Hay Barn Cafe in Newark and Sherwood

Wow! What a place. Food is beautiful and the cakes, well good luck trying to choose! Everything is great quality and the place is nice with a farm shop across the way. Not loads of space so fingers crossed you get a table as unsurprisingly it is always busy and is so worth it.

I thought I would write another review after my last one got a not so warm response from the owner. So here goes. The lack of booking system meant they operate a buzzer system that didn’t work for me personally. I walked to the cafe so therefore standing outside in the rain waiting for a table wasn’t a great option for me. (Customers can wait in their car if able to) however it just makes it hard to plan your visit. Once I was seat it did become apparent that it was cold inside due to people coming in and out very often to check for avaible tables or return with their buzzer. I enjoyed my coffee, the food was average to my opinion. I did take some cake away with me as they looked lovely however It was really dry. The staff did seem stressed and I wouldn’t say it was “service with a smile” I don’t think I will be returning more so due to the sarcastic response I got on my last review “ Oh dear, looking at all your other TripAdvisors reviews I think you'd be better off staying at home and cooking for yourself love!” I welcome you to have a read at my other reviews as I am pretty sure I am very fair. Hopefully this review gets a more open response from The owner instead of sarcasm.

Absolutely delicious Ploughman's Lunch. Choice of cheese or meat or a combination of both. We opted for the meat version and it didn't disappoint. Very good coffee and tea to accompany our food. Fabulous selection of cakes, we took a slice of Orange curd cake home as we were too stuffed to eat it there.

Went again to this wonderful place for the 4th time in as many weeks.... Have the giant breakfast again whilst the wife tried something different again,this time the Ploughman's cheese 🧀 variety... Once again, service was exemplary...everything is first glass, and the colleagues are superb.. What can I say other than go asap,...and i shall repeat myself...I will be back next week.. You are the best....

Another enjoyable experience at the Haybarn! This time for a full English. Fabulous quality ingredients cooked to perfection, a great set up for the day ahead. Small wait today but it’s never a problem for us the great hospitality and food is always worth waiting for!!! Thanks to all the staff, we feel lucky to be local to such a lovely place.

A definite 5/5.Quality of food, service and surroundings fantastic. Enjoyed the unusual combination of cheese, fried onions and mushrooms on a toasted sandwich. Pineapple upside down cake is to die for!

What a superb little tea room this is! We dropped in on the off-chance, having driven by many times before saying “we must try there..” We luckily got a table straight away (you often have to wait at busy times I understand) and sat in a really nice corner of the barn. The staff were absolutely lovely and the menu caters for far more than tea and cakes with a good range of breakfast items, lunches and savouries too. Home-made cakes absolutely delicious…! Quality ingredients all round, lots of it locally sourced. Service was fabulous …Very impressed…! We shall definitely be returning!

Visited at lunchtime and we chose the afternoon tea for two . All freshly prepared with our choice of sandwiches & home made cake and warm home made scones. Unlimited tea which the attentive staff were happy to refill Beautifully served and I will definitely look to return when next in this area

Went today around 10am had the Hay Barn big breakfast with a couple of lattes....what can I say other than...it was perfect from the customer service to the food itself,everything was cooked to perfection and the quality was exemplary...Everyone needs to visit this very special place,on busy times be prepared to wait,it will def be worth it....See you again very soon ...

Small, cosy location. Good menu with specials. Produce locally procured and the bacon was particularly good. Popular with no booking system other than a well organised pager system, when you turn up. Popular and deservedly so.

Driving south on the A1 and looked to find a nice place for lunch. The cafe was very busy and they gave us a pager as they had no tables free. We waited in our car for no more than 10 mins which was fine. The staff, atmosphere and food were excellent. Had the pie and a quiche and really enjoyed them all. Will definitely be back to try the cakes next time.

This little place is always busy which is a very good sign - we went for some lunch the other day and the food was really good, service was friendly and attentive - couldn’t resist taking cakes home with us, highly recommended. Need to pop in sometime for one of their breakfasts, they are served all day and look fantastic!

Once again fabulous hospitality from start to finish! We could see it was busy so I asked to be popped on the list for a table. The buzzer system allows you to sit in your car and wait on a cold or rainy day, and after 15 mins we were alerted a table was ready. To us this is no problem and it’s well worth the short wait. We both chose from the special board Chicken & Leek pie. It was delicious!! Tasty Chicken and Leek filling topped with a puff pastry lid, hand cut chips, minted peas and a pot of gravy all served on a piping hot plate. No dessert after as we were full from our lunch but the treacle sponge and custard being served looked very very nice. Definitely one for another time. Always impressed when we visit here. Thank you to all the team x

Second visit here it just gets better.. incredible food I opted for the Giant breakfast again and it certainly didn’t disappoint. I can’t express how good the brownies are either. I can’t wait for my next visit 😋😋

Our first visit and it definitely won't be our last. After hearing so many good things about the hay barn we finally got a opportunity to go! It did not disappoint! They have a fantastic buzzer system if they are full when you arrive. The food was phenomenal, I had the giant pigs in blanket special, it was superb! My partner said his scrambled eggs were the best he had ever had! And a huge portion. The service was friendly and efficient. I would highly recommend a visit! We will definitely be back.

I’ve started to plan my car journeys up to the north east so that I can stop here for a break. We had a delicious bacon and sausage cob and a cappuccino this morning. My dog was made very welcome and the staff came over to check in on us a few times. We were seated at the first available table even though it was for six and I was on my own with my dog. The cafe was full and the service was excellent. Thank you for making us feel so welcome and relaxed.

By far Best breakfast around wouldn’t bother anywhere else Staff friendly polite and very clean …..

We came here for the first time last Saturday. When we arrived there were no free tables but the waitress came straight to us and gave us an alarm which would alert us when the table became vacant, allowing us to wait in the car. When we were seated we chose the delicious homemade soup and then afternoon tea for two. Everything was absolutely gorgeous and, as we couldn’t manage it all, the lady gave us a box to bring our cake home. What an excellent place to visit. We will definitely be back soon.

Ordered Parsnip soup ( as I know it)!) Unfortunately couldn’t taste the parsnip just spice. I only had 2 spoons and decided it wasn’t for me. I said I couldn’t taste the parsnip . I still was charged full price I think it was £7.95 when they could see it wasn’t touched , so very disappointed with the way it was dealt with as situations like this need to be addressed leaving the customer happy enough with the outcome .

My third review on the haybarn.visited for a number of years once or twice a week and still the best cafe.food still high quality and staff amazing.we visit many great cafes in the area and the UK and have always used the haybarn to set our standards.

Wonderful food and service. Such amazing cakes too - they do a “cake-away “ service so you can enjoy those wonderful cakes at home too! The best tearoom for miles!

We had the most tasty lunch at the Hay Barn cafe. When we arrived they were very busy (a good sign) but they have a great buzzer system so we could wait in our car until a table was available. We only waited 5 mins when the buzzer summoned us. The welcome was warm and friendly. Service was very timely. The food was delicious. We were also able to take some cake away to enjoy later.

Well, I must say, my compliments to the chef. I haven’t had something so amazing in a long time. Splendid! Simply, splendid! A breakfast to remember, Can’t wait to go again. Oh and the Carrot cake I bought to take away was incredible. Can’t wait to go again. Highly recommend the Giant Breakfast 😋😋

Fantastic food, service was lovely and the atmosphere was great. Will definitely be returning as it is all so fairly priced for such delicious meals.

Delicious food and great service. Will definitely go again, great options on the menu and everything we had was really good

Went with freinds, short wait for a table, system well managed. Lovely service, order takem at table. Had a amazing Fish Finger Cob and even better sticky toffee pudding, spoilt for choice with cakes. Will definitely be going back !

Hadn’t been here for a number of years and think it must have been taken over as it has definitely gone downhill. The booking in system is disappointing and not well managed, having to stand outside until someone comes to you, scribbles your name down and gives you a buzzer is not customer friendly and not made apparent at the door. Wonder how this will work in bad weather! Visit for lunch ended up being early tea due to the length of time we had to wait. Staff allowed force young woman to push in before us and several others that were waiting. Then another couple who booked in after us allowed in before us as there was only a table for two available, Ended up sitting outside on a dry but windy day to eat our meal. We were allowed inside when nearly empty to have a hot drink and cake. And guess what the force woman and the older lady with her was still there and sat on the four seater table that should have been ours. The cake was nice but both the cheese and the meat ploughmans were dreadful, over priced, the haslet and pork pie were old and dry, the boiled egg had obviously been cooked for a few days. Stated on menu ‘You will not be disappointed’ Well we were and will not be returning. We gave them the benefit of the doubt and waited nearly two hours to get served initially and that would have been longer had we not asked if we could sit outside. A lot of people have said they wouldn’t have waited but three friends meeting at a central point after not seeing each other for a long time did, Do yourselves a favour and visit The Birds Nest, Wadnell Lane, Weston or the tearoom at Eakring, so much better.

The food is lovely and fairly priced. Customer service remains lacking. I’ve almost come to accept it here!

Excellent food staff very friendly and helpful. Might have to wait a little for a table but well worth it! Hidden gem in kneesall!

Difficult to praise this eatery and give it justice. Shown to table and all decided to have The Great Haystack breakfast. Oh my word, everyone beaten and unable to finish. Thick succulent rashers, beautiful black pudding - best I have tasted so far anywhere, sausages,...

We found the Haybarn a year ago whilst in the area and decided on a return visit. We had a brief wait for a table for lunch. The food was just as nice as before, the homemade cakes even better!

An absolute gem!! The atmosphere is amazing, staff is very friendly and polite and the food… fresh and super tasty! Please try their blueberry scones they are to die for. The place itself is small and cozy, and usually very busy, so just bare that...

My favourite place to eat . Lovely homemade food ( big portions ) great service . I little hidden gem . Todays fish pie followed by summer fruit was delicious .

On route to a weekend away we decided to try the hay barn for breakfast. We had been given a copy of the extra mile, which recommended it. On arrival we were greeted by a friendly waitress who explained that they didn’t have a free...

Found by accident.. and what a treat.. afternoon tea.. top quality ingredients and served with a perfect coffee.. the service was exceptional.. thank you for making our after special

Lovely barn not enough tables had to sit in car in pouring rain waiting for a table to come through Food excellent

We went to the Spanish Night with friends. We had a really lovely evening. Staff and service as always excellent and the food was amazing. All home cooked and delicious. The homemade sangria was also really good. A lovely evening.

We’re given an afternoon tea voucher which we just used Choice of sandwich, cake and an enormous scone with cream and jam Also served with salad, a bread stick, butter, pouring cream for the cake and a huge serving of fresh fruit All presented beautifully...

We had seen this place recommended and decided to give it a go. We knew we may have to wait but the pager system is great and we were seated inside within 20 minutes. Great choice of food. Hubby had the special BBQ chicken wedges...

We visited my sister for the weekend and she recommended the Hay Barn and this place didn’t disappoint, the food was cooked to perfection with locally produced sausages, eggs and bacon and the home made cakes were to die for for. Not to mention the...

Remains one of my favourite cafes and we had another fantastic visit today, thank you so much! So friendly and welcoming with gorgeous food and sitting outside in the sun was such a treat too. Would thoroughly recommend and that is without even sampling the...

This place is well worth the diversion off the a1, its probably the best breakfast ive had for quite some time. The staff are very sweet and kind, loved it

This cafe is great for excellent food and friendly service. People travel miles to eat here. Today’s Coronation menu was very special and my Red, white and blue cheesecake was probably the best I’ve even tasted. Dogs are welcome.

We visited recently and from beginning to end it was nothing less than outstanding. The welcome immediately was warm..we were met at the door with smiles and help. It was a busy day but they told us immediately there would be a short 6 we...

Again another fantastic visit to The Hay Barn, I love this place. The food is perfection, the staff are impeccable, thoughtful, respectful, understanding and so very friendly. Well worth paying them a visit. I would love to go everyday but we have to travel just...

Wow….just moved up to Nottinghamshire having sold our restaurant ‘down south’ and can’t tell you how great this cafe and deli is. Fantastic service, beautiful home made cuisine and great deli offering. An absolute must if you were within driving distance or passing by. A...

Lovely food. Staff are very attentive and nothing was to much trouble. Value for money and a good menu.

We stumbled across this beautiful spot en route to our holiday - a detour off the A1 and here it was - the breakfast was amazing and the team were very welcoming. We sat outside in the spring sunshine which was another added bonus. If...

The welcome is excellent. Staff are friendly and helpful Food locally sourced in most cases And very tasty Not expensive And an experience worth having again and again

Wow. Little drive out as a couple ( child free ) after finding this place online. Little wait as they was busy but only a little one just enjoy a coffee in the sun. Called in to our table, food orderd Ploughmans lunch, meats,cheese eggs,...

Excellent friendly in control staff and first class food quality.the plates are brought to table with cloth or napkin and advised of being hot,a reassuring sign the food is hot.a buzzer system is in place when a table becomes vacant which works well.

It has to be one of the best ploughman lunch I have ever had only second to the Devonshire. There was so mich they were kind enough for me to take the rest home in a box. The homemade cakes are amazing. Thank you for...

Visited following recommendation, and it did not disappoint! Had to wait 20 mins for table but well worth it. I had vanilla & blueberry scone, friend had orange curd sponge cake...they were both amazing. Lovely cosy place, lovely friendly staff.

Not biker friendly On parking up the bikes told very abruptly to move them despite being parked out of the way not blocking or hindering anyone else - asked to sit outside Fellow bikers had same experience a bit ago

My son bought a chocolate and raspberry cake and a huge slab of millionaire’s shortbread from you for my birthday last weekend. Delicious.

Parking available. If you are going to moan about waiting for a table, or waiting for the freshly prepared food. Then just drive down the A616 towards Ollerton for a few minutes and knock yourself out at the McDonalds!! They will have a greasy table...

First visit to The Haybarn Cafe. Food and service was exceptional. I had poached eggs on toast they were cooked to perfection. Husband had The Haybarn breakfast excellent quality of ingredients again cooked to perfection. Service was informative friendly and polite. Hope to visit again...

Excellent!! Food is fantastic . The ladies that run it are really friendly. Way more than a cafe in my opinion. Prices are fab as well. Absolutely couldn't fault it. Definitely go again.

You've done it again Hay Barn, given us an amazing breakfast. We have a breakfast date from time to time and you never disappoint. Good food, great staff and this time some lovely Christmas gifts to browse too. See you again soon. Thank you

My wife and myself are regulars to the hay barn.the food,staff and atmosphere are excellent.this has to be one of the best cafes in the area. staff work very hard,nothing too much trouble.food Is high quality produced on the premises with dedication. Well done to...

First of all I got told off for sitting at a table as I was waiting for a colleague! I did tell her before she seated me ! We had dinner and cakes and it was quite expensive .. got a laptop out to complete...

Lovely location, some of the best food we have ever eaten, the service was brilliant, surroundings were delightful, this is in my opinion the best Cafe in the country.

Returned here after visiting a year ago and being impressed with the English breakfasts. The tables were full when we arrived so we were given a buzzer and had a short wait in the car which was easily made up for by the delicious food...

Our go to cafe, very friendly help full staff and faultless food. We come twice a week for the last 2 years and never disappointed.

Fantastic food and great service as always. It has a brilliant atmosphere. Always busy which speaks for itself. Will go again

Took my daughter and daughter-in-law for afternoon tea it was for my daughter s birthday,omg what a lovely afternoon we didn’t expect what we got it was beautiful staff really friendly couldn’t do enough ,we will be going there again

Our first visit to the Hay Barn today, but it won't be our last. Good greeting, clean pleasant surroundings, friendly service, very tasty food and good portion sizes, what's not to like? Thank you Hay Barn, see you again!

Amazing little hidden place. We were driving from Tattersall back to Sheffield and just happened to spot this gem and so glad we did a U-Turn and went back to find it. Such friendly service and atmosphere and the food was amazing! We even got...

Fabulous ploughman’s lunch really good quality food, enjoyed every mouthful. Staff where amazing friendly and helpful

Hidden Gem! Highly recommend by a friend we decided to take a trip out to try. We were not disappointed. Well worth the 40min journey. The food was excellent. Great menu. Lovely staff who couldn’t be more helpful. So nice to hear them interacting with...

We were passing through the area and stopped off for lunch based on the very positive reviews and glad we did. Lots of choice for lunch. For kids they have a great approach of they can have the same from the menu in kids size....

We cannot fault the hay barns food and staff. The cakes are insane, my husband and I absolutely love the blondie brownies. we’ve never once had a bad meal and staff are just so lovely! Thank you Lindsey for setting up such a lovely cafe...

We asked for a special cat birthday cake for our 7 year old. What we got was a wonderful surprise and completely surpassed our expectations. A fantastically scrumptious cake that was loved by my daughter and everyone. Lindsey thank you so much, it was amazing!

Met a friend here for afternoon tea and it was yummy ! So looking forward to going back and sampling more food !

I visit The Hay Barn frequently and find the staff always friendly and the food always fresh and each mouthful makes me go mmmmmm. delicious! The staff work hard and try thier very best to accommodate all. sometimes I have to have a buzzer and...

First visit today after driving past so many times! Myself and a friend came to visit for a late breakfast. The staff were superb, firstly greeting us as we arrived (before we’d got to the door!) and then very thorough and friendly service throughout. Even...

Called in today for the first time. What a great place to eat! The staff are superb and the food is brilliant. What more do you want than fresh cooked food served with a smile? Try it you’ll like it.

Another amazing experience evening at the Haybarn… fantastic ploughman’s platter, selection of ‘pint’ to go with it, and lovely ambience in the outdoor seating area (and incredibly grateful for the team arranging a nice, warm, dry evening with the weather-Gods!)

Have been visiting the Haybarn for Atleast 2 years running now. And I just can’t get enough! Without a doubt the best cafe I have visited so far (and I’ve visited a good few!!). Staff are always pleasant and polite and always go out of...

We have been coming to the Haybarn for about 4 years now and i have nothing but positive things to say. Lovely location, fantastic freshly cooked and prepared food, cake and desserts are constantly changing and are delicious. The service is brilliant. Lindsay and her...

Well what can I say. My Husband and I absolutely love this place and go 1-2 times a week, including today. Lindsay and her staff are so kind and hospitable, they really do make you feel welcome. We don’t care if we have to wait,...

We called in for breakfast, and as we are both coeliac, one vegetarian and one very fussy, we were very impressed with the range of food and thier willingness to mix and match the menu to suit us, Excellent food, excellent service in lovely surroundings,...

We visit the hay barn regularly for the breakfast you’ll ever find but today we tried the afternoon sparkling cream tea for 2 and it was amazing! Food choice and quality can’t be faulted, it was perfect for our Friday afternoon. If you haven’t been...

We had lunch at The Hay Barn on the recommendation of a friend - what a find !! The staff were friendly and attentive and the food was fabulous. Great selection and everything was fresh, good quality and generous portions. Plus, the puddings were divine....

Chose Haybarn as a pit stop on a long solo car journey with my dog. This was our third visit and the staff have been consistently wonderful. The drinks and food are great and there was always a treat for the dog. It’s a very...

Wonderful little cafe tucked away in Kneesall ❤️ Our second lunch trip in about 2 weeks (since discovering it). Fantastic varied menu (with frequently changed and ever exciting specials) and very friendly staff. I didn't catch our server's name today but she was so lovely...

We last visited these premises over four years ago and had an OK experience. Since then, on our way to/from Newark, we have looked elsewhere for snacks/lunch/afternoon tea. However when driving past recently we have noticed increasing activity related to the Hay Barn so we...

Honestly one of the nicest places I’ve ever been to. The food was fantastic and the staff were exceptional, so polite and lovely. Definitely will be coming back here again!

Impromptu stop for lunch. luckily a table was available. By far the best lunch stop ever. Generous portions of splendid food, difficult to choose from the mouth-watering menu, the only drawback of these portions is not being able to have some cake! Very friendly service...

A friend surprised me with a birthday treat at this lovely little place. I hadn’t heard of it before, but I will certainly be returning. It is a small place so we had to wait a little to be seated, but it wasn’t long and...

First visit today. What a beautiful friendly place. We chose afternoon tea and it was amazing. We will definitely return

From the moment we were greeted at the door to sitting down and ordering it was first class customer service, we ordered the afternoon cream tea, I was surprised we could choose our sandwich fillings and cake. I found this a really nice touch and...

1st visit and definitely won’t be the last … Fab food .. .. We popped in initially for a coffee as we’d not been before .. We sat outside in the sun with our 2 dogs .. We both had the cheese pasty special .....

The service is always incredible and the food is divine. The staff are so friendly and accommodating it's like walking into a happy family home. All smiles and laughter. You can have a proper conversation with the staff and they always make you feel welcome....

I sat outside at a table. Several staff saw me not one came over to take my order. Other people went inside after me and they were served immediately. I obviously don’t fit the image of their preferred customers! I will not go back. So...

First visit following a recommendation and couldn’t be happier with the breakfasts we had. Service was great and the quality of the local ingredients were lovely. 30mins from home but will become a regular weekend treat.

Had coffee at the Hay Barn with a friend for the first time today. It was perfect in every way. The staff were all so lovely, welcoming, pleased to help and very polite. The place itself was exceptionally clean. The coffee was the best we...

We absolutely love The Hay Barn! We’re so lucky to have such an amazing cafe on our doorstep. Service is incredible, food is delicious and atmosphere is gorgeous. The best rarebit I have ever tried and monster deserts to die for!

My second visit to the Hay Barn and another scrumptious meal. Such a lovely place to visit. They were very busy but couldn’t have been more helpful. I would highly recommend!

Visited for all day breakfast Lovely cafe, nice ambience, friendly, warm welcome, enough menus at the table for one each to browse, lots of choices. Staff courteous and attentive to children as well as adults when taking the order, alternate options offered. Drink and breakfast...