Joan's Coffee Shop in South Cambridgeshire

Extremely expensive now for everything, considering it's all donated free, rude greedy staff behind the tills, over pricing on all free donated items, won't be going again

This place is like a sanctuary for me love going sometimes just for brunch and walk around.

I visited recently with a friend to get furniture for her new place, and not only is the shop full of bargains but the staff are all amazing and so helpful! Would definitely recommend if you're in need of homewares.

Amazingly caring people, brilliant service! It can easily be my favourite place to shop. Steve is a legend that made our job sooo easy. Delivery people were also super helpful and supportive, special thanks to Rikki. Great team! :)

This is to thank the guys at the 'donation' car park for rescuing myself and my car after it got stuck this morning. Above and beyond. Thank you

Sick to death of the attitude of one particular man who works in the car park... Picks on me every time I visit the place telling me I can't park where I am. Today I parked within their marked areas and again he started on me. This time apparently the skips were going to be emptied yet my car was nowhere near them in any way shape or form and said skips had cars parked in front of them. He's made it his job to have a pop at me, I was a loyal customer who visited every day you're open but no longer. Oldish, scruffy, beard, about 5'6" and foreign accent if you want to know. Disgusting attitude towards the people who help keep the place open.

Be advised you cannot get here without a car, it’s not accessible by bike, foot, or public transit

Truly the best homemade quiche, never tasted better, and super delicious polenta cake, definitely worth a visit, will go back

This is a review of the shop- not the cafe. It’s all incredibly overpriced and mainly junk. It looks like anything decent is sold online. Wealthy people don’t use charity shops. Please sort it out. Really disappointing

Excellent place, lovely food, lovely people, and bargains galore, loads of parking.

Came to donate goods this morning but was very upset at the rudeness of the staff ,no smile, no thanks and flinging a cushion back in my face even though he had accepted one from the person in front. I’m sorry but I won’t be donating again

This is not a criticism, merely an observation. Yesterday I visited Emmaus, I found it difficult to look through the ladies clothes due to the layout of the rails. The rails so close together created a shadow, also there was not a lot of room to browse. I heard other ladies comment on this. A lot of shop floor displays in charity shops for ladies tops, jumpers & skirts display by colour, blacks, blues, greens etc This is easy on the eye for customers and gives an organised look. This takes very little time & effort to achieve such an attractive display, in doing so, this effect enhances sales which is a win win for customers and shop. 💕 As always wishing Emmaus Landbeach the good fortune it deserves ❤️

We took a perfect fridge on Wed! So after waiting for a few days as they only accept goods on Wed!! There is a sign saying something like goods in. So first up when we got there everyone looked the other way until we told them we have a working almost new fridge still had John Lewis warrenty. The man was so so rude & moody we've been dropping things off for years before they got too big & clearly too rich!! So it was like the American style policing!! Ordering up to open tge boot . Open the fridge door put this down anyway we kept our cool only to then be told take it to the shop. When we got there another man said I need to inspect it we said a rude man just inspected it & sent us here only to be told I don't care I need to inspect again. I get more satisfaction giving it free in gumtree , they come& pick it up from my house they are grateful. They thank you & I don't have to log it around to Emma's!! Never again we will go there!! I used to go & look in the shop & I wanted to do the sane but we were so furious we took our fridge & came back!! Didn't go to the shop & we will never go again we drove 39 mins!!to get there!!

Amazing place, I bought most of my furniture here and the people are helpful and lovely. I could not recommend this place more.

We've dropped off donations several times over the past few months. Staff at the donations area are friendly and helpful. They always provide an explanation when they can't accept an item.

Shame about the rude staff at the donations area. I shall be donating my 'pre loved treasures' elsewhere.

Good shop but a cafe that doesnt do card payment for under 5 pounds is ludicrous

Not visited for a long time went today, 09/11/23, and was very disappointed with the lack of space for wheel chairs could not get in the cafe as chairs, tables and furniture for sale made a visit to the cafe lmpossible. Very sad and disappointed.

Without doubt one of the peculiar cafes I've ever been too. It's a bit like jumble sale meets antique shop with accommodation attached. Around every corner you'll find something stranger. Just an unusual mishmash of random stuff. One word 'odd'. I didn't believe in black holes and alternative dimensions but now I'm not too sure.

Tables not clean and mushroom soup poor, no need to microwave roll. Good cakes. A good place to visit if they keep the hygiene standards up.

Had a wonderful brunch today with my family. The cake was amazing too, (it would have been rude not too). Well definitely be coming back

I am not sure what has happened to make this cafe go so downhill. I used to look forward to having something to eat and drink but now it’s just not worth it. I had a really sad looking hotdog and chips having waited over 30 minutes and shouldn’t have bothered. There were also a lot of items on the menu that were not available. It is such a shame.

This is a fantastic place to visit. We always pick up something wonderful when we’re here. Such a great selection of furniture and clothing.

Dropped in the cafe during a fact finding tour of the Emmaus site. Good collection of cakes and drinks. Friendly and efficient staff and reasonable prices. Sat in comfort and could easily have picked up a book and spent the whole afternoon there

Had lunch here with friends instead of going to the pub. 3 of them enjoyed their BLT baguettes, and a 4th the Halloumi Salad. I had tuna and sweet corn baked potato. It was a little over cooked but had a nice crispy skin, still very nice. The prices are very reasonable and service faultless. Very enjoyable experience, we ate outside and the road nois was persistent but not intrusive!

If you looking for anything China, Glass Plates, utensils, paintings, videos, large wardrobes, beds and electrical items which are fully tested before they are put out for sale, really worth looking here first, and especially for this really worthwhile charity.

Thank you for your response to my initial review and I am pleased to learn that you have plans to introduce a price list for cakes. Had one been in existence at the time of our visit we would, of course , have known that we'd been overcharged by £1.25. Anyway, as I have made clear we do support your vital work and have done for many years. Good luck in the future and thanks again for taking the time and trouble to respond to my comments.

Good choice of food on offer, both breakfast and lunch options. Reasonably priced and good quality. I'd recommend going early for the breakfast served until 12:30pm. Staff are always friendly, a good place to visit on a Sunday. Show support by visiting and donate items, there's always something for everyone.

We have been coming to Emmaus both in Cambridge and indeed at several sites in France for many years and have spent literally hundreds of pounds (and euros) on a whole host of great purchases. However, for some time now I have had a really very uncomfortable feeling when visiting Joan’s Coffee shop. I am at a complete loss to understand why (with one or two exceptions including a seriously mediocre Mince pie for £1.00 , purchased today where the price was for once advertised ) that NO prices of cakes, scones etc are actually published against the product. This strange practice then either leads to a rather embarrassing situation where one is required to ask at the counter ‘How much is this scone, cake, etc please?’ Or as happened today find yourself being charged £4.75 for the pretty pathetic Mince pie referred to above , a tiny pack of butter and a scone. £4.75!! Seriously, assuming I was being charged 25p for the butter I wouldn’t expect to pay £3.50 for a scone in Betty’s Tea Room in Harrogate or any upmarket cafe in Cambridge or any other city. I am a great supporter of charity shops and as I have indicated above have supported Emmaus for many years. Please don’t alienate your public and if you are going to charge extortionate prices for certain food in the cafe at least be open about it and publicise the prices. You should be better than this.

Went to my favourite charity place, Emmaus, where as a pensioner , usually I can find a little treasure or two, but found the prices had become seriously inflated! a (as expensive as BHF and other charity's, surely donated goods don't go up with inflation??) Dealers aside, Emmaus will end up being full of stuff that no one will buy and then the charity will suffer...surely a quick turnover is vital for the Homeless cause and to clear the 'over spilling' donations? just an observation..

Brilliant place, fantastic, unique bargains and AMAZING food at amazing prices. 10 stars!

Really special place. They’ve just expanded the coffee shop and the food alone merits the trip. We had avocado toast and a bacon and egg baguette, both made fresh using eggs and greens grown on the property. The prices are really fair, about half what charity shops in central Cambridge charge, and Emmaus’ furniture and dishes are much higher quality—mostly antique/ vintage. Got an entire dining set of gilded Royal Grafton China for £30. They also have a steady supply of amazing handmade English pottery. The staff are also incredibly kind and helpful. Highly recommend.

Love it, coffee shop is a let down. When we arrived one person in front of us was ordering at 10.15am . Member of staff took his order then spent 5 mins looking at something on customers phone. Ordered and had time to go to toilet and look.around the shop under canvas. While hubby waited. When I got back no food. When I went to chase it up the woman looked at.me and said "I am busy" 25 minutes later from ordering 2 teacakes arrived. Unfortunately I had drunk my coffee. The week before we had one butter for two slices of teacake each and a blob of jam between 2 people. We drive a long way to visit and welcome a drink the other end so wont be returning. In response to the reply. I appreciate everything the community does and it's good work. But one customer apart from us so not busy. He had a fried breakfast. The lady seemed to be the owner. But who ever it was, a customer should never be told she is too busy and when saying it looking at me when they have waited 20mintes. Soon after ours arrived someones order who had not long been there long which was Paninni's arrived so I an guess our order was too little to be be bothered about.

Really good second hand , new, nearly new and pre-loved well loved items and furniture all in good, very good or even top condition here! Also food and soft drinks in the small cosy quirky cafe with a pet fish tank. This is a NFP ( not for profit) social enterprise like the Big Issue magazine is. Also it is a charity that helps the live-in workers who come from homeless and rough lives backgrounds who now have a chance to get work experience during their time they spend in this working community. There are many Emmaus communities with shops across the U.K by the way. See www. emmaus. org. uk - for the history of Emmaus, which started in France.

Due to COVID the collection of our donation was delayed. (From March). On day of collection item refused - waited so long to donate. Would have been easier to of taken it to the tip or maybe another charity.

A charity close to my heart, worth all the support you can give

I have been there many times, good range of items, lovely staff members and great prices! Great way to help for people!

I've used Emmaus on and off over many years. It has developed so well. Good prices and service. I loved the cafe, great value for money and really tasty food.

Emmaus have really thought social distancing through and clearly marked a one way system through the whole store. Face masks are supplied if you don't have one and hand sanitizer is provided. Staff were really friendly and helpful, well done for making it just seem so normal!

Just love the place, it's great for a mosey round, coffee shop fabulous, staff very helpful. A good morning out.

Tenía un desayuno encantador aquí. Generoso y bien presentado. Excelente relación calidad-precio y el personal que servía era encantador?

Buen café en un café cálido y acogedor. Los pasteles se veían deliciosos. Ambiente relajado y espacio para que los niños jueguen. Genial para tomar un aperitivo y luego ir a buscar gangas.

Bought a used sofa here the other day and they have been nothing but fantastic. First they held it for me for a whole week, then they helped me get the way too big sofa round the back of the house after it wouldn't fit through the front door. The delivery guys were incredibly patient, lovely and competent! The delivery was really cheap too and I felt so bad I didn't have cash on me to give them an extra tip, but I'll be sure to donate some extra money next time I'm there! Also the store in general is always worth a visit - the stock changes quite a lot within a few weeks and I've found lots of lovely gems there over time :)

Friendly service throughout and the coffee shop is lovely

One of if not the very best place I have been to over Christmas. Some lovely men very helpful and polite. The staff in the cafe' very professional and even had a bit of time though very busy to chat about where I was visiting from. Very much recommended and prices which you did not mind paying knowing what good it is doing. I just hope a man in Ely who is homeless and who is hoping to get in there can

Some real bargains to be had! Well organised and helpful staff.

The place has gone downhill in recent years. The staff are quite abrupt and can be rude, although a couple of them are lovely. I had a very bad experience in here, which left me feeling shaken. (I cant go into detail, as Trip Advisor will censor my review.) Cheap furniture etc but used to be much cheaper. There are other places that are much more reasonable. I also cant help feeling that the staff are not happy, and I put this down to being tied to one place/job/complex. I hope they are being paid and looked after and not just used as labour. I wonder if that is the reason they are all so grumpy all the time...?

Best in town for sofas & other furniture. Friendly, helpful and helps the homeless

Today really good and warm soup 😛😜😛 probably someone found a packet of sigarette near the parking 😯😐😯

Great place with lots of bargains. Coffee shop sells coffee for £1 between 3 and 4 during the week. Great deal. That said I wish the cakes were priced as embarrassing to have to ask. A toasted tea cake is £2.45 the cakes are quite a lot more. Nice atmosphere though and outside seating in good weather.

Fantastic place to visit. Staff always friendly and helpful. Coffee shop delightful. Amazing bargains always. Have brought furniture, clothes, books, lamps and crockery.

Emmaus is located on the A10 north of Cambridge. We made a flying visit late in the afternoon and only had a short time to look around. There was a large level free car park for the public to use and there was also a second car park for disabled users. Car parks are reasonably wheelchair friendly and as you get closer to the shop the going gets better. There is a large selection of goods for sale that covers all your needs. All in good used condition and at very reasonable prices. The staff were friendly and also happy to help. There is also a cafe on site but we were too late to sample what was in offer. I did also see toilets for public use which is always helpful if you have children with you.

Popped in for a drink on my way to visit a friend in the area. Lovely cuppa unfortunately served by a very rude young man.

Really good portion size and presented in a really nice way. Made fresh on site so tasted really good!!

Having heard and read good things about Joans Cafe at Emmaus I took my Mum for a visit. Unfortunately while I was at the counter I heard the cafe staff talking to each other using expletives, obviously unaware that they were within earshot of customers. We then could not find a clean table, although customers are expected to clear their plates etc themselves surely the staff should be wiping down the tables and making sure they're clean? We could also see a large cobweb hanging from the ceiling so cleanliness clearly isn't a priority. The final straw was the three dogs in the cafe which I'm pretty sure should not be allowed? Needlessly to say we won't be back

Loads of stuff to see and buy here, and a welcome coffee shop. Great selection and reasonably priced.

Very pleasant and helpful staff, helped unload, great lunch, easy parking, very organised and great experience, thanks

We try and visit Emmaus a couple of times a month, and always make a point of going in Joan’s Coffee Shop. In fact, our lurcher Poppy makes a beeline for the cafe as soon as we arrive so we find ourselves led by her wish to get to her favourite spot! Not only is the coffee excellent, but there is always a choice on the selection of gluten free cakes - something both we and dawg appreciate - and portions on the baked potatoes and salad we have if calling in at lunchtime are generous and tasty. But to Poppy’s way of thinking, it’s the fact that there is always a sausage ready for her as well as friendly greetings from the staff that makes the visit worthwhile. Emmaus’s warehouse itself is well worth a visit whether you are looking for a piece of furniture, or a place to rehome that table or dishwasher you no longer have a need for, but when you go, make sure you take your dog and visit the cafe!

This is a great little gem to the north of Cambridge. The "pre-loved" furniture is always a bargain and some of the other stuff they have is quite like antiques, but it's still at excellent prices. It's worth a visit just for a wander around, especially if you are on your way past anyway. There's probably something for everyone!

Had a lovely jacket potato and pot of tea with my wife. I also would recommend having the cheese straws we took to packs home with us

Fab place lots of bargain staff are lovely cafe is also. Great

WOW, WOW & WOW! Found this coffee shop/cafe completely by accident on our first visit to the charity shop Emmaus. The staff were friendly, the food was outstanding and the prices were very competitive. I am definitely heading back here and will be taking friends too. Huge praise for the manageress of the coffee shop, what a nice change to get decent food at a decent price!

My understanding of Emmaus communities in the UK is you accept people who have experienced homelessness and social exclusion. Those who are accepted are referred to as Companions. They receive accommodation, food, clothing, and a small weekly allowance in exchange for 40 hours of work in the Emmaus social enterprise. ‘Companions’ must relinquish all claims to state benefits apart from housing benefit, which is claimed on their behalf? They do not have employment or conventional renting rights. Legislation has specifically excluded them from receiving the minimum wage, and they are not allowed to receive any extra income apart from the weekly subsistence allowance. The great injustice of Emmaus, however, is that the 'companions', all poor, many destitute and homeless, in agreeing to live there and work hard for the community for seemingly between 77p and £1 an hour, make a commitment, of almost Franciscan proportions, to voluntary poverty. Not only do they do this, but many do so, not out of a desire to wed Lady Poverty and live in community, but because they have been referred there by councils and life in inner city hostels, or indeed the street, is utterly intolerable. Emmaus is a way out of a vicious cycle. In other words, some are living there because it is a good and healthy place to be and others are living and working there because they feel they have no other choice. I couldn't help thinking that Emmaus is, in fact, a modern poorhouse, a kind of workhouse for the poor and, in a way, a kind of slavery. If you are going to set up a charity, a community of people willing to be full-time volunteers, it really is rather important that that policy goes for all workers - not one policy for the homeless workers and another policy for the other, 'real' workers! Otherwise, it is a con, a fraud, a sham charity that has betrayed its mission and now works not to serve the poor but to defraud the poor of their wages while others live off what rightfully belongs to them! I wonder what the Director of Emmaus UK is paid annually? I'm quite sure it wasn't Abbe Pierre who set up the wage structure! Once you call yourself a charity, you see, you can get away with just about anything. Just look at Marie Stopes International. They're a charity and they get away with murder.

First visit with my mum and one year old. What a treasure trove! Every single menber of staff we encountered was friendly and helpful. The cake in the cafe was beautiful and there was so much choice! Much better value than high street coffee chains and certainly more choice in the cake department! We came home with lots of books for my girls in beautiful condition. Emmaus really is a gem and you should be very proud of what you've achieved and equally proud of your staff. We will be back!

Good and nice stuff and always willing to help.

Emmaus do a great job. I was very happy that they were able to collect a large donation from me as I would have struggled to get it into my car. A word of warning for anyone donating - I asked them twice about Gift Aid and they failed to set it up, so please be aware!

A brief stop for lunch, our first visit to Emmaus - a charity supporting homeless people by selling anything second hand you can think of! Quick service, simple menu, filling food and a great place for a browse around and look for a bargain.

Be prepared to do some serious hunting

Very fortunate to be at Emmaus at the right time ... a few weeks ago my elderly father's electric recliner had broken and was urgently in need of a replacement. We just so happened to be at Emmaus when an urgent call came from my daughter. With the help of the wonderful staff at Emmaus we found one on the shop floor. It was Like new. Just a small tear on the wing ... it was perfect for my dad's needs. After the staff showing us how it worked and me sending photos to my daughter, who was with her pop's, relaying images to him, we purchased the recliner. Within an hour and a half of our purchase Emmaus got it delivered to my dad, who lives locally. They helped take out the old chair so we could then deal with it's disposal. I Cannot thank the Emmaus staff enough for their care and dedication in being able to help us to help our dad. They really pulled out all the stops in our hour of need.

One of my favorite place in the UK. Second hand charity shop ,but the EMMAUS is much more like a charity. This is the place where you can seat down with your friends or with your family drink a cup of tea. Calm down and re!ax. The environment is getting better and better. The stuffs are enthusiastic. Coffee shop is very good with tasty cakes and much more. Beautiful furnitures, books, clothes etc. Lots parking place . Price is unbeatable. If you have time you can find treasures. All together is a fantastic place. Go and look around!!I love that. Thank you if you read my opinion.

Think about it. Everytime you buy second-hand instead of new, you are helping to save a load of natural resources being mined, excavated, chopped down, processed and refined. You are saving many miles of transportation, and many tonnes of pointless packaging! Emmaus provides a great spot to browse through used books, furniture, clothes, and much more. At the same, it helps people find work and provides a place to stay. Beautiful gardens to chill out and play with the chickens. Joan's coffee shop offers many different cakes and a few hot meals. I can't recommend highly enough!

I’ve been visiting Emmaus for 5+ years and the cafe keeps getting better and better.

Nice place, food at cafe is nice and people are friendly

I loved that they accommodated everyone with their simple yet yummy menu. I am vegan so I was so happy to see that they had something I could eat. Would happily eat there again

Arrived here with my family looking forward to having a breakfast in the lovely cafe only to be told that they don’t do hot food on a Monday. My daughter couldn’t even get a toasted tea cake. Apparently they like to have a rest on Mondays. Was totally disappointed and quite honestly disgusted. We won’t be going back. Turning business down?!

A lovely place where you can shop in a lovely, calm atmosphere then relax in the lovely little cafe in the building. They serve lovely food, snacks, cold and hot drinks and fabulous cakes. The staff is made up of the residents who are all very kind, polite and helpful. A true gem and worth a visit or two or more. A very worthwhile charity which gives the homeless much needed hope and support.

Found by complete mistake when I took a wrong turn and was so glad I stopped off. Fantastic place that is doing great work in the community. Plenty of parking and the coffee from the cafe was lovely. I will most certainly be back.

Ok. So it's a place to take furniture and household items in working order for them to sell on the charity is fantastic, takes in homeless and gives them something to aim for, a new career no moping about, most staff are great, the centre itself is clean and tidy. The cafe is great and they often do great deals.

Very friendly staff. I highly recommend going here and taking part in their work!

Lovely food. Great customer service and great prices for all familys and for children too. So much range to choose from. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten free meals also available.

Friendly staff, delicious cakes (pictured), and a huge range of books, furniture, crockery, DVDs and kitchenware (also pictured). The meal deal (a sandwich/roll, crisps and drink for £3) is a bargain. Well worth a visit, and for a great cause too.

Great, always something worth looking at and nice cafe

Great for second hand furniture and other household goods. Doesn't really have antiques. Plenty of free parking, gardens and coffee shop.

What can I say overall excellent for everything even snacks tea coffee all hot Drink's great cakes and even hot food and the people are wonderful warm and friendly great great place

Great furniture, friendly helpful staff

It's a while since I've been to Emmaus and it's changed hugely. Lovely gardens, smart new buildings and a big change inside. Much better laid out with lots of space to wander amongst everything. The staff are lovely, so friendly and helpful. The coffee shop is excellent, lots of different sizes of tables and comfy sofas, children corner but we missed story time. The food was very good and reasonably priced, a fair variety too including lots of gluten free options and all locally sourced. This is a brilliant place doing excellent work. Well worth a visit.

Great choice of furniture and home goods for fantastic prices

Lots of parking, lots of furniture, DVDs, CDs, an on-site cafe. I found it quite expensive compared to other charity shops. A whole room of CDs that you need to go through individually as not catalogued.

Friendly staff help unload donations. Wide range of clothing, books and furniture.

This large charity shop is always full of stuff I don't need but really want! Cafe is great too :)

Pre loved bargains, friendly helpful staff. Buy something, anything! A good cause.

Whenever I visit Emmaus I am reminded of all that's good in the world. That people and relationships are so much more important than money and possessions.

A great place to find a bargain, have a coffee and cake, or just chill out in their gardens. Friendly and helpful staff. Support a good cause and visit!

Always try to visit when passing has a good selection of DVD's and vinyl. I always find something to purchase lots of pre owned furniture and other items at very reasonable prices

Brilliant second hand furniture and other items. High quality at low prices. Very friendly and helpful staff.

Wonderful charity supporting the homeless. Great cafe.

We have been going to Emmaus for many years, to poke about in the treasure trove that is Emmaus, and from time to time, have visited the cafe. Recently, Emmaus has upgraded itself, not least the cafe!

Good shop with many different things

There is a large selection of second hand furniture for sale at keen prices.

Doing a great job for the homeless 😀