Sanctuary of Healing Cafe in Ribble Valley

I use to come here at least once a week for lunch out. Been back once since they removed all the delicious specials. I won’t be returning unless they bring them back 🥺

What a shame! I have been coming here for years and I’ve always loved everything, I was very disappointed to find all the specials gone! I’d been craving the beetroot tart. It’s now very quiet, not the usual buzz and the food is boring. I had a soup which was lovely, but there was nothing else on the menu that I fancied. Their specials made the sanctuary special, but sadly won’t be visiting as often. Very disappointing.

This has always been a busy place for lunch so I was surprised when it was almost empty at lunchtime today. When I saw the menu I realised why. No delicious quiche, no tasty hot specials just vegetarian soups, jackets and sandwiches. Even the cakes were boring and unappetising. The staff were lovely, efficient and sociable but must be worried about their jobs. We will certainly not be back!

I met a friend for lunch on Monday 3rd February. It was my second time at the cafe and I was slightly disappointed the second time round at Organic Cafe. I’d previously been before with the same friend about 3 years ago and if I remember rightly the menu was more varied, more to choose from and I’m sure it wasn’t all meat / fish free. I selected the cheddar cheese sandwich and asked if I could have the avocado on it rather than the red onion chutney which they did, and I was happy with that. I also had a scone with cream and jam and I had the peppermint tea. The food was enjoyable, the service was great, staff really friendly, good value for money... I just felt it was lacking a bit of atmosphere and it felt very cold. I’m not saying I wouldn’t return but I’m just slightly disappointed that all the meat and fish has been removed from the menu.

Over the years I have passed many a happy hour in the Sanctuary, wether it be having a massage, in the shop buying products or indeed this once was a fantastic cafe. In the past I have brought friends over from Australia and recommended to many others. I used to enjoy the Cob salad with fresh, homemade bread, salmon & prawn salad, cottage pie and vegetables and even a cheese pie. Also afternoon teas. But it now appears as a meat eater, we are no longer welcome. Menu as totally excluded us meat/fish eaters. Sorry to say WE WONT BE BACK!

Popped in for coffee and cake with a friend after receiving a recommendation. The setting is lovely and the cafe is light, spacious and airy. The coffee was Ok and the cake selection, although not massive, provided something for everyone. I had a large coconut macaroon which was lovely.

Visited with my husband for lunch and was interested to see the whole menu is now vegetarian with plenty vegan options. My husband chose a BBQ tofu wrap with Thai lentil soup and I ordered houmous & avocado sandwich with tomato & red pepper soup. We also had a tea and coffee afterwards with a vegan oat & ginger biscuit. The food was excellent we had no complaints unlike on our last visit when the prices had been hiked through the roof and portions minute. They have obviously listened to customer feedback and reduced prices and increased portions. I will definitely revisit now as I want to try more of the vegan options.

Called for lunch and was expecting the usual cafe with a busy buzz and fabulous specials. Not sure what’s happened, but there were no specials at all, just sandwiches and soup and salads. Vegetarian food, though vegan as well. I had the pepper soup, which sadly was thin and watery. My guest had a wrap, which he said was “OK”. Sadly, very disappointing.

Went today to find a whole new menu. All vegan which is fine for me but certainly limited options for others I my group of 4. I saw 2 groups leaving after reading the menu which is mainly sandwiches ( No meat) salad and jacket potatoes. No specials on the board only soup. They have also reduced staffing presumably as there is little actually cooking now. Not sure we will be returning

I went for lunch and chose a sandwich described as containing houmous and avocado. I paid for mine and a friend's order including a soup, plus tea and coffee. We waited an inordinate amount of time for anything to arrive - the food arrived first! I was told I hadn't paid for the soup?? I explained I had paid what I'd been asked to pay - no more was said obviously their mistake. My sandwich was just a salad sandwich with 2 small pieces of avocado and at first I thought no houmous but later discovered that the houmous had been spread on the bread and scraped off again like a light smear of butter. The cucumber, pepper and onion was in such big chunks that the bread couldn't hold it and fell apart - probably because there was no houmous to keep it together. I don't like raw pepper and certainly not in a sandwich so I wouldn't have chosen this. Work needs to be done on how food is described - oh and all that salad was served with an identical salad on the side! No additional flavour or finesse. Poor food at a high price. I'm off home to make myself a proper tasty sandwich :-)

This wonderful organic cafe serves a really good range of organic food from wholesome soups, a good selection of main courses and cakes made on the premises daily. Why not have one of the wonderful holistic treatments first followed by lunch in the cafe? Highly recommended for a lovely relaxing day.

A beautiful tranquil healing sanctuary in the Ribble Valley offering several holistic treatments to suit various age groups. A hidden gem waiting to open its doors to your soul ✨🙌

Love this place. Calm atmosphere, lovely food and good service. Small menu which means the food is fresh. My husband was a chef and always said if there is too much choice the stock isn't fresh.

What a lovely place, so welcoming, lovely things to eat, and different,the breads are amazing, they don't rush you to go, can stay as long as you like, been a few times now, and definitely going back

called in for a quick lunch . I had previously been in a couple of times before for a coffee. I had a sandwich with a cup of soup and my wife the stuffed pepper. the food & service were good but for what we had relatively expensive.

Four weeks ago I had major surgery & a visit here was my 1st trip out. The Sanctuary is close to my home & I have been several times.

What a lovely place! We stopped in for lunch and the place was very calm, bright and relaxed. The food was delicious. I ordered a tofu salad and it was way more than just a salad. Very tasty, smoked tofu, avocado and hummus. It was delicious and I’d happily eat it again. The staff were lovely and the food was very quick. Great place!

We went for lunch today but really found the prices have been inflated. We have been before and really enjoyed it here. Today I had the quiche of the day which came with a salad. It cost £9.95. My friend had the beef bourguignon which came with one roast potato cut in half and veg. This cost an eye watering £16.00. The food was very nice but not worth the money. Even a latte cost £3. Sorry sanctuary but with prices like these you are going to price yourself out. We won’t be visiting again unless your prices come down.

Organic Status comes with a price tag.

I always enjoy visits to the Sanctuary Cafe, but this year the prices have increased considerably. The Cobb Salad has gone up from under £10 to £12.45. It no longer contains any avacodo and the fruit bread has disappeared- just one slice each of white and brown now. It means that future visits must be a rare treat.

Just had some of the tastiest food I’ve eaten in a long time - delicious melon, feta and orange salad, sat in the beautiful courtyard at the Sanctuary Organic Cafe. Just perfect 😃

In spite of we deciding to give this a wide berth we did return today as we were advised prices has come down. Sadly this is not really the case. The menu has changed and is different to the one advertised on the website. They now only offer one size sandwich which is small and slightly cheaper. But the portion size of garnish and crisps is significantly smaller. Salads are more expensive. They have introduced lighter bites described as a smaller sandwich on a bread roll. Small it was about the size of a small soup roll possibly 2 to 3 inches, so small i have to admit we burst out laughing. We came away amused and hungry. Not sure if this was a typical day but in the past we have to queue to get a table. Today only 3 tables inside and 4 tables outside occupied. Sad

Had a wonderful lunch here this week. The food is excellent and varied and the prices, which had headed alarmingly northward over the past few months, have come down to very reasonable levels. Good choice of food to suit vegetarian and vegan tastes.

Eager for a vegan breakfast, after our hotel couldn’t cater for me (didn’t even have soya!) we found The Organic Cafe at The Sanctuary of Healing. What a peaceful beautiful place. Very clean and lovely people. Would recommend...more so for vegans for lunch. They only served toast for breakfast, if more choice I would have given a 5star. We are planning to return for lunch as we liked the vegan lunch offer.

I have marked 4/5 only because I feel I cannot rate it average as the food is very nice and the service excellent, but on pricing I would rate it 2/5

Have not been in truth for a while.

For the demographic this was aimed at - retired and those seeking a leisurely lunch this is a very nice location.

We used to come here regularly. The food, atmosphere, surroundings and staff are all excellent. However... On our first trip after the New Year we were shocked at the level of price rise. I could stand a small percentage, but the prices have gone through the roof making this a very occasional treat. We haven't been back since. I bet they sell a lot of soup now! A real shame.

I am regular to the sanctuary and it was always a lot pricier than most the food is good. A went today and oh my god the prices are off the wall. A small chicken balti sandwich (which is about half a normal sandwich) is £9.90 what? A latte is £3.10 which is dearer that costa. Normal tea is £2.90. So sadly I will not returning

I know prices have to go up occasionally, but the recent hefty price hikes at the Sanctuary left me and several friends disappointed this week. Not only have the prices risen considerably, but it feels like the portion sizes have shrunk too. I had a mushroom tart, which was poor value for money, with the salad seeming much smaller than usual too. A small sandwich with salad or a cup of soup at £10 is too much. A pot of tea at nearly £3 came in the smallest teapot I've seen in a long while. It was as busy as ever when I went, but I don't think it'll be too long before footfall is impacted, sadly. I've always championed the Sanctuary, but I think this is a boo-boo.

The Sanctuary has always been one of my favourite cafe to visit, in an area where we are spoilt for choice by good eating establishments. The food is lovely, healthy and tasty. The Cobb Salad is my ‘usual’. However visitors should be aware that prices have increased quite considerably this month, not just by 50p per meal, but by a few £. Portion sizes are not that generous either. You don’t get much change out of £20 for a drink, sandwich and cake and several specials were priced £14-15. My Cobb Salad has increased by almost £3, which makes it a pricey dish, especially for the amount of food you get. This is going to put me off returning when I can go to other local restaurants and get a two or three course meal for less. It remains a lovely cafe with good service and delicious food but I do feel this hefty recent price increase, coupled with its shrinking portion sizes, disappointing.

A friend took me to The Sanctuary today to show me around.

We visited on results day for breakfast. Even though they didn't have a breakfast meal which was a bit disappointing, we had coffees, teas and cakes. I had a sesame seeds cookie which was so tasty and a tea that had a flower within it. The cafe itself is well decorated and welcoming. We also got free food as we had done well with our results!! The staff are lovely. I would definately go back for another visit, however perhaps maybe for lunch instead.

Sorry, didn't do it for us at all. Noisy & clattering, with an over-arching smell of cooked fish.We walked in...& walked out.

Desde que descubrí este pequeño café, ha sido mis padres y mi lugar favorito para tomar rápido, bueno para el almuerzo durante nuestras vacaciones en la oficina. Tratamos de visitar al menos una vez al mes o así, pero es a menudo muy concurrido y...

Este café orgánico merece su clasificación. . Maravilloso ambiente tranquilo. . impecablemente limpias. El personal amable y atento y la comida es para morirse. . . . . . Sitio para comer cuando va a través de la quimio. . . Nos visita cada oportunidad...

Increíble comida el chef es fantástico e incluso lo que se pone recetas fáciles de seguir. Me han dicho que la comida es orgánica. Recomiendo encarecidamente la ensalada cob (es el único lugar que comer ensalada! ! Ambiente informal y agradable, personal agradable.

Oído sobre este lugar de un par de amigos pero realmente no salir de esta manera muy a menudo. Mi amigo y yo decidimos probarlo. Muy concurrida con clientes habituales. Todo el mundo muy amable y la comida es genial. Tuve el pollo y bacon ensalada y era preciosa y fresca. El personal están muy bien informados sobre el menú y muy servicial. Necesitas ir temprano antes de llegar después de las 12 o 1. muy popular.

Lovely cafe, just of the beaten track. Well worth a visit to enjoy a lovely selection of handmade organic foods.

This is a lovely cafe well worth a visit or detour to enjoy delicious, home made organic food. We stopped on route and enjoyed a great lunch, with good service and an excellent quality of food. Highly recommended. It was very busy mid week as evidence of it's popularity.

I came here with my husband and his father for lunch. I had been a few times before, but never got round to writing a review. The food is really good. This time I had a smoked tofu and avocado salad which was yummy!! Really imaginative salad with lovely dressing and good sized helping. My husband and father-in-law had the spinach soup and sandwiches. I enjoyed a delicious slice of chocolate cake after. It was soft and fudgy like a brownie and deliciously dark. Also the prices and service are very good and the cafe is light, airy and relaxing. Definately recommended.

The atmosphere here is superb. Open spaces and high ceilings with lots of light. A really nice place to eat although it does fill up very fast and only serves lunch from 12pm to 2.15pm. Good choice of dishes including vegan and vegetarian. Gluten free also available. I particularly like the Pulled Chicken Salad and the Mushroom Strogonoff. The drinks are excellent, particularly the coffees and the house water is purified so super to drink and free! Cakes are home made and super.

Have been here many timesAlways great foodService very good but fills up quickAlso therapy available

Had lovely lunch here. Brilliant choice of food which was extremely tasty. Busy but not noisy. You can have health treatment here too. Ideal for ladies who do lunch and would visit here again. A very relaxed atmosphere and you can help yourself to tap water which was lacking in the usual chlorine taste. the jacket potato was very tasty.

Came here for a massage which was absolutely fantastic,decided to have lunch and a drink my first impressions are wow what a place.Ordered a day latte and asked for sweetener or guava syrup and they have neither not a good start for a diabetic really,who in this day and age does not provide these commodities??? Eggs florentine fantastic and well presented.Please please get guava syrup x

I've been coming here on a weekly basis for around six months, because of their hidden secret... the Tia Chi classes lead by Bill (Dragonfly), which are world class. Bill is an amazing man, and the jewel in the crown for the Sanctuary! Highly recommended!The restaurant has consistently produced the most amazing food, fresh, rich in flavour and healthy portions too. They used to have a stunning, silver haired head waitress, who greeted every customer as if they were a member of her own family. But, I am sad to say that she seems to have disappeared... I do hope that she returns soon, good as the food is, it is now the same without her.

Excellent excellent excellent .... wouldn't hesitate to recommend this place to anyone .. The Food is fresh delicious and The Puddings a sheer delight .

Been here a couple of times for a light lunch, the homemade soup and sandwich is always a popular choice. Good variety of hot and cold dishes and a large selection of cakes - including some nice gluten free choices. Definitely a 'ladies who lunch' kind of place but worth a visit. Good service and friendly staff.

The food was gorgeous, super tasty. Staff are all very polite and made my day. Thank you very much for a wonderful experience, Will be visiting again!

I used to go for lunch, still do. The food is very fresh, organic and has a 'clean' taste. The staff are very friendly and accommodating. Then I found out about the other side of it, the healing centre or living centre, whatever you want to call it. such a prolific experience, good food. good health, good body mind and soul! Can't be faulted.

Taken there for lunch by an elderly friend who really enjoys going there.We had the specials, mine was a baked fillet of plaice with a salad and my wife had salmon and leek pasta bake. I was still hungry when I finished and my wife who does not like fatty food found her pasta swimming in cheese sauce. We also noticed that many other diners were bulking up their meals by having generous portions of fresh bread. Our friend had a large portion of soup (accompanied by plenty of bread) which was ample for her. The sweets were a good choice of cakes and scones.You order the food at counter and pay up front and the food is brought to the table.The food was average at best but the ambience was very pleasant.

Great place off the beaten track- large car park and a delightful courtyard; quiet clean and peaceful.Staff are eager and pleasant. The toilets are printing and it has a small shop area for browsing after a meal.Inside area is also clean and has a stove central to the eating area. Food is superbly cooked [a little hot], fresh and tasty. There is a varied menu with gluten free and vegan items.The ginger beer is very/ very sharp-- but good.

Came here to have lunch with a friend whom has been before would highly recommend. The place is lovely very tranquil, apparently they do therapies is open for everyone seeking healing, open for courses.The meals were lovely I had a chicken salad sandwich with crisps, you also had other choices of sides,my friend had a chicken salad and looked very yummy as well that came with freshly made breadWould definitely go again with my daughter and granddaughter

Popped by here for lunch with a friend and was thrilled with the place.Lots of lovely food in beautiful clean surroundings.Well worth the visit and cannot wait to return.Staff were caring and attentive and food was second to none.

I have visited on a number of occasions and found hat the food in this cafe is absolutely outstanding .There is a good choice of sandwiches and salads all made fresh and with the healthiest and best ingredients to be honest the best salad I've ever had .There is always a choice of specials and freshly made soups Cakes area must with the low fat cake a special treat along with the fab biscuits .All washed down with coffee cappuccino is a must decaf also available along with various teas .A choice of fresh bread and gluten free as well .Certainly worth a trip back

Having been for lunch today I have to say how impressed I am . The surroundings and Cafe area were stunning . Hard to find a cafe serving all organic produce . The staff were very pleasant and the shop sold lovely candles and nice pieces of JewelleryDefiantly would return

Very busy at 12.30 Monday but just managed to find a table for 4. The homemade soup was tasty and the salads were all really good. Agree prices are not cheap but we had excellent speedy service from Sheila, in bright lovely room. Both soup and salads come with various sliced breads.

What should have been a pleasurable afternoon was completely ruined. There was no afternoon tea!!! Having travelled from Clitheroe ( not having lunch of course) we arrived expectantly at 2.15 for afternoon tea. We were told tersely that we should have booked . But last time we came In January we didn't need to. The new rule was brought in two weeks previously with no advisements on web site or in cafe .We explained we hadn't had anything to eat. We were told we were too late for lunch and that was that! Great. We left having had a cup of tea. Starving . Not so much of an apology in sight.

Won't be going again...., Bad service, bad food, over priced and terrible roads on approach to car park. Don t bother much better in clithere. ...

The restaurant is hidden away just off the A59, and probably wouldn't be spotted by passing motorists on this busy main road.Look out for signs to the Rydings near the Northcote Manor Hotel and restaurant.Lovely organic food. Great choice. Order yourself, and all will be brought over to your table.

Very pleasant atmosphere and very good meals nice to have coffee or lunch with friends tucked away you must make a special effort to go.

We have enjoyed this café for many years simply because it serves fresh, organic, wholesome, healthy and tasty food in very pleasant surroundings. The staff are fantastic...nothing is too much trouble...to be fair we now know them having eaten there for so many years. Cliff, the chef, and his team are first class...no more to be said. Give it a try....but leave a table spare for me!

We visit the Sanctuary of Healing cafe to meet up with family on a weekly basis. It's a stylish and comfortable environment in which to enjoy well presented and freshly prepared healthy soups, salads, freshly cooked meals with great teas and coffees. With friendly but efficient staff, this place is a real winner.

In a nice setting with good parking and pleasant décor. The menu is limited and eclectic. The portion sizes are over large perhaps to try to justify the cost. The latte is awful being very strong, lacking in milk and served in a thick white pint pot.

Lovely relaxed atmosphere. The food is very good. Service excellent. Could not wish for a more laid back and friendly place. Love the open fire

Another excellent visit. Good homemade wholesome food prepared, presented & served to a very high standard. We usually try to get there early as it gets full very quickly & you may often find you have to wait.

My Friend has been here a few times for afternoon tea and really rated it. We came for lunch. It was very busy and we had to wait for a table. A lot of "Ladies who lunch" and it was VERY noisy. So noisy, we both had a headache afterwards and had to shout to one another. As another reviewer stated, quite a few Ladies in leotards. You have to place your order at the till but they do bring it to the table. The Staff were really friendly and we did not have long to wait for the food but mine came about 10 minutes before my Friends and manners mean having to wait until she is served. Another table was served after me by the same member of Staff. Main course food not badly priced if the standard had been better. Had hoped for healthier options but the fish was swimming in butter although nicely cooked. The chips were so hard I could not eat them and the salad had lots of creamy coleslaw in it. Not licensed, we knew that, but thought I would mention it. My Friend was very disappointed too as we are both good cooks, use organic products and been using wholefood products since the early 1970's. Cakes by the till looked very appetising but I thought expensive? I left my wheelchair in the car as I can walk for two minutes, it would have been difficult to use in the café anyway as the tables are very close together - being in constant pain, I was very wary of being jostled which may have clouded my judgement a bit. Would I go back? No. On getting back to my car, all they other disabled bays were occupied but no badges to be seen.

An excellent lunch although the cafe was busy the food was excellent. The salads had a large variety of ingredients not just lots of leaves. The salmon and prawn and the mushroom tart are to be praised. The sweets were many and varied the lemon tart was excellent and the blueberry scones were a delight. We shall continue to visit this excellent establishment which shows a continued commitment to quality and service.

Food exceptionally good & wholesome, however the experience of the calmness of the Sanctuary is an experience to be enjoyed by all.

The food at the sanctuary is truly amazing ! All organic and made fresh every day I visit many times with my mother for lunch but decided to try the recently added Afternoon Tea. This did not disappoint ! Four of us went and we ordered two original afternoon teas and two vegetarian. There was a huge selection with vegetable quiche , mixed sandwiches including cheese , egg and hummus with avocado. scone with jam and cream ,cakes and an amazing White chocolate mousse ! The didn't manage to finish the whole selection but we're able to take our cakes home . I will definitely return to have afternoon tea again!! The setting for the cafe is lovely and you come out feeling really relaxed and chilled out . It is always spotlessly clean with a great selection of cakes bread and a huge special board. My favourite meals are the deep vegetable quiche and the shepherdess pie! Cannot recommend this place highly enough

As soon as one enters the Sanctuary of Healing, the hush of the reception area really does have a calming effect. The cafe itself has more of a buzz, but the neutral colours of the decor, the light airy space and the lovely lighting detail on the ceiling are all very relaxing, so that even a really quick bite to eat or a coffee (or organic coffee substitute, if you want!) feels like a little retreat.The staff here are really friendly, and food is served very quickly. Portions are quite big and the salads are really fantastic. The soups are lovely too, and served with a selection of bread slices. Quiche is served as a large, deep slice and is really tasty, too.Sweeter options are on display at the till, and be sure to check the blackboard for lots of options which aren't on the menu which are often hot options or more substantial.This is a really lovely cafe which serves healthy food and is great to meet up. The car park has lots of space and is free, and the toilets are always clean.This is a really lovely place to eat during the day, for a coffee/herbal tea or for lunch, and is perfect for meeting with friends or alone. I just wish it was open at the weekend!

I hadn't been to the Sanctuary of Healing for a few years and was delighted to see how the cafe had been extended to cope with demand for the delicious food. It's a pleasant environment to relax and have lunch. I was detoxing so opted for a salad which I thoroughly enjoyed. The food is pricier than other cafes I've been to but then again, organic food costs more ... and it is prepared freshly by lovely, helpful and cheerful staff. You can buy a selection of produce in the cafe ... I bought a bottle of Tamari Soy Sauce whilst there as just run out at home. You can also buy crystals, jewellery etc. And why not book a treatment and make an afternoon of it! If you're looking for an intimate, private place to eat, this isn't the place for you. But if you don't mind plenty of other people enjoying the yummy food, pop in and try it for yourself. You can order tea/coffee and cake rather than a full meal too. I really love going to the Sanctuary of Healing - it's a lovely place to visit.

This is a lovely cafe with a good selection of daily specials featuring fish, chicken and meat dishes cooked by a skilful and imaginative chef plus a regular menu with a good choice of fresh salads, soup and sandwiches.

Love this place for good healthy food - always fresh and tasty and like the fact that spelt is used for the bread . Lots of gluten and other thing free cakes too as well as an excellent range of teas.Just love the calm feel of the place and love the ladies loos ! - all white with a sea blue glass window sill - makes me smile This is a place that you can sit and have a leisurely lunch or snack and chatYou should sample the treatments while you are hereThe Ribble Valley is a better place to live in because the sanctuary is here

Together with friends we had a very good lunch in a pleasant and serene atmosphere. The mushroom tart and the smoked salmon were excellent, the coffee was well brewed and the sevice excellent. This was our first visit but will not be the last

Visited the Sanctuary of Healing Cafe for the first time for lunch after having been recommended by a friend. Before going I looked on the website to get a feel for the place and was directed to the daily menu selection. It looked lovely and so we thought that we would give it a try.We arrived at 12.00 expecting to find that the cafe/restaurant would be calm & serene seeing that it was part of a healing sanctuary. Instead we found it full of mum & babies having a morning coffee plus one screaming child. In addition at just gone 12.00 there was an in-pouring of ladies in casual leotards who had obviously just had a yoga session However, we found a table and then realised that it was not waitress service. I had to queue for about 10 minutes to place my order and the things we thought had looked good on the daily menu on the website weren't included on the board for that day. Once ordered the food was served almost straight away, the quality was excellent and it was very hot. The staff were pleasant and helpful. Having intended having a quiet lunch with a friend we hadn't seen for a while we were very disappointed with the rushed cafe atmosphere. I think it is probably a great place to stop by & have a coffee of snack lunch but at £55.00 for 3 of us for lunch I would have opted to go to Northcote manor (just up the lane ) and paid that bit extra. A couple of points which may help you decide:The food is excellent - all healthy and NO CHIPSThere is ample parking, outside seating in an enclosed 'yard'. Access for wheelchairs would be OK as it's all on ground level. Tables are a bit close together and you have to squash through them to get to the counter. 12pm seemed very busy because classes were just finishing but it didn't seem to get much quieter when we left as all the tables were still full at 1.30. Sadly you can't book a table.Grat option for a coffee & snack. Too expensive for lunch if you want a nice atmosphere. Wouldn't go again for lunch but would call if we were ever passing for a coffee & cake.

Just back from lunch at this cafe.The choice of food was excellent. I had pulled chicken sald, which was scrumptious, followed by fat free blueberry sponge.Mmmmm.

Lovely place to have a girlie catch up over lunch, the food was tasty and not scrimped on, very clean and the staff are lovely too. Will defiantly go again

We visited the café for lunch on a Friday at midday. We didn't book but fortunately it wasn't too busy at that time.The venue is light, warm and welcoming with a lovely log burner in the centre of the room. The menu is extensive with a wide selection of hot meals, sandwiches and salads. We chose the cobb salad- (delicious with chicken, bacon and stilton) and the garden salad. They were both served with a selection of freshly homemade breads.The vast choice of cakes and cookies include fat and gluten free. We plumped for the chocolate torte and the lemon drizzle-both very tasty. There is a good variety of drinks on the menu which are served quickly. The service was excellent. There was a calmness to the atmospere which encouraged us to stay for more drinks after our meals and made for a very relaxing experience. We would highly recommend.

Great place for food with a tasty yet healthy feel. The cafe is nicely set out and a lovely atmosphere, great place to go for a little treat.

As soon as you walk through the door to the main entrance to the Sanctuary to Healing you are immediately influenced by the calming environment. It is so light and airy. To the left is the entrance to the Cafe. The surroundings are very pleasant with a central warming fire. The seating is comfortable and the dining area is suitably spacious, The menu has something to suit all tastes. Didn't try the soup but it seemed popular. I enjoyed the Stuffed Peppers and my husband enjoyed the Chicken Ballontine. We shared a raw chocolate torte which I am sure was very good for us but I found a little cloying and felt it needed to be sweeter. The other main course choices were tempting and all the cakes looked home made and left me wanting to try all of them. Soup and a sandwich is 8/9 pounds and the main courses are approximately £10.00 each. Cakes range from 90p -£2.50 and coffee £2.00-£2.50. I thoroughly recommend a visit to this lovely Cafe.

I visited this Cafe with my wife for the first time this week. The premises were light and airy and we were warmly welcomed by the staff.The menu was varied with quite a lot of choice and when served was excellent. The Fish pie was served with a lovely fresh salad and was quite substantial.The cakes looked excellent but unfortunately I was not able to find room for any more.I would strongle recommend this place to anyone.

I have visited this cafe on several occasions and have never been disappointed. There is an excellent range of food available to suit absolutely every diet. Everything is homemade and organic, and the cakes are to die for! In addition, the staff are always extremely friendly and helpful. I can't recommend it highly enough.

If you are vegan, vegetarian, eat gluten free or just appreciate high quality organic food you have to try the Sanctuary cafe! Everything is organic, the bread and baked good are fresh and home made. My only gripe is that it's not the easiest of places to find, I don't use sat.nav but clear signage off the main road would be helpful, although, for their cobb salad I don't mind taking a few wrong turns. This is the only salad I'll make a hour long round trip for from my Mum's house and I was gutted when I took my husband the week after Christmas and the café was closed. GUTTED! He'll have to wait for the next time we're visiting from Canada to try the place out. I believe they start taking lunch orders at 12noon- the place fills up fast after 12, I've been on Thursdays and Fridays it may be quieter earlier in the week but I somehow doubt it. The atmosphere is very relaxed, the main dining area is flooded with natural light from large windows along two sides, there's a small lounge area near the main counter with a couple of sofas and the rest of the dining area is made up of modern looking wooden tables and chairs. It seems to be a very popular place with ladies who lunch. The cobb salad $8.25 is the best salad I've ever had, hot chicken, bacon, boiled egg and big crumbles of stilton with 'salad' and a gorgeous drizzled dressing. It's the only menu item I've tried there and it comes with three different oval slices of fresh organic bread and butter. Their bread is fabulous. I don't drink tea or coffee and don't like drinking anything other than water with meals. I've never needed to order a drink there, they have a cubby shelf just before the glass windowed dining section with water glasses and glass jugs of water which you can take to your table. The atmosphere is very relaxed. The spa shop in the same building also has some great finds, dream catchers, jewellery and rock salt lamps to name but a few items, all VERY reasonably priced, I hope they don't read this and put their prices up.Do yourself a favour and go try this place!

This hidden gem serves gorgeous organic food that is very tasty and also offers a fantastic range of wonderful cakes. The venue is lovely and the staff friendly and helpful. The prices are good too considering all ingredients are organic. Highly recommended. You can also buy recipe cards.

What a beautiful place this is. The food was fantastic, so well presented and great flavours. It was like eating in heaven, so clean and so peaceful. Thank you to my lovely friends for showing me this place. I shall return with more friends, thank you to the lovely staff too.

Love going to the sanctuary. The staff are friendly and accommodating. The food is good value for money and very tasty. I would recommend this cafe to anyone.

The concept of the place is wonderful, a relaxing place to visit with health and well being at the heart of what this place seeks to achieve.The food is always pleasant and wholesome without being heavy, it makes a great place for a light lunch. There isn't much more to be said about this place, be under no illusions, it is not a restaurant but a cafe in which one can relax and take some time out...last time I was here I recall seeing a man sat there reading a book, he had finished his food when I arrived and was still there by the time I came to leave, this typifies what The Sanctuary seeks to achieve.

I visited the Sanctuary last week to catch up with a friend. We arrived at 12.30 and had an amazing lunch: freshly made soup and delicious sandwiches followed by a pot of peppermint tea. This isn't the cheapest place to eat but the atmosphere, the surroundings and the organic food make it worth every penny. The place was packed and because of its popularity I would recommend arriving early. Had the weather been less inclement we could have eaten outside.This is a gem of a place and it's a pity that it is closed at the weekends!

I've visited this cafe on a number of occasions and I just think its a great place to eat or even to just have a coffee. The atmosphere and decor is lovely, the staff are always smiling and the service is great. The food is amazing! Even if your not vegetarian there is always something yummy on the menu. The cakes are scrummy too. I cannot not fault it, the only thing I would love is to it open as a restaurant in the evenings! Looking forward to my next lunch out here!

I have not been to the Sanctuary for a while, but was passing so called in for lunch with my husband. He ordered a chicken balti sandwich with lentil and coconut soup and I ordered the veggie houmous and avocado sandwich (this has been confirmed as vegan to me several times in the past). However I am not sure that they fully understand the vegan diet. They served coleslaw on the salad and the dressing which is the house dressing I believe has honey in it, vegans do not eat either of these. This maybe pernickty on my part but if they say they can cater for vegans, they do need to check. I left the coleslaw and the salad but next time I will enquire before I order again as in the past they have also put coleslaw on the tofu and avocado salad which I had to send back. The food however was very good and we will return although not as often as we do not live as near as we used to.

My friend introduced me to the Sanctuary cafe about 2 years ago and we visit regularly for lunch. I can honestly say each visit has been a pleasure. The staff are friendly and attentive, surroundings are lovely and spotless and the food is fabulous. Whilst my friend loves the tofu salad, I like to try different things on the specials menu. Today I had sweet chilli chicken livers with salad and fresh bread. A M A Z I N G!!! The best I have ever tasted. The coffee latte was nice and hot and the homemade cakes delicious too. I'm sure many would visit if they opened weekends and evenings too but it is well worth booking the day off work for a long lunch with fabulous food and wonderful company. A great start to my weekend.

The food is very good and the service very quick but the lady in charge would need to be a little warmer.

We took my sister in law for lunch on a visit from Berkshire,such a lovely eating place,organic food,such a choice,could be more seating,lovely when the sun is out as you can relax out side,the shop is lovely,candles and oils to buy or have a Spa.Will visit again when we go to visit Family.

I often take my mum and aunt out for lunch. My aunt living in the Preston area, we have eaten at many establishments around Whalley, Mawdsley and all surrounding areas. However, The Sanctuary remains our favorite. It is not over prescriptive and all the staff are so pleasent and friendly certainly trying their very best to accomodate the needs of the clients. On occasions it does get very busy, but this is a reflexion on the superb food that is served. The variety is so tempting, the only problem we encounter is deciding what to order. The desserts are all home made and delicious. I can recomend The Sanctuary with confidance knowing, you would have to have a major problem to find any fault. I look forward to my next visit

We have been regulars of The Sanctuary for a number of years, but I think its popularity may reflect in our last two visits and hence my review. It has got to the stage where we leave it as late as possible to visit for lunch, otherwise you just cannot get a free table. We arrived at 1.25 on a Friday, however tables around us including ours were full of dirty plates, cups and glasses. A chap came and cleared the dirty pots but did not wipe the table clean and so it remained a little sticky. There are usually clean glasses and numerous jugs of water available to help yourself to, not on this visit. We ordered our food, a large houmous and avocado sandwich with salad and a large chicken salad combo with soup, so easy enough to prepare. We waited over 30 mins and I was about to go and ask when our order appeared. The food was just okay, although the sandwiches were certainly not the large ones you normally get. In fact the bread was so small, there was no way you could pick them up, as the fillings, which normally would be evenly spread on large pieces of bread, were stacked so that the sandwich all fell to pieces. My houmous and avocado at £7.00 was made up mainly of sliced tomato, beetroot and red onion, the avocado and houmous were lacking. On our last visit, we could both tell that Cliff the head chef was not there and I would put money on it, that he was not here this visit, something was just missing on the food front. There was also a terrible problem with wasps (perhaps a wasps nest is nearby which needs sorting) but tables all around were swatting them, trying to protect their food and drinks. We also noticed new staff, who made numerous trips up and down without actually doing anything productive. So instead of bringing out a new order and taking away dirty pots on the way back to the kitchen, they were just left. It was interesting to see a young chef take a table to have his lunch, go to the counter in the middle of the room for a glass of water and it still had not replenished since we arrived 45 mins earlier. He had to go to the kitchen as there were no clean glasses behind the food counter either. We will give it another go, but our last two visits have not been up to the usual standard.

What a delightful place. The cafe is light and airy with outside courtyard seating. The menu is organic and dietary needs specified. It's becoming apparent to me that some people find the organic/ dietary needs catered for label on cafes and restaurants off putting as if this somehow puts a 'health' slant on food which can only detract from the experience (??). This couldn't be further from the case. I am a recent organic eater with a recent dairy allergy. I am also something of a foodie and have eaten in many restaurants all over the world in my many years on the planet. I have recently sought out organic cafes and restaurants locally, and not so local (recently travelling to York for a night out at an organic restaurant -Goji Cafe on Goodramgate, very good too)- which are few and far between I'm sad to say- and on the whole I can say that the quality of food is far superior. I highly recommend this cafe to everyone. I will be a regular customer indeed.

As soon as you enter the restaurant you can feel the tranquil relaxed atmosphere. The food is excellent. While you are there take a walk around the centre and soak in even more calmness. The place takes a bit of finding but it is well worth the effort.

Had a lovely lunch out at The Sanctuary. Was very busy on the day we went, and had to vacate our table before 1.15pm due to quite a few tables being reserved, so it was a little rushed.BUT food was excellent and service.

Despite living only a couple of miles away from this place, I never knew it existed until a colleague at work mentioned it. I have been half a dozen times now for lunch and I have never been disappointed. Immaculate establishment; fresh and varied food; amazing soups; good value for money. I have sampled mainly soups and sandwiches which have always been served to a very high standard. The selection of cakes is also very impressive and everything is homemade. Get there early though for lunch or else you may queue for a while to place a food order and can risk people asking you if they can join your table as it gets really busy. This is obviously a sign that it's an incredibly popular lunch spot. A great find and well worth a visit. I would highly recommend.