Spencers in Braintree

The coffee and cake are really delcious at this cafe and the farm shop is very good too with a big choice of fresh and frozen food.

Spencer's is essentially a fruit farm but sells a range of other products. There are lots of lovely fresh vegetable, pickles, jams and marmalade's. At the moment there are some great Christmas foods and gifts for sale. We had a really good lunch in the cafe and were very pleased with our visit.

After eating at The Victory we went up to Spencers Farm Shop to look at shop and have a coffee. Shop was excellent. Able to get Cornish Yarg Cheese at a good price plus lots of other treats. Very well stocked. We all bought lots of things. Unfortunately Coffee was very bitter and tasted awful. We told young girl at counter and she did not respond. We asked for some hot water to put in coffee it made it a bit better but still very bitter. Never tasted coffee like it. There was only one word for it disgusting. Shame because shop was really good and would go back again and perhaps have a cold bottled drink. Staff in Restaurant need training

I’ve lunched here several times with friends. Quality food, great service, and a good atmosphere. Very enjoyable!

Had lunch in here Sunday just gone and food is very fresh and very nice. I took some cake home as baguette was very filling. Lovely place to sit in and have food. Animals out the back and a pony in the field next to window in cafe. The shop here is very good too. Had alot of bits for Christmas in there. Lots of parking and friendly people who work here.

Lovely cafe. We had a very reasonably priced bacon sandwich and coffee. Relaxing atmosphere and very polite staff. There is plenty to look at in the shop. Some items a little expensive but we found some lovely jams and preserves. Would visit again.

Lovely sofa now as well as lots of seating plus outdoor seating overlooking fruit farm and children's play area. Nice shop with lots of produce, frozen food, cards and gift ideas. Cafe good for lunches as well as coffee/tea and cakes. Plenty of parking.

Just had a delicious roast lamb lunch. All very, proper home-cooked style. Top notch. Pleasant unpretentious place, service good. Lovely yorkie, good selection of veg, including roast beets. Tender meat and lashings of gravy, all served on a hot (really hot) plate. Nice puds too. I had the last trifle but the crumble looked better. Good value. Recommend. Had a look round the shop which is well stocked with interesting stuff.

Met up with family for Sunday Lunch and enjoyed some good local fayre. The lunch menu offered a choice of either roast beef or lamb and having opted for the lamb this was delivered efficiently and without fuss and cooked to perfection. Accompanied by roast potato and parsnip and a side dish of seasonal veg this was good unpretentious stuff. For dessert the choice was apple crumble or sicky toffee pudding with either cream or custard, again having selected the apple crumble this was delicious 'homestyle' cooking. There was an option for soup or baguette/sandwich for a lighter bite and a selection of ales and wines to wash the meal down with. Although the choice is limited would be more than happy to revisit and enjoy well prepared wholesome food. Just to add to the visit there is an attached farm shop offering a wide selection of produce and other selections. Sunday lunch is served between 12-3pm.

On a recent trip to Essex with a stay, we visited this cafe (and farm shop) three times! They have excellent tea and coffee, and for lunch I had a cheese ploughmans. The other three I was with enjoyed their choice of lunch as did I. The helpings of cheese and ham were particularly generous!

Had lovely afternoon tea there and the shop I personally find wonderful, great selections you won't find elsewhere, going in the Summer is the best, outdoors is fantastic you could stay there all day!

We booked this venue for our Son's 6th birthday party. I've always been rather dubious about booking something outdoors for his birthday, even though it's in August, but this year luck was on our side! ☀️ What made the party especially good was the fantastic help and service provided by the wonderful staff at the cafe, and of course Frosty for being a fabulous party hostess. Everything we wanted/needed was catered for and they offered exceptional value. Equally exceptional were the homemade sausage rolls and rocky road! YUM! Thank you for providing our special little boy with such a super 6th birthday celebration. He'd even like to do it all over again with you next year! 😄

Handy from Halstead always a delicious choice of menu on the specials board.Friendly staff,nothing any bother,light airy atmosphere.a thoroughly lovely experience.

Good place to drop in for either morning coffee, lunch or afternoon tea. It is bright and airy, great countryside around and depending on time of year you can also pyo. The food is fresh cooked, all made on premises with local ingredients. The staff are extremely pleasant which does make a difference. We live to drop in for lunch on way home from shopping. Definitely recommend this place. Menu isn't extensive but what is available is good. As well as a great eating place the farm shop offers great local produce as well.

We visited this garden produce homestead for afternoon tea and were not dissapointed.Excellent fare with home made scones and cakes made for a gastronomical treat.Staff were very friendly and welcoming,We took the opportunity afterwords to visit the shop and took a lot of local produce home.Highly reccomended. As Autumn arrives their pumpkin theme is very welcome.

we were a group of 4 adults & 4 childrenwe met up here for lunchthe children had a great time playing on the tractor trackhowever it took well over an hour to deliver our food which only consisted of sandwiches and salads. when we ordered icecreams for desserts we did say that we hoped it would not take as long as the first course: we were told it would take as long as it took to scoop out the ice cream!Incredibly they still managed to make this take another 30 minutes and when it did arrive it was obvious that it had been sitting on the side as some of the ice cream had melted.When we went to pay we said that we were not satisfied with the service: this was met with a half hearted, hostile apology.Will not be returning and would certainly not recommend this place

Best Sunday lunch ever eaten out and great value and service well worth a visit and lots of goodies in the farm shop fresh cherries today

I have been eating at Spencer's and shopping in their farm shop for many years and hope to continue to do so for many years more. I have seen the generations change since the Spencer family first started the apple farm on this site in 1936. What can I say other than the food is excellent and the service better. I drive up the lane in my old car and we are welcomed like old friends. Nothing is too much trouble. The food in the café is delightfully presented and the young waitresses prompt and helpful. There is an excellent range of preserves and jams in the shop and visitors must sample the new butcher's counter and its range of sausages both spiced and plain. I have to recommend the Marmite sausages (you either like them or loathe them) but I find them delicious and the smell of them cooking in the pan takes me back 60 years to my childhood home. - Well done Spencer's you are gems in a beautiful setting.

Lovely home made food at reasonable prices. Friendly staff, excellent service and I would highly recommend it. Customers have the option of picking their own fruit while there or buying some of the excellent produce from the farm shop much of which is home made or grown. Set in picturesque, relaxing North Essex country-side. You will not be disappointed.

A place I have visited many times. The menu for breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea are very simple and very simply good. I am sure that most people in the area who like eating out have visited Spencers at some time and many make it a regular trip. You can stock up on farm shop foods many of which are grown outside the doors.

I love Spencers, it's such a lovely Cafe and Farm Shop. The food in the cafe is outstanding and the service is top notch. A great place to visit and good value for money.

I visit Spencer's cafe regularly and am never disappointed. They serve lovely homemade food. The service is always brilliant, the staff are so happy and friendly. It's a great little cafe and I would recommend it to anyone.

Driving along between Sudbury & Sible Headingham I passed the sign for Spencers... Needing a stop and refreshment I turned the car around and headed back - good decision!The warm welcome and excellent freshly cooked food was fantastic - I had a jacket potato with grilled bacon and sour cream and chives with side salad and a further side of "home-made" quiche (I was hungry!) - the side salad had plenty of cucumber and tomato along with fresh green lettuce - plenty of dips offered and the bacon must be the best I have tasted.If you want more butter - no problem - more dips complete satisfaction guaranteed!The tea pot gave two and half cups of fresh tea - the daily specials board had strawberry eton mess - resistance was futile!So many little things that others get wrong - here at Spencers they were oh so right...Spotlessly clean venue, tables that did not rock, good quality cutlery, thick napkins, sturdy comfortable farmhouse chairs, friendly service etc etc...If little things mean alot to you - this is the place that is going tio be right up your street!The review by Ramond was right - What A Find!THis is the sort of place that you can take any of your family to with confidenceI will be back to sample this fine hospitality very soon!So if you are passing along the A134 - Yes this place is worth turning back to experience!

Whist on our travels, my wife and I followed the sign from the main Halstead to Sudbury road to this restaurant.It forms part of a small complex of buildings incorporating an excellent farm shop.Since the first occasion about eight weeks ago we have visited a further twice, latterly with family.For us to use the same restaurant three times when visiting the same area, shows how well we rate it.The food appears to be all prepared and cooked in the in house kitchen using fresh ingredients available for purchase in the farm shop.The food is delicious, in good portions and reasonably priced.Would we return? Yes definitely!The farm shop has a good range of products and also sells the products of the kitchen, so one can purchase food you have enjoyed frozen for another enjoyable time at home.