of dessert, which was delicious. My husband was very happy with his cream tea.Service was friendly.The barn shop next door is worth a visit, too, selling all sorts of nice home furnishings and trinkets.Would come again.

Gregg and Anna are the perfect owners, warm, welcoming, perfect food, excellent service, great value for money in a stunning setting.

Wow such exquisite food and the service amazing! What a find! What a gem! Thank you We will come again very soon as we were treated so well

We were greeted by Anna the owner and shown to our table, she was very welcoming. A varied breakfast menu was available suiting all us all. It was all beautifully cooked, well presented and tasted amazing. We have visited many times before and will keep going back. One of our favourite places to go.

A group of twelve of us went to Elder street for a Burns night supper. The menu was amazing, five small, delicious courses followed by coffee. We had a Piper as we arrived and of course to "Pipe in the haggis, a tot of whiskey was served and the haggis was "addressed". I've been before and they even make humble fish and chips a rare treat. A great evening all round, we'll be back.

The food was amazing... the door needs the spring fixing as it didn’t close back on itself resulting in a poor lady and ourself having to keep getting up to close it...it made the restaurant freezing.

The turkey lunch arrived not looking too generous, three small roast potatoes, etc. But it was tasty and with plenty of lovely bread and mince pies, it added up to a good meal. Food is fresh and well-cooked, service very good.

Our first visit at the cafe and we were very pleased with the food we had. The staff were very polite and friendly. Thank you Agnes, Molly and Jasmine. Definitely will come back again.

Disappointed. Have eaten here before and food is always good. However, clearly short staffed and diffident. Such a shame as smiles and positivity go along way with customers. We left without ordering after waiting a reasonable time. Could be so much better.

Poor service staff look very disinterested. No welcome when we arrived. Ordered food and drinks one of the sandwiches arrived on the wrong bread waitress just said I asked for brown. Well she should not have bought it out already knowing the bread was wrong!! One of our orders was a jacket potato with cheese and beans the potato was barely warm. Standards have definitely gone down hill. Unfortunately we will not be rushing back.

Just had my second visit to Elder Street Cafe. It has an interesting menu with a varied choice of options. I find the prices affordable. The portions are large I felt I could have shared my sandwich with my friend. It was very tasty and thoroughly enjoyable. Nice relaxed seating area, with outside space. Would definitely recommend it.

Ham hock terrine or lack pudding scotch egg went beautifully with nice coffee after our 5 mile walk. The homemade piccallilli was really fresh. Be careful not to miss it - it's main signs Debden Barns,which sells garden accessories and antiques.

Called in to this lovely cafe whilst out and about for work for lunch. Service was a little slow but it was very busy and I think when your on your own your more conscious of time. Was worth the wait - lovely warm cheese scone with home made chutney and a cup of tea. Menu had lots of tempting choices and I’d definitely come back with the family.

I feel this has become abit run down and tired. The food has become a bit boring and portions have got smaller.The services is ok as is the food I just feel its lost its spark sadly as it's a good local place to grab something.

Lovely coffee and cake. There are also a good selection of hot options, inc. sausage rolls and a choice of 'scotch' eggs; available. Very friendly and helpful service. A good stopping off place with a selection of interesting craft/antique/bric-a-bac type shops.

Decided to have breakfast here on Sunday around 10.30

Came to have breakfast. Food was high quality, coffee is very very good and the stuff friendly. Recommended

Lovely setting. Food not as good as it used to be. Unfortunately waitress got the order wrong but this was corrected gracefully and quickly. Far too much butter on the bread and not evenly spread; all butter clumped in the middle of the slice, which is unpleasant. A tiny amount of smoked salmon and lots of dressing.

We arrived and I was so excited as it’s lovely place with a little shop too so it looked perfect!

When we arrived there were lots of empty tables so we got ourselves seated. My partner went up to the counter to find out if they were still serving the cooked breakfast and there was a lady preparing food but she ignored his presence, even walking past him to serve a table.

Took my granddaughter for lunch and we both really enjoyed our food, although the mountain of pasta served for a child's portion was a bit overwhelming for her. Nevertheless she did enjoy it and the cookie she had afterwards. They serve organic fruit juices too which is a great improvement to some places aimed at kids. My salad was excellent and I really enjoyed it.

Nice restaurant and location. But service was very slow and food was not great. Wouldn’t recommend..

Been here quite a few times for both breakfast and lunch and generally both are good. Last visit was for breakfast, we had a chorizo hash dish and a fullEnglish breakfast, the full English was very nice, wasn’t mad on the chorizo dish, but we did finish most of it. Sometimes we find some of the dishes are under seasoned, which isn’t an issue, and service can sometimes be slow, but they do get busy.

Oh yum. Eggy crumpets with crispy bacon mmmmm. Have had coffee and cake on other occasions which was also delicious. Bright with outside seating for dogs and playarea fir kids. Attached to Debden Barns.

Excellent food, friendly staff, good atmosphere, quick service for individually prepared foods, locally produced foods definitely visiting again.

We went here for lunch. The cafe is extremely understaffed resulting in a terribly slow service. 20 minute wait for 3 drinks, and a 30 minute wait for food. I had the buffalo chilli wich I could tell from the texture and taste had been cooked from frozen. The table was sticky to touch and not clean, and the poor waiter serving looked very harassed and stressed out.

Super location. Was a beautiful day so very busy . Food was good but service was slow and a little chaotic

My friend and I went for lunch as we were singing in a concert in nearby Saffron Hall. Very nice place, good atmosphere and relaxing Food was very good indeed. Friendly service, nothing too much. Only one problem though, I asked for a buttered scone to take away. When I went to eat it later, the scone was lovely but there was a slab of marge about 1/4” thick plonked in the middle. I took it out and ate the scone dry.

This cafe is the perfect family venue. Great food lovingly cooked. Menu has something for everyone- familiar favourites and some delicious adventures with a range including hearty meals and tempting snacks for all times of the day. The children’s menu is especially good. Warm welcome and happy atmosphere. Incredibly hard working team.

Really nice location - particularly if the weather is nice and you can sit outside. The food was really tasty and freshly prepared. Some of the food seemed a little overpriced for what it was, e.g. a jacket potato was pretty expensive! When we arrived the cafe was extremely busy which is great but we waited a long time at the counter to even be acknowledged by anyone to order anything - It wasn't an issue at all having to wait to be served but lots of members of staff walked past us without even making eye contact or saying 'someone will be with you in a minute' so it wasn't overly welcoming however the young girl that did serve us in the end was very nice. It may just be this time of year, but the tiled area just outside the cafe was extremely dirty which was a little off putting when you've come to eat somewhere - it would look more appealing as gravel like the rest of the area. Great bonus that you can take dogs in with you. Scones were delicious.

This is a fantastic place for a mood round the antiques barn and then have a lovely meal in the café and deli. On my last visit I had the crunchy halloumi burger which came with coleslaw and onion rings - it was delish. Lovely setting, service is great, lots of people coming and going, great place.

We come to cafe often because our friends always prefer this place to others. Food are cooked beautifully and tasted delicious. And there is always plenty in the menu to choose from.

Called in for brunch. Nice and roomy upstairs. Good service and some really great food. Will be returning whenever I'm in the area that's for sure

I visited with a friend after hearing good things. On arrival we sat upstairs to be seated at a very wobbly table which was also not wiped clean. We moved to another (sticky) table and notified the staff of the issue.

Such yummy food. I have been many times and never been disappointed. They also serve breakfast. Despite it being so close to christmas and super busy, this visit was still just as good. Fab service and fab choice of food. When we finish we allow and extra 1/2 hour to wander round Debden Barns

A great place for afternoon cup of tea and homemade scones and cakes. A Gem in the Essex countryside away from the hustle and bustle of town.

Can’t comment on the full breakfast menu but what we had was good. Nice set-up generally but I hope the waitress gets more help during busier periods. Only downside was the lack of Vegan options on the menu.

Thoroughly enjoyed superb '2 of everything' brunch with Melissa and little Sophia - outstanding! Good, relaxed and polite service too. Will go back asap...

We had a super lunch, my warm scotch egg with piccalilli was perfect apart from the need for a salad garnish to enjoy with it. The tasty Po'boy shrimp sandwich came with both crisps and a little bowl of salad. Lovely surroundings with cute shops to browse in the barn complex. There is plenty of parking with shaded areas, good to know if you have dogs. Good choice of beers and teas. Downside: Everything is served on SLATES. Why? Bits fall off the side and the knife makes a sound on them that sets my teeth on edge. Next time I will ask for a plate!

This is a lovely lunch / breakfast venue. Food is very nicely served with ample helpings and very good quality. I loved the Philly cheese steak. A recommendation for the restaurant, as this was the first time we have visited, I found the ordering and paying for food a bit confusing. There were people walking about so it seemed like table service but after five minutes I ordered inside. Perhaps a sign saying “please order food at the till”. But I loved it and I will definitely be back.

Had a wonderful lunch today at Elder Street Cafe in Debden Barns. Food was great, service was great and really friendly. Highly recommend it.

We have yet to find anywhere better to meet friends and enjoy a leisurely Sunday brunch. Although it was very busy (inside and out) the staff were exceptional. At no time did we feel hurried to finish our meals. The food, as usual, was superb and excellent value. Well worth a visit.

Stopped off here for coffee and cake while visiting Debden Barns next door. What a smashing little place. It's clean, friendly and stocked with delicious food and drink, much of which is sourced locally. I had a slice of the lemon cake which was moist and tangy, and of generous proportions. A diner next to me had a Full English which is on my list to try next time round. Service from the lone waitress was faultless. A glass counter at the front stocked a range of products that could be taken away. I couldn't resist a small pork pie which looked like it was home made. It too was absolutely first class. This is one of those places that's worth making a special trip to visit. It's just great!

I found this place when browsing tripadvisor and thought it looked beautiful so I’d stop here, and it was indeed beautiful! The food was delicious and very good serving sizes! The staff were very friendly and efficient too! Recommend this place 100%

Drove past here and just had to stop. Great menu choice and awesome food. Portion sizes were mega generous. Staff were really friendly and great place to sit outside when it’s a beautiful day.

We went as a family group today for breakfast We had different breakfast dishes and drinks all were lovely. All made from good quality products. We sat outside on the lovely patio area. Service was very good.

Simply put. Great food, great atmosphere, great service in a lovely setting. My family and I love this place. Nothing too fancy just honest food and drink. Stick this on your list of places to chill out with the family. Oh....and there are swings and things to keep the young ones occupied.

We had a fantastic day , so much work was put in by all the staff , great food and local ciders , two great bands , plenty of parking We will definitely be coming to some of the other events later in the summer

I booked here on a Sunday, when we turned up, we stood in the cafe at the deli point waiting to be served, but we were totally ignored, after sometime i decided to ask for my booked table only to be met with a woman that looked like she had chewed on a wasp telling me,

We live in nearby Saffron Walden so have visited elder street cafe a bunch of times. Cannot praise this establishment more, the food is fantastic. The roast beef on Sundays is nothing short of special and the the quality of the meet is superb, so tender! The Cuban sandwich and the pulled pork sandwiches are great options and it’s like nothing else you’ve tasted, with additional flavours added to the sandwich which only a skilled chef would know works. The choice of ales (love Saffron brewery) and wines are lovely, especially the reds which I’ve tried a few of. This is how a country cafe should be run!!

I cannot fault the food and setting. We were lucky enough to have a beautiful sunny day. There was a sign up to say that they were short staffed in the kitchen but we decided to stay anyway. We ordered a fish platter and Korean BBQ sandwich. This took 2 hours to get to our table. We knew there would be a wait, but 2 hours was a bit extreme. After an hour and a half, I politely asked the waitress how long our food would be and she replied '20 to 25 minutes' and that's it. Didn't crack a smile or apologies and explain the situation. I had to shout after her to get order some more drinks. The food, once it came, was lovely. It's such a shame because the setting and food are both lovely but the service leaves a lot to be desired for. It doesn't take much to crack a smile and be friendly or to even acknowledge that people have been waiting. I appreciate it's busy but that doesn't excuse miserable servers. Would have been a 5* otherwise.

Have visited before,eating upstairs,and had waitress service.This time we ate downstairs and assumed the same.Having not acknowledged we were there and so no menus we got up to get our own.Still no waitress/waiter appeared so queued up to order food and drinks.The food was very good and plenty of it,(although my burger could have been cooked longer).

Went here for lunch today and was loving the relaxed and very clean dining room. Plenty of tables outside in both sun and shade as well. You are greeted very warmly and shown to a table. The menu is amazing, with so many good choices. There were at least a dozen things I wanted to order. There is definitely something for everyone on this menu. It's also got a very thoughtful menu for kids too which is a really nice touch. The sharing platters also sound to die for.

I’ve passed this place a number of times and was amazed how busy it’s looked. Do I thought I give it a go for quick sarnie. I had the ham, egg and chips sandwich and wow it was fantastic. I be back again soon

We just had 20 or so of us go to celebrate 2 birthdays. WE ordered a lamb shared roast, and a whole sea bass which was baked in salt - which was a big surprise and absolutely divine. There was plenty of extra nicely prepared veg. Another 6 or 7 made their own choices (in advance). I can't praise the food highly enough. It was all served simultaneously and the room upstairs is great to have an (almost) private event. Only slight criticism is the acoustics are not great, we were shouting to make ourselves heard - & with all those voices we made a quite a racket, felt sorry for other diners. Perhaps some soft furnishings, rugs on the wall? Service was quick and with a smile. Thank you - you never disappoint.

We were on our way to a concert at the Saffron Hall and stopped here for a light lunch. Service was reasonably prompt. When Lunch came the portion sizes were much bigger than we had expected ...... not that we are complaining!