Mercia Marina Farm Shop & Coffee House in South Derbyshire

Had a baileys hot chocolate was cold no baileys, no marshmallow, no cream, said had run out, overcharged by £2:75 got it back, tried to charge me £5 for a coffee, omg no real, not in London, was 22 December, all young kids , not interested, talking and giggling , no matters, think you need to teach your staff some customer service skills, such a shame lovly place, but over priced.

We have been here several times and noted before it became law that they weren't taking names for track and trace but as they now have the code to scan decided to try again. It clearly says on the entrance not to sit at uncleared tables but to stand next to them and wait for staff to come and clear and clean. We stood for nearly 10 minutes and all wait staff ignored us. In the end I went to order and when I returned the table was still not cleared and cleaned so I moved all dirty pots to an empty table and cleaned ours myself with a tissue and hand sanitiser. My husband went to the counter to ask them to come and clean it properly and got a non committal response. Still nobody came. Our coffee took forever, no doubt we were put to the back of the queue for pointing out that they weren't following their own rules. I did note they were making a big deal about why they didn't have to provide table service as they don't serve alcohol. Perhaps they should just concentrate on getting the basics right. Won't be going again.

Tried a coffee whilst visiting the marina, which was very dissapointing. Brown liquid which was hot but had very little resemblance of coffee. Without flavour or smell, I ended up tipping this away.Visited the marina again at end of September and tried this cafe again. Covid measures had come in so table service only. Nice sunny day so we chose a table outside and waited for the waitress. After 15 minutes without any sign of staff, I went to the counter to place my order. She explained it was table service only and I explained I had been waiting for 15 minutes without any sign of anybody. She took the order and I explained we wanted "strong coffee" as the previous was terrible. The order arrived within a few minutes, with the waitress walking past my table towards the remaining (empty) tables outside. The coffee was only slightly better, very poor for a coffee shop. The sausage rolls were nice but over priced for what they are. Next time I am in the area, I will give this one a miss.

Plum toast as usual was delicious. Staff are so friendly and helpful especially the new waitress Beth.

Lovely scones bought to takeaway , when cutting to butter noticed almonds inside which I wasn’t told about at the counter our son has a serious nut allergy he dosent like Scones luckily . Just letting people know to be aware

Scones home made and beautiful - service good and friendly. Drinks good and all good value for money.

Had a good coffee and some nice fresh cake. Can be noisy when the kids are off school, but that doesn't detract from the ambience.

I didn't know it was possible to get a cream tea this wrong. Firstly it took 15 minutes to arrive at the table, and literally all they had to do was make a pot of tea and put a mini jar of Wilkins jam and a pot of roddas clotted cream on. Considering there were plenty of staff and it wasn't particularly busy, this was poor. The scone was dry, crumbly, stale, with burned raisins. The clotted cream was somehow half frozen. The tea when it arrived was well over stewed. The only reason it didn't get 1 star was because the staff were friendly and smily.

3rd visit - weekday breakfast and a quick coffee. Couldn’t fault it really. Latte was served quickly & tasted very good - no sugar needed; no burnt bitter flavour and at a temperature drinkable immediately but by no means lukewarm (it melted the complimentary caramel & chocolate square resting against the cup). Poached eggs with smoked salmon on sour dough was very nice too. All served very quickly in a pleasant manner. Admittedly it wasn’t busy during the time of my visit but I don’t recognise much validity in the negative reviews below. Maybe some background music would be a nice addition.

Worst experience in a coffee shop in a long time! Queue not particularly long but took ages to move, as only one person serving. Asked for the Dirty Chai, intrigued to give this ago. They had run out, ok that’s fair enough but you’re on a back foot now.Ordered a cappuccino, latte and Victoria sponge, so far so good, then we come to choosing something for me. Mainly only vegan options left as it’s 3pm on a Sunday. Settled for lemon drizzle cake, perfect, or so I thought. Heading back outside to our table, I notice that the queue is now out the door. Drinks arrive, not very big and lukewarm. Cappuccino had no froth, so essentially a latte. Lemon drizzle was the heel end of the loaf. I ask if I can have a slice from further up the loaf. Sure, no problem, they bring me a banana loaf with a soggy bottom in its place. I’m guessing it was banana loaf as it had absolutely no flavour to it at all and was the only other option left in the display cabinet that wasn’t vegan, and it most definitely wasn’t the lemon drizzle I was hoping for. By this point, I’d lost the will to argue or complain. My husband on the other hand enjoyed his latte (despite it being small and only lukewarm) and Victoria sponge.

The staff could not have been more friendly, helpful and polite-how refreshingly customer centric!!! The freshly baked fruit scones were totes delicious and there was a fabulous ambience. .... an altogether fabulous time was had by all.

Sunday morning treat , never again! I ordered a sausage sandwich & asked could the bread be toasted my wife ordered sausage granary sandwich the sausage didn’t look cooked , my sandwich was put in a panini machine , tasteless & took ages to come ! I discreetly gave feedback to be told I asked for it to be toasted she’s having a mare today .......

Now called The Beetroot Tree - Went for Breakfast and had the "Poshed Eggs" (Eggs Royale basically but on toasted sour dough). Very nice, couldn't fault it; a good amount of Salmon, runny yolks, excellent quality bread, and at £6.50 very reasonable too.

I came here for lunch with a friend recently when I was visiting the area. I did use to live near here so had been in the past. They have changed things but don’t explain clearly to customers where you get things from such as a glass of water etc. They advertised something on the chalk board which sounded appetising but it wasn’t available. As it was about 12 on a Monday I have a feeling that they hadn’t run out but that they just didn’t have it in the first place. The food was pleasant enough but quite pricey for what it was.

Opted for the caramelised onion and cheddar cheese quiche and you can see and taste why the ingredients are listed in this order... total over kill with the extremely sweet caramelised chutneyesqu onions which were far too sickly.Small plates for small appetites and the acoompanying coleslaw was scarce to say the least alongside some soggy vegetable crisps.. a very lack lustre idea The saving grace is the location being next to the Willington canal - as your going to feel like throwing yourself in afterwards.If you want Quiche and sales done right then head over to the Bottle Kiln at West Hallam you won't be disappointed.

Fabulous, friendly and professional team. Excellent food Always accommodate my special dietary requirements without any issues. I go regularly and always feel welcome and wanted. I tell everyone to go there!

This was my first visit to the Beetroot Tree, usually go to the Willow. Had to clear the table and once placed order had a long wait but once it arrived, sausage cob, it was well worth waiting for. It was hot and tastly and surprisingly large. The place was busy so seems popular. Will visit again.

Why the new owners decided to change a winning formula is beyond me. I completely understand the change of name to The Beetroot Tree , but the place has completely lost its charm inside , and now resembles a canteen/office/doctors waiting room . The fluorescent tube lighting is hideous. You could always guarantee a lovely cup of quality coffee in the butcher baker , but now cheap and weak is the order of the day now sadly. And the cake selection leaves a lot to be desired . Not knocking the willow tree at all , but the butcher baker was just that little more upmarket and gave you two places to choose from depending on what you fancied .. but now they’re almost one and the same unfortunately. Very disappointing as it used to be the ‘go to’ place in the area for a cosy lunch and fantastic coffee in lovely surroundings

It is such a shame that this cafe doesn't make much of an effort as given the location it a great meeting place. The main, most striking point is the pure lack of greeting/smile/general courtesy! I do think that in a pure customer service industry that this is vital?! A basic?!

Wanted to go out for breakfast so thought we would try Marcia marina Beetroot Tree coffee shop. Excellent brunch menu. Hubster had a bacon, poached egg and mushroom sandwich on granary and I had the beetroot tree rarebit, gorgeous. Had to try the toasted plum loaf....didn't need it but ate it anyway, yummy. Lovely staff, prompt

Grumpy middle aged femail member of staff served us. I suspect she may have been the owner of the business. If so she should sack herself or keep out of the sight of customers. The younger members were very friendly.

I know this place has changed but not sure if it's for the best. Apart from changing everything round inside the coffee is definitely weaker than before. It really isn't strong enough now and the price has gone up and the cup size has changed. I do love this area but this cafe needs to work on the space and coffee in particular.

We met up at Mercia marina and thoroughly enjoyed our lunch sitting outside, over looking the marina, enjoying the views - we sat outside the cafe for an initial coffee and then enjoyed the surroundings so much that we stayed for lunch. We ordered the jacket potato and two different types of frittata - all came with a generous side salad and coleslaw.

Maybe we were unlucky when we made our first visit to the Beetroot Tree yesterday lunchtime, but what a shambles. Along with many other people we were left waiting for cooked items for over three quarters of an hour. Apparently there was a problem with the till orders getting through to the kitchen, which meant that eventually a very harassed young lady chef had to come round with pen and paper to retake everybody's orders. And even then the food came out in a very haphazard manner, so that I'd almost finished mine before my husband's arrived.

This used to be the butcher baker deli and was welcoming with atmosphere and buzz, and we visited at least 2 or 3 times a week. Since being taken over by the same owners of the willow tree cafe also at Mercia marina it has had a complete change around with less stock and the soul has gone at of the place , it is now like sitting in a work canteen rather than a vibrant meeting place ,within the last two weeks it has been revamped again and now looks very like the other cafe across the other side of the marina And also the cups are now smaller than they were for the same price . Why change a winning formula if it ain't broke don't fix it springs to mind, it's now souless.

Visited during a very busy lunch time and although we had to wait a while for a free table it was well worth the wait,we were made to feel very welcome the staff are really friendly and helpful and the food was delicious. Will certainly be returning and would definitely recommend.

Quality, this golden venue always had a reputation for providing quality products and service. The service remains but sadly product quality needs to return ensuring its keeping ahead of competition

Very good lunch with a group of ladies .Good selection of food,very quick service, good and varied choice on menu.Nice atmosphere

Was recommended this place by someone who was recommended it by someone else and so on so thought we woudl give it a try, and yes the breakfast was very good and the staff very helpful and friendly. We will be coming back.

Visited this place today as a large group of cyclists, unannounced. The cafe was very busy. The staff taking orders and serving were 3 very young people. Their competence, efficiency and attitude were great. Really refreshing. Food arrived quickly, despite the place being full.

Once a great place that I loved. Now... Dirty tables Shocking service Poor quality food Shall I go on

We were here on a lovely sunny Tuesday morning. We sat outside after placing our order inside. Our coffees were brought to us with the scones that we had ordered. Coffees hot, scones delicious, freshly made. Lots of cakes and tray bakes to choose from. Our scones were so delicious that we also took scones away with us.

A regular user of the coffee shop I feel like the shop as lost some of its class. Its all change thats for sure! What was initially a very upmarket shop offering a Butchers, confectionary, and clean well presented tables as become just another overcrowded coffee shop looking more like a works canteen. Tables are no longer particularity clean, windows are dirty, tables are crammed together and the menu unfortunately changed offering smaller portions. The staff serving the coffee who work continuously all day trying to please customers are still there fortunately which makes a visit worthwhile. I am not really sure what's happening. Even the Crisps have changed!!

This coffee-house serves fantastic english cuisine...it is a must go place if you happen to visit Birmingham. The service & food is very nice...i am sure your family will enjoy Cpt Santokh Singh Singapore Army

Just had the most amazing pancakes with bacon and maple syrup.Others had pancakes with fruit and honey and a fantastic sausage baguette with mustard. Homemade cakes also looked delicious, will have to try the peanut butter and chocolate tray bake next time.Staff friendly and views stunning.

Although it is set in a lovely location, this cafe doesn't seem to care for the quality of food it serves. On a couple of recent visits, my coffee was weak and lukewarm. My scone was not fresh and on hindsight I should have returned it. Staff are friendly and welcoming - but need to improve their coffee making skills and offer fresh, better quality food.

Lovely setting by the Marina. Staff very friendly.Visited when It was the previous owners,think the new decor has now made it loose the cosy feel, walls very plain, need the pictures back. Also all the lovely jams and pickles are not available.

Set at Willington. This place offers a wide range of shops but the coffee house itself offers a good range of home made cakes soups and other lovely food

Very good customer service, excellent food and lovely coffee. Appreciate the weather this week is exceptional but think that sun umbrellas would be very much appreciated so that you can still sit outside to enjoy the spectacular view. Look forward to returning.

Good food, Good Company, very good selection of food and drink. The surroundings are truly beautiful.

This looks like a great but very overcrowded place, however...... the food is below standard, a change to items on the standard platter were not notified prior to food being served and the pork pie was incredibly dry.

Think this place may now be called the Beetroot Tree.

Mercia Marina is getting busier all the time - thus the cafe has a captive audience but customer service is still really important and should not be neglected. Other than a couple of stern looking staff this cafe is lovely with.lots of potential.

Have visited on more than one occasion and enjoyed every time. It is usually very busy. Staff all very friendly and extremely efficient service. This visit I had a cheese scone which was freshly baked out of the oven which was delicious. My friend had a bacon roll...very generous amount of bacon and a large roll. Specials board has home made soup, quiche, etc etc. Very nice ambiance and a great selection of food to buy in the farm shop. Will return again and definitely one to recommend.

Great coffee and cakes but what makes this a lovely visit is the great ambiance and happy clientele. The pastel colours, wooden floors, tables and chairs add to the waterfront charm of this coffee shop. Recommended!

Have been here a couple of times whilst looking round the lovely shops. Great and staff have always been great too. Large portions. Staff happy for you to share and bring out extra plate and salad etc. Leave room or take home a gorgeous cake!

We visited this lovely shop/deli for the first time and we will definitely be back again. The home produced food to eat in or take away was delicious and freshly prepared including lovely quiche and frittatas. Lovely recommend

Very friendly staff greeted us and helped finding an appropriate seat with my grandparents.

Always worth a visit, staff are friendly and the cakes are worth the calories. The shop has shop lovely food to buy but be prepared to either queue or walk around again to wait for a seat.

They have so much variety of items to view and buy, things you would not normally expect to find in such a shop.

Coffee was fine but cheese and fruit scones were stale hard as rocks, and only fit for the birds! Stale, day old scones should not be served to customers.

Poor Quality of cakes. Look & taste like "Costco" style. Only had cake because scones were a day old. Coffee ok. Too much choice can not mean fresh. There not even refrigerated. Almond/Bakewell dry lacking in taste apart from over use of essence. ☹️

Visually this looks very attractive with good display of tempting products. The one area provides both retail and cafe.

Visiting as a destination for a break from Christmas festivities with a little retail therapy not related to Christmas. The coffee house was busy but the staff coped in an un-flappable and friendly way - much better than our last visit in the hot summer weather. The espresso and cappuccino were exceptional , with a very smooth blend of coffee and the hot chocolate was both hot and very “chocolatey” in contrast to other local establishments. We will certainly return soon.

Very good fancy free home crafted food . An economic eatery and interesting food retail outlet combined.

This is the best coffee shop in my opinion at Mercia Marina. The choice of cakes and bakes will suit everyone,all home made which I love to see in a farm shop. Gluten free available too. Nicely laid out farm shop everything from meat, jams, oils, flours, cheeses, fruit, pastas, too many things to mention. Lovely coffee with a cute piece of millionaires shortbread on the side - nice touch. Efficient friendly staff and reasonable prices.

We have visited Mercia Marina many times, primarily for lunch or an afternoon 'snack' and usually eat at the Cafe.

Just had lunch in the cafe here. My husband had the special of the day which was toasted bloomer bread with mushrooms and Stilton, he ate every bit and said it was delicious. I had the bacon and cheese quiche with salad, coleslaw and vegetable crisps. The quiche was served warm and was very tasty. The pastry reminded me of real old fashioned home cooking. I ate every bit. The coffee was good too. There was a great choice of cakes although we didn't succumb! Service was quick and friendly.

I gave this a second opportunity as I do understand some days things go wrong, however I have been twice now for a take away sandwich. The first time it took 25mins to order, have made and pay for a sandwich to go. The sandwich was on dry bread with no butter or salad, just some avaerage tuna mayo.

There was nothing wrong with the quality of the food on offer but I am not sure who thought it a good idea to serve pickled onions with camembert! The food was adequate but not exceptional and the prices were not cheap. The service, however, was very friendly and efficient.

This is a lovely restaurant / coffee shop with a great menu and lots of lovely and tempting things to try, it is quite crowded due to its popularity so you may be squished but its worth it. Theres a lovely shop inside too although things are quite expensive they are good quality and locally produced

Apart from excellent food, good value and a great location, the staff are really nice, welcoming and friendly. Lovely place to drop in to almost anytime.

Super coffee shop with home made cakes and gluten free options! Sat outside watching the boats. Great!

Visited at lunchtime with my daughter for a late breakfast.As usual the cafe was busy but managed to get a table outside. Daughter had soup and gluten free bread and I ordered eggs benedict. The eggs arrived watery and flavour less sauce. I returned the eggs but second serving wasn't much better. Really disappointed as this cafe is always so busy but I won't plan on returning or recommending.

We ate early lunch on a Sunday it was not overly busy service was slow again as I see other people comment on rude staff if you have an issue. We had a mix up with our order and the young server was not helpful as we had a query over the soup. This used to be a favourite but will not be going back.

Overall a disappointing stop for a coffee and a scone. First of all a rather rude staff member pushed in the loo queue ahead of me. The cheese scones were stale (they did replace with a fruit scone which was fresh). They forgot my Mum's tea (she had to go and ask for it). I asked for raspberry jam and was given strawberry. A waitress wiped our table, got distracted midway and left the cloth and spilt sugar from a previous customer on the table. Not a fab break and I wouldn't rush back! On the plus side the latte was lovely

was nice .bought some things in shop oils and jams ,staff not always very friendly ,and a shame shuts at 4 pm ,would thought being such a lovely out look with river and boats ,you would love to have more time food okay x

A lovely place to eat snack or just have a cuppa or a pint very clean and panaramic views across the marina lovely sitting great food great staff a must to visit

Mostly home made food locally sourced. My bacon cob was cooked to order and was delicious. The coffee was good and served promptly the food took longer to arrive. The cheese scone was nicely warmed. We would come again as long as we were not in a hurry.

Absolutely great service, excellent food, in a superb setting. Every time we visit the food is lovely, often busy over lunch they need to expand but 10/10 for value, staff go out of their way to welcome you.

We arrived on Saturday afternoon and ordered just two drinks and a biscuit. Not complicated is it? The only member of staff who cared at all was a slightly older woman who took orders, cleared and cleaned tables and served customers their food and drinks. The younger staff couldn't care less. They wandered around aimlessly from time to time, but mostly chattered to each other while customers waited... We saw a stack of orders building up behind the counter but nobody dealing with them. Eventually, my wife asked if anyone was going to do any work that afternoon. Not going back there - why waste your time and money on people who don't care?

Ordered the Mediterranean vegetable soup. What arrived was truly awful, tasted nothing like vegetable at all. Had a couple of mouthfuls and sent it back. The server i spoke to didn't care she just left and went into kitchen. 15 minutes later spoke to someone at the till who said 'this is what our vegetable soup looks like' basically your wrong go away. Got a begrudgingly 'free' (cheaper than the soup) piece of cake. I won't be going back which is a shame as it was really nice, but it seem to be under new management.

Really surprised to find this farm shop lots of local and home cooked foods in the Delhi excellent choice good value for money well worth a visit

Visited Mercia Marina for a look round, and morning coffee. We were hoping to sit outside, but (just our luck) it was raining, for the first time in days! Still very pleasant sitting inside. Coffee and cakes good, so decided to return for lunch. All three of us had Derbyshire Oatcakes, with different fillings - quite tasty, and surprisingly filling. Wouldn't class as exceptional, but fully acceptable service and fare.

Excellent light snacks at reasonable prices, also boasts a well stocked gift shop all set in idyllic surroundings.

1 pm on a sunny wednesday, queued some time to order jacket potatoes, girl on the till pointed at a small note on till, no jacket potatoes, No apologies ot anything, we left

We popped in just gone 4pm on sunny and hot Saturday afternoon for refreshment and somewhere cool to sit. "You'll have to get takeaway and sit outside." Oh. But there's people sitting and eating there. Apparently the cafe closes at 4pm. Teatime? On a Saturday? In summer? At one on the most popular visitor attractions in the area? Is this some kind of joke?

Very noisy inside. 45 minutes before they close they're taking the tables and chairs away outside and putting chairs onto tables inside. They make you feel very unwelcome. Understandable if the place is empty but it was still busy and people were chuntering about it. They must lose quite a lot of business this way.. Someone in the queue was complaining his soup was cold and the staff were arguing saying it was very hot when they served it. Need some customer service training.

This coffee shop features great cakes, quiches snacks etc. There is a lovely deli selling breads, cakes, pickles etc as well as fresh meat and pies. There is a fantastic range of balsamic salad dressings which although a little privy taste amazing!

Good choice of sweet and savoury light snacks to have, either inside or outside on the sidewalk. Shop also sells ice cream (in tubs or cornets) with an optional flake, which always takes one back to childhood. The café can get very crowded as people are also coming in to have a look at the sweets, jars and gifts etc. that are also available. I can vouch that the sausage rolls and locally sourced meats are very tasty.

Food was ok, sat downstairs as I'm disabled and cannot climb stairs. Very disappointed that they allow dogs into the restaurant where people are eating. I don't dislike dogs but do not want them sitting near me while I'm having a meal.

The setting and service and food here are all spot on. Good variety staff ok, went at a very bust time and it was very noisy. I'm not complaining just saying! There's something about the design of the place - hard surfaces etc. which seems to amplify the sound. So if you want a quiet cuppa and a chat, don't go at busy times. Otherwise, stunning location and as I say good selection of food.

Beautiful setting, delicious home made cake and lovely coffee. Friendly staff and well stocked shop. Definitely a nice place to watch the world go by.

What a pity that this outlet situated on this popular destination is so short sighted as to shut up shop at 4:00 on a sunny Sunday afternoon when there were large numbers of people still around that could have been looking for an afternoon tea. Sorry but you don't get my vote!

When at the Marina we always pop into coffee shop. The service is good but sometimes a little slow, The hot chocolate is very good.Ken E Derby

This place has the premise of being great: it is a deli which sells great food and stocks fabulous produce. Unfortunately, this does not transfer into the eating section. The menu is incredible boring and limited, the food served is very unappetising, the staff always seem to be disengaged, and the level of noise is deafening. I never feel refreshed or satisfied when I visit, and in fact I only go there as my last resort. The Willow Tree tea rooms, at the other end of the marina does a far better job. Perhaps they could take a leaf out of their book?

great place to sit and watch the world go by. Canal boats to hire outside and enjoyed a lovely easter egg cake

Friendly, good service, quality coffee and cakes to die for. Recommend it as there's some interesting shops nearby to visit too.

Lovely cafe on the marina that serves decent food, great coffee, and a wonderful selection of cakes and sweet treats.

We visited here on a wet Sunday in February and called in for coffee and cake. ( the marina has improved since my last visit 3 years ago. ) the shop and cafe is clean and the staff are very friendly with one or two gluten free options with regard to cake, however, The cake I wanted seemed like a reasonable sized piece, so I asked for it ( victoria sponge) I was extremely disappointed when my cake was presented to me. The piece I had requested was cut into thirds and I was given one third of it ! which equated to the smallest piece of cake I had ever seen. If I was running a business I would want people to return. Sadly due to price and portion size I am afraid I will not.

As a farm shop, this place has a disappointingly small selection of fresh produce for sale so we shall not be making a special effort to return. We did not sample the café which did seem to be quite busy.

Why pay more for lower quality when there is a far better cafe with a better range, The Willow Tree Tea Rooms, on the same site and only a 2 minute pleasant stroll away ?

My friend and I have been here many times but we have noticed a real decline in standards. They used to have a few gluten free options but there has been much less choice recently. When we came in December, we asked what they had which was gluten free and the lad behind the till mumbled something about blackberries at us. We asked him to repeat himself. We still could not make head nor tail of what he was saying. We asked if there was anything else, like GF bread or cake and he said "no". Very unhelpful. So, we went next door to the Boardwalk where there are GF versions of almost everything on the menu; my friend enjoyed a fantastic GF lunch. My advice: if you need GF and want great customer service, go to the Boardwalk and give this place a wide birth!

Have visited this coffee bar a few times and had to walk out as there is very limited seating on the ground floor and the main seating area is upstairs without a lift. The food and drinks are of reasonable quality but seriously overpriced. It is a coffee bar pretending it is a bistro in London.

Having been here many times before the service is usually pleasurable however when visiting today for takeaway latte and cake with the dog I felt i was just a hindrance. After ordering 2 lattes, one was only half full as it was half full of foam so I asked if it could be filled up and one of the girls just filled it up with eyes half rolled with further foam with no apology. I know this may seem minor but when spending money on a coffee you want a full coffee without feeling bad about it! Such a shame as this is our local coffee stop when walking the dog.

This is a cracking little place, great sandwiches, fabulous cake and the welsh rarebit is awesome! Then there is the farm shop and the amazing assortment of flavoured olive oils and vinegars. Lots of wacky beers and jars of tracklements! They even have 6 different sorts of scotch egg!! Well worth a trip just to taste the welsh rarebit mmmmm

we stayed on a friends' narrowboat at Mercia Marina last weekend and loved the Bucher, Baker farm shop! decided to stop off there for a coffee before leaving on Sunday morning. we were in a queue of 4 people, waiting to put our order in at the till. we had quite a long wait, no problem, it was sunday morning, we were not in a hurry and they were busy......HOWEVER.. hanging around, waiting to be served, we were NOT pleased to count no less than 8 staff milling around, chatting behind the till, and the poor young woman at the till had to take our order, on a scrap of paper and give it to the barrista.....what the other 7 staff were doing I have no idea!!!! when we commented to the manager she said that there was only one till.....OK! so 3 staff would have been enough to take the orders round...it does NOT make you feel good, hanging around waiting when the staff are just aimlessly standing around chatting......

Our group was shown to a table in a space by a huge window with a fabulous view of the marina. I opted for a starter of calamari and the roast dinner with both pork and beef. The servings were generous and the food was excellent. The staff were welcoming and professional. I had a cheese board for afters and the choices were well thought out and really suited my taste; I chose Stilton, vintage cheddar and a nice Brie. The whole experience was great and one I would like to repeat. Highly recommended.

Expect long queues and a fair wait on a Sunday morning as they are busy but the food and drink is worth the wait. Not over priced for local produce and all tastes delicious. Slightly cramped Cafe but adds to the atmosphere. Nice to look around the shop and deli whilst waiting for your cappuccino too!

Very poor lunch. 3 ladies out for lunch. The food was lukewarm and dried out. The meals had been sitting under the lamps for ages before being brought to the tables. Service very slow and not at all what we expected