Sweet Surprise in South Somerset

We were just having a flying visit today through Ilminster whilst traveling back home after a weekend break. What a lovely find this little place was. I loved the fact this is run by people with learning difficulties who were so pleased to serve us and were bright and cheerful. we only wanted a hot drink which I must say was the nicest cup of tea, served with a homemade shortbread biscuit on the side. I come away loaded with little homemade gifts and cards that had been made by a team working away at the back. What a great place, these lovely people are learning and being very pro-active with the public. I would defiantly pop in again if passing that way, but this time making sure I had time to have lunch as well. Keep it up, your doing a brilliant job !

It's rather nice to be back here after so long (I last visited during my sixth form years, so to speak). Excellent food and drink, reasonable prices, quiet atmosphere. Perhaps I will come again, who can say? Bear in mind that car parking around the area is hard to come by, so you may have to account for that!

So pleased I stumbled across this lovely place when I had time to kill in Illminster. The clearly homemade cakes in the window got me in, but I was delighted to find such a happy team serving, who were clearly enjoying their job. Extremely good value for money (I don’t know how it compares to other local prices but certainly excellent value compared with Surrey.) Would highly recommend. The Bakewell sponge was as good as it looked!

Had a lovely meal, (Jacket potatoe) lovely atmosphere, Friendly staff Will be back Recommend giving them a try

Fantastic food. Beautifully presented. My gf bought crafts from back as well. We always visit when we are in somerset

We love this place and always visit when we come to Somerset twice a year. Great food. Great gifts, great sweets and I always buy the paper logs for the fire and gift tags. We will be in again as Always

Fantastic place everyone who works there are brilliant. The breakfast is one of the best. A really brilliant place.

We stopped in Ilminster en route to Devon and had lunch in this delightful little cafe. Fantastic service, reasonably priced, good choice and the food was tasty and hot. Service was prompt and attentive - what a credit to the town this little cafe/craft enterprise is!

Visited today as we always do when staying in westport. Sausage sandwich and hot chocolate. I had a toastie with salad and crisps and a pot of tea. Well presented. Bought some tags and fire burners and a really cute glitter cone in pot. Also extra dog biscuits for my friends dog. Finally bought some mince pies to take to a friend's tomorrow. I also had a piece of date slice to take out. Lovely cafe, great staff. Very clean always. Service always with a smile. Young man often on the till super chap.

Lovely clean welcoming cafe. My oh had sausage sandwich and hot chocolate. I had a toasted sandwich beautifully presented with crisps and salad. Bought some gift tags and a very sweet glitter cone in a tiny pot. Bought some more of the paper for open fires. Bought mince pies for a friend and date slice for me. All lovely as usual.

A wonderful Café with a difference WELL DONE ALL THE STAFF STUDENTS AND HELPERS.

Visited to have a cup of tea and browse. My partner had tea and lemon cake. Always presented well by friendly staff. I found things to purchase as always from the crafts. Very impressed as how the crafts use so much recycled stuff. Love the paper logs for the fires. Always buy them. We will be back again in December. We always visit when we are in Somerset. Fab little place to support.

This is a no fuss good value cafe. The service is friendly and efficient and the food is tasty. Also you can buy a variety of sweets or lollies if you are from Australia. They are yum.

Excellent value for money, great food, friendly and welcoming. We had a cheese and tomato toasty with salad and crisps and a cheese ploughmans

This is a lovely Café that's got a hidden Sweet Suprise. It's run for and by Young Adults with Learning disabilities. Wonderful caring staff who make all the students feel valued. Such a happy atmosphere. A must if you visit Ilminster for food, traditional sweets and gifts made by the students.

We visited today to get in before we departed back home. Charming young man greeted us on arrival. We had a cup of tea and toasted teacake. All presented beautifully. Tea came with extra hot water that's another star. I bought some crafty things, gift tags, envelopes which are so beautifully made. I also purchased their seed bags for a gift. Of course we couldn't resist the sweets. Very impressed to see how many times the young man serving used gel on his hands. Best hygiene I have seen on our 10 day holiday. The tables were kept spotless by the two young women. We will definitely be back to this spotless, relaxing charming cafe when we are next in Somerset.

Great scones and friendly service. Brilliant! Place was very clean and tidy and staff were very attentive. Just going here for a coffee would be a great experience. Lovely gift shop also.

My wife & I had lunch at Sweet Surprise on Monday, whilst en route to Exeter for Christmas. We'd tried to eat at The Silver Street Cafe along the street, but after waiting 10 minutes or more to be acknowledged, decided to move on & found Sweet Surprise. We were very glad we did. There's quite a short menu, we both chose an omelette, one ham, one cheese. They were served with a small dressed salad & were very tasty, very good value at £4.50! I also had a coffee & a portion of their home-made cake, it was delicious. Service was good, with young & friendly staff, some have learning difficulties, but they're supported by able colleagues. This will be our new pit-stop when heading to or from the west. The cafe has a number of craft items for sale, we bought some hand made Christmas cards.

I was looking around Ilminster when I came across what I thought was a sweet shop what a lovely surprise I got when I opened the door to find a stunning cafe, We found a table and was served by a very well mannered young man It's a real community cafe, with lovely items to buy,

Brilliant lace to visit. Amazing opportunity for young adults to progress their individual learning skills. A unique day service with a digference for persons with a learning difficulty.great quality food is served Monday to Friday from 09.30 to 15.30.

Went in for Brunch, I had an omelette, whereas another family member had soup, and another fish-finger sandwiches. Nice food, nice hot drinks, very pleasant atmosphere, a great set of staff and I loved the ethos. Will be back!

Had a lovely breakfast and a pot of tea at a bargain price. Friendly service. Had a browse around the shop while waiting for the food and found two lovely handmade cards at only £1 each.

Called in for a coffe after a walk in from our hotel , was so impressed that we went back for lunch. Lovely friendly environment excellent food and interesting craft displays. Even bought a few presents there to take back home. Would highly recommend a visit .

I would thoroughly recommend this little cafe. Service was prompt and friendly, the food was excellent and very good value. I will return to spend a little time in the gallery at the rear and to enjoy further little treats. Thank you and welll done to all involved.

We just walk in fore same brake... nice staff and very friendly, the cake it was very nice, and the coffee.

A return visit yet again for us. Warm welcome, great, friendly service, superb coffee, wonderful coffee and walnut cake, lovely, relaxing atmosphere and great value for money.

What a brilliant cafe with a great concept . Staff work hard. The cakes are amazing and all made on the premises . We will definatly return . Has a sweet shop and lots of hand made gifty things . The cake slices were huge too . And what a reasonable price to pay too . I was expecting it to be more .

What a place. Really good food at really good prices. The whole concept of community engagement and contribution makes Sweet Surprise a wonderful warm place to sit and eat. Service is attentive and engaging. Everyone's a winner.

Staff some with learning difficulties very polite ,cheerful eager to please .lovely bacon sandwiches. cafe so bright & clean.Well Done to all the staff. will be back.

Pasó por aquí la semana pasada y quedé impresionado para conseguir un desayuno durante todo el día por 3 libras. 00! ! Excesivamente buena relación calidad-precio. Tocino, huevos, frijoles y setas (la versión más), pero la marca de éxito. Encantador, limpio, luminoso y ventilado. Personal muy atento. Bastante peculiar, con todos los elementos de artesanía y tarros de dulces tradicionales. Si estás en Ilminster, obligatoriamente.

Como la Rana parpadeante en Yeovil, esta es una empresa de caridad que ofrece capacitación de empleo respaldado y oportunidades para la gente. Caminar y estás cumplió con una cálida bienvenida en una cafetería muy luminosa y limpia, con la adición de diversos artículos artesanales a la venta. Buen menú de comidas ligeras. Nosotros disfrutamos de la nuestra, con muy buen servicio, y nuestra factura total era solo 10 libras, excelente relación calidad-precio.

I just can't fault this place. I use all the cafes in Ilminster and they all have things that make them special. Here it is the bright open feel and fantastic staff who serve hot great quality food.

Los dulces en la ventana me dibujó en Dulce Sorpresa para el café, que fue una gran taza de café fuerte, que era justo lo que necesitaba. El personal fue muy atento y amable. Tuve granos en tostadas y el pan era de buena calidad y rodajas gruesas. Los granos eran muy sabroso y todo a un precio razonable.

Habíamos estado con la intención de visitar dulce sorpresa durante meses y nos quedamos agradablemente sorprendidos"." Disfrutamos de un excelente servicio y un aperitivo almuerzo muy bien de precio. Uno de los mejores cafés que he probado y con espuma. Mi marido tenía un sándwich de tocino y yo elegimos la sopa del día, puerro y castaños Parsnip - delicioso y encantador tanto servida con pan fresco. Nos llevó un tiempo encontrar, pero sin duda volveremos.

Este café es atendido por personas con problemas de aprendizaje. Pero no te preocupes por eso. Sólo ve a lo largo y experimentar el encanto del lugar. Hacen todo lo que pueden para que su visita sea un éxito y ambos entusiasta y competente. Todos los alimentos cocinados y bebidas calientes que pedimos era una buena relación calidad-precio. También hay deliciosos pasteles caseros y tarros de moda dulce tentarle.

Este café son tienda está gestionado por una caridad local ayudando a las personas con discapacidades para crear artículos realmente interesantes y venden a colocarlos en empresas locales para el trabajo. El café es precioso y limpio y el personal es servicial y acogedor.

We have visited here for several years.It has always provided first rate food and service at very fair prices-great value with a warm feeling.Why don't more people come here? This is one of Ilminster's hidden gems.

Stopped for lunch today and very impressed... good service and great reasonably priced food. Definitely worth a visit if you are passing.

Popped in here today for coffee and tea cakes. The place was spotless, staff were friendly and helpful and food and drink great. We also had some beautiful homemade biscuits made fresh today. The cafe also sells weigh out sweets (everyones favourites) as well as some very clever arts and crafts made on the premises. Definitely worth a visit!

Coffee and fresh baked cakes are quite the best in Ilminster. Lovely clean and fresh surroundings, always greeted by warm and friendly staff. Excellent value for money, we recommend Sweet Surprise it really lives up to its name. In addition the management is giving great support to it's staff and this shows by their helpful and happy manner. They are sharing the experience well done.Robin and Alexandra Reid.

Sweet Suprise is my 'local' because of the friendly atmosphere and service, inexpensive tasty home cooked food, and the fact that it supports many young adults with learning difficulties.Behind the shop ( which also sells sweets, and craft ware made by the youngsters) is a hive of activities which the young adults partake in, as well as going out into the community to gain work experience..I can't speak more highly of the shop.

Second review.Had a lovely all day breakfast here. My only criticism was that the bacon was far too salty. Apart from that it was the best breakfast I have had for a long long time. I reccomend this place to others.

Until I tried this place I had always avoided Ilminster at lunchtime. This is the place, I mistakenly thought, of cafes with slices of cakes and bakes individually wrapped in cling film and displayed forlornly in a glass case. How wrong I was! I could kick myself for missing this little gem of a place, which I had thought was only a sweet shop having visited a few years ago when it first opened.First off, this place is unique and the service is careful and charming. Richard, the head server, takes pride in his work, as well he should. He clearly has a great rapport with regulars who know him by name.The menu is basic, but done, oh, so well. The sausages in my sandwich were obviously good quality and cooked just for me - no microwaved reheating of a pre-cooked banger here. My mother had a roast beef sandwich with meat that looked as though it had been roasted for a lunch the day before and not pulled from a plastic package. My big gripe with many cafes is meanness with tea. There should be a bag/spoon per person and one for the pot and that is exactly what I got. Tea nirvana.In addition to sandwiches and toasties, there are baked potatoes and a soup of the day. The signature dish appears to be sausage rolls which I will investigate on my return to this fantastic place. In short, if my granny had run a cafe, this is what she would have served.I love it!

Set up to help adults with learning disabilities to give them a place to work, learn and create amazing stuff to buy and eat!You'll always get a very warm welcome from the team and the food is an absolutely bargain.We visit all the time and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it - keep up the good work guys!

A really great little cafe to drop into. Slightly unusual atmosphere given their (fantastic) commitment to helping those with special needs, but this only makes the place even better. We've had coffee and cake a few times, and lunch today - all have been very nice, with the coffee a real standout. Everything arrives quickly too. Highly recommended.

Popped into here for breakfast this morning with two of my colleges and had a fantastic fry up! The Staff were very friendly and was quite a quirky little cafe.. Well worth a visit if you are in ilminster.

Stopped by for breakfast again. Great quality food is still served. Staff are friendly and polite. Just wish it opened on a Saturday as well!

This cafe' is worth a visit. The service was great and we really enjoyed the ploughmans lunch which was really delicious with the chutney. There is some lovely craftwork on show and I liked the picture frames. If you are passing through Ilminster, Somerset pop in to this cafe' I really do recommend a visit.

My wife and I stopped for a light tea and eventually realised that the cafe was run by staff with learning difficulties, which was fine. My wife ordered traditional scones, jam and cream. Unfortunately the scones were raw in the centre and we had to choose something else. This was shame as the idea of the cafe was a good one.By sharing your experiences, you're helping travellers make better choices and plan their dream trips. Thank you!

We popped into this lovely cafe for lunch.We had toasted sandwiches and cakes, coffee's and hot chocolates. All delish. The staff were friendly and efficient. The food was of a high quality. The great thing was being able to purchase sweets from jars and the various crafts/gifts which are made on the premises.

This was a really nice experience, we thoroughly enjoyed our lunch of a jacket potato, with a large pot of tea. Staff very pleasant and it was good to see them helping the less able citizens to make items to sell. The food was very fresh and good value for money. Well done to everyone.I wish I had realized that the soup bowls were for sale, they are just what I am looking for. I shall have to go back sometime.

We often pop in to this delightful cafe. The food is always delicious and great value for money. The staff are always friendly and helpful and I can never resist the lovely handmade dishes and other items they have for sale.

Ventured in to get out of the cold and have a snack. My friend and I were warmly greeted and allowed to choose where we would sit. We both chose the homemade soup and this was served with a good size chunk of granary bread (there was an option to have white). The soup was served in handmade bowls, which are produced by the young people who are part of the project that runs this little shop/café. The soup was delicious and the service efficient and friendly. We browsed the other items made by the project, all of which are reasonably priced, if you wish to buy a soup bowl they are available, as are other pottery items and bits and bobs. We couldn't resist the sweets in the old fashioned jars, so we bought 100g of a couple of those on offer - you don't often see Pontefract Cakes these days!The prices are very reasonable here and the portion sizes are generous too. Will definitely be eating here again and I recommend others visiting Ilminster, to take the time to call in here as well.

I liked the fact that it is the only shop like it around here!Proper good old fashioned sweet shop, yum yum!

Cosy with all the log burners lit on a cold day. Lovely coffee & cakes no time to check out the meals but very good menu all surrounded by interesting items to buy.

This cafe is the business front of a project to help young people with learning difficulties learn life skills. The order was taken by a very polite member of staff who showed us what he had written down just to check it was correct. They were very helpful in providing a high chair for my young toddler.When the breakfast arrived, it was piping hot and presented well. On eating it I could tell it was made with high quality ingredients and it was delicious. I have described it as one of the best breakfasts I have ever had and I have eaten in places from 5* hotels to transport cafes! The downside is it's not open Saturday's, so my husband will have to wait until his next holiday before I treat him.

This place is a little haven for coffee, tea, lovely cakes and the most incredible breakfasts. The atmosphere is incredible, positive, cheery and friendly. I went there for the second time with my friends of the Blackdown Belles Red Hatters and the staff there could not have been more accommodating. It is brilliant to see that others make incredible things to sell and I bought two really wonderful suet/grain birdfeeder balls on a string. I hope someone tells Josh who works at Sweet Surprise and made the birdfeeder that I had a jolly robin having a good munch in my garden today. This place is special as it is staffed by very special amazing people who should be very proud of their achievements.

My daughter and I visited Sweet Surprise for breakfast and have to say it was all brilliant. We had the all-day big breakfast which at £5.50 was great value. The staff are charming and go out of their way to make everyone comfortable. This is not a run of the mill cafe, it is part of a day service for special needs young people and behind the scenes is a really happy, well-run unit. Congrats to all involved. Highly recommended.

Looking for a quick coffee and something to nibble. Walked in no preconceptions and the cappuccino was just right along with some really nice home made biscuits. It was hard to not be tempted by the traditional sweets on sale or expand our choice from the menu but time was limited. In short a good stop off spot simple homely and friendly service. Not fine dining and not an extensive menu. Clean well served and reasonably priced.

We found Sweet Surprise by chance, looking for lunch about halfway on a 200 mile journey. There were no customers in, but a lot of noise from somewhere beyond the cafe itself. We learned that someone had brought in some snakes, to show people - and quickly realised this was no ordinary cafe. Most of the staff are young adults of learning differences, and very helpful they are too. Our waiter showed us the order he had written down, to make sure it was correct, an unusual but good idea. We had a chat about his mobile phone too.I had the large all-day breakfast and my wife had soup of the day (tomato and basil), with decaff coffee. The croutons were a bit soggy, and there was a bit more rind than I'd have wanted on the bacon, but those are not unusual issues. By the time we left, the tables we're mostly occupied.The cafe is bright, clean and welcoming and the menu is modest but attractive. And if you want to buy a bag of sweets, there's a good choice! Recommended.

My first visit, and an enjoyable one. Excellent, well prepared wholesome food in a very clean and ordered environment. Fully intend to become more aquainted with their shop and products.Very warm welcome and attention to detail. Well done everyone at Sweet-surprise.

Sweet Surprise is a small café in the centre of Ilminster run by young adults with learning difficulties. They take the orders, prepare the food and serve it. Light meals and - their speciality - cakes and scones, all freshly made on the premises The café is bright and spotlessly clean and attractive with craft items on display for sale, items made by the students working with staff and volunteers..Every customer has a friendly, warm and courteous welcome and is well looked after.It's my favourite place in the town for meeting friends for a drink, cake and a chat. And when in there, it's clear that, not surprisingly, many of the customers are regulars and well known to the students.Highly recommended for a break when shopping or visiting Ilminster.