The Blue Egg in Braintree

Smashing brekkie in a beautiful location, never been down this way before and was pleasantly surprised by the offering. A must try if you are in the area.

Not clean , the staff spend a lot of time behind the counter chatting and no service as you collect yourself with a very annoying buzzer. Tables often not cleared. Crockery often chipped . The food is lovely especially the lunches but a friendly smile would make a much better experience !!

The service was poor and the customer service appalling. We are 3 women, two ordered the same thing on one order and I ordered separately after them. My meal was ready in a reasonable time (jacket potato) however after 20 mins or so we checked for the first order (flatbreads) and was told they were being ‘stacked’. We found a drink’s receipt which showed we had been waiting 40 minutes! After another trip to the till we were informed that the timing on the till receipt was 10 minutes slow. We then asked for a refund as I had nearly finished my meal. The food was then ready. We were seated at the table and a blond haired female (no name badge) came to us to argue the timings, my friend commented that there wasn’t any apology for the length of time as it was still over half hour late. The staff member said they had no reason to apologise, I commented that wasn’t very good customer service and we were told if we didn’t like it we could - she then gestured with her thumb over her shoulder towards the door. We got take out boxes thrown at us and we left. This really upset us and one of our group was really tearful after being treated in such an aggressive manner. I still can’t believe what happened.

The food is of good quality but having been a few times I find I am increasingly irritated by the following - they use pagers to let you know when to pick up your food and if it's busy the place is constantly bleeping. The toast for your breakfast is a doorstep and on top of the breakfast not on a side dish with the butter, sauces, salt and pepper etc in small packets which inevitably gets all over your fingers and table with nowhere to put all the empty sticky packets. If you get what you pay for then it should be better than that!

The last two experiences at the Blue Egg. First we visited on a bank holiday Monday to find it closed. Visited today to be met by an extremely rude member of staff. We arrived at 3.35 hoping for a light bite. As I approached the lady to ask her if we could have a menu she hardly looked from what she was doing and told me they had stopped serving food at 3.30pm. There was hot food on the counter, quiche sausage rolls, selections of salads. We would have been happy to have quiche and salad or a sausage roll and salad but clearly the Blue Egg would rather throw the food away then take 5 minutes to pop it on a plate and sell it to us. A real shame. We’ve visited previous and it’s always been a busy, hustling business and we’ve had a good experience however looking at recent reviews it appears it has gone downhill, maybe new owners who knows? I would have thought with todays cost of living and businesses struggling every penny counts, we spent our money elsewhere and won’t be returning.

This used to be a favourite place to go with family for lunch. Unfortunately the whole sitting area is grubby, we had to wipe down our table and the seats with wet wipes (this was after discovering all the tables and chairs are like this.) As for the stack of high chairs and the trays they are absolutely filthy and again it had to be cleaned before the baby could use it. The system for ordering is done by going to a counter placing your order, paying in full and then you are given a pager which notifies you when to collect your food. So in effect the main person you have contact with is the staff member in charge of the above, and she was helpful. The other staff seem to be in charge of clearing the tables (but obviously not cleaning!) when the customers have finished. Although the food was edible the hot plates and counters where it is displayed could also do with a clean. So sadly after having been many times over the years we will not be returning.

One of the best lunches I’ve had, ordered the tandoori flatbread and it was a absolute dream. Fantastic service and reasonably priced, will return. Thank you knead food/blue egg

I’m not one to leave reviews but I simply will not allow others to make the mistake I did in coming to this cafe. Yesterday I visited with my two young children expecting a lovely family day out but was left with nothing but disappointment. Where do I start. The service was appalling and every time I was met with a worker the hostile assistance was highly off putting. The food was cold and dry and the cafe on a whole was far too noisy. The only positive takeaway I had from my entire visit was the young, red headed girl behind the till who I’m upset I didn’t see more of. Her cheery and accommodating service was unfortunately overshadowed by the overall displeasure of my stay.

We were looking forward to our first meal out since last summer and chose the Blue Egg as there was always something nice to eat for everyone. Three generations went for brunch last Friday and I ordered one of my favourites, poached egg on avocado on toast.My meal appeared...both eggs on one piece of toast, two slices of avocado on the side and two rock hard, small butter pats. One egg was missing most of the white and was overcooked and cold, the other was lukewarm. I had to move the eggs off the toast which was now soggy, attempt to spread the butter, mash the avocado (not possible as it was under ripe) and reassemble my meal. It was all completely cold by then.I didn't make a fuss at the time as I did not want to spoil our social occasion but it was really not good enough.

My friend and I popped in for lunch last Saturday hoping we might get a table. However they have increased their outside eating area and there were plenty of tables . We ordered (they have a very good Health and Safety setup) and we were very pleased with our meals , the food was hot and plenty of it , having ordered large chip portions .There was a good variety of meals and I can recommend the veggie burger . We shall return when next in the area

Our third time driving over when the website and the phone message say it’s open and we get there and it’s not. No idea why they can’t update their hours and no idea why after so much loss for small businesses they would be closed on a Sunday.

Popped into the Blue Egg whilst out with a few of the guys on a bike ride, was firstly impressed that there was somewhere to lock our bikes, it was busy but plenty of space inside and out to sit, the selection of cakes and pastries is mind blowing and the portions are huge. The coffee was first class and hot. What a gem this place is. Will certainly be visiting again for the amazing cake when we are allowed.

I’m local and been coming to the Blue Egg on and off for some time. Whilst the Setting is very pleasant and the food consistently of a good quality the general persona of staff has become increasingly uptight and ill mannered. We have still visited the premises on the basis that the bad service is worth suffering for the good food and Child friendly setting. It would be great to pop in, have a wholesome lunch then leave not feeling frustrated from a negative interaction with snobby or negative staff member. The waitresses really need to learn to smile they all look miserable. As a customer I have often felt like a inconvenience to staff members when visiting the restaurant and been meet with cold, in-genuine, ill mannered responses - when ordering, enquiring ect. This is the case more often than not.

I understand we are all Covid aware, but being closed on a Sunday is just Covid adverse. Covid doesn’t pick days of the week!!!Further to that, closing an hour and a half early on a week day isn’t that logical either. The doors are open but not a kettle on site to make a cup of tea, yup that’s all it would have taken for you not to be reading this. Nice food, average surroundings both front and rear and clearly lacklustre business ethics. Altogether a bit of a shame really...

Stopped here on a road trip, great little find and great service. Food very tasty and lots to choose from. Good covid-19 safety measure too. Will definitely return again.

Just had lunch having eaten here before and was very disappointed. Considering the prices are at restaurant levels, the quality is not good enough. Had a chilli jacket and a goats cheese and red onion quiche at nearly £10 each. The jacket potato was lukewarm at best as was the chilli which was also dry. You could tell that isn’t wasn’t hot enough as the cheese didn’t melt at all. The quiche was a small portion which was ok however someone in the kitchen needs to know how to peel onions as it still had the tough outer skin left in which is inedible. To add to this the glasses for our drinks were dirty which the staff told me they were aware of but seem reluctant to do anything about. Just seems no effort is made anymore so we won’t be returning!

My family and I have been going to the Blue Egg for years and have never been disappointed. We went for breakfast on Saturday and were so impressed with their Covid measures. They have really thought about the safety of their team and guests alike. Food great as usual - well done!

I popped in with a friend to get some lunch and although the food was very nice, the prices were far too expensive, we payed a tenner for a small wrap with chicken and salad inside and a small side salad, considering this place is a cafe the prices are awful

We had a lovely lunch at the Blue Egg. Felt totally safe and food was excellent. Shop felt not so safe as we were the only ones wearing a mask. No one asked to wear mask so would not advise visiting if you want to feel safe.

We love The Blue Egg, so we decided to take our son, his girlfriend and the rest of the family for a celebratory BIG breakfast.The great variety of meals are beautifully prepared, and there are vegan and veggie options too. You certainly won’t go home hungry as everything is massive here, even the jaw-dropping cakes, slices (I can recommend the toffee crisp bar), and loaves, all to take away if not eating in.After we’d devoured our meals (I can recommend the quiche, salad and coleslaw), we decided to have a look around the food/ gift shop, selling beautiful jams, chutneys, gins, gift boxes of chocs and biscuits, and then upstairs for more excuisite gift ideas for men, children, babies and ladies, and even pets!There is a lovely seating area outside (back) which has chickens and goats too.....And a little florist at the front near the ample carpark.I can absolutely recommend The Blue Egg, as it is much more than a eatery!

We haven't been here for a while but we decided to come for breakfast. I wasn't as impressed as I should have been. We sat outside and the outside seating filled with cyclists as it always used to, coming for a rest/refuel/chinwag. We had already ordered breakfast with fruit tea coffee etc. Got our buzzer and sat outside.It is laid out with arrows as per most places and is reasonably organized. The buzzer went off first for drinks. My wife's fruit tea wasn't fruit it was just a normal tea, so she took it back. My coffee had a froth on it but once I had consumed half a cup and the froth was gone I noticed a separated white sediment in there like someone has put soy milk in and then stopped. Don't understand why a new coffee wasn't made....what if I was allergic? So, two wrong drinks out of 2! Not an auspicious start to breakfast.The buzzer rang again and I got our tray of food. Nice size portions, little pots of tomatoes, mushrooms and baked beans, with 2 sausages and 2 slices of bacon. 1 slice of thick crusty bread in half and a small butter portion, which does not go far....but hey, that's just me.Sausages are delicious and so the mushrooms and the toms. The bacon was overly dry. Like it was cooked and then reheated, hmmm, not good.I had ordered your hazelnut and raisin bread which, had it not been burnt by over toasting would have been lovely But, unfortunately, serving the 2 slices with the blackened sides and truly knackered raisins shows a distinct lack of care and attention to someone's creation. What a shame, my wife said she was sorry for suggesting here. It is not her fault in her choice, she always chooses great places to go to eat at, But it is your fault that today's breakfast wasn't as good as all previous visits here have been. You might have been furloughed for a few months but you need a kick up the proverbial to get back into serving proper food to all.P.S. I am a chef, so I do know......!

We stopped here for lunch on our way to Lavenham and, because we enjoyed it so much, on our return!!The food was excellent the staff were great and the location is perfect (at least for us).There is a shop and small garden centre on site so plenary to occupy a couple of hours!Highly recommended!!

After a trip to the discovery park at Notley we went here for lunch. Having not eaten out since March we didn't know what to expect. It was v relaxed but spotlessly clean, staff behind perspex screens, a good system using buzzers to tell you when you collect food orders through a hatch, tables v well spaced apart and lots outside.Good was as good as ever!

Just picked up 2x takeaway pizzas from here, 1x gluten free what a fantastic place. Both pizzas was lovely and fantastic service.The food is lovely and service great, please use this local service? Can’t wait for the fish and chips to return.

Meeting friends for a midweek snack lunch, we found the cafe heaving with mum/baby groups and cyclists - had to wait for a table. Consequently there was also a wait for the food, but when it came it was delightful - two excellent creative salads, a huge burger and chicken/salad wrap with overflowing filling (and sauce!). Needed more napkins to mop up, and a less harassed air from the serving staff, but better they were busy than not... you can also buy their baked goods on-site as the cafe is run by an artisan bakery. It's an attraction among several - an on-site-florist, gift shop-deli and a post office, plus a garden centre so well worth a visit.

A lunchtime visit with a friend and wasn't disappointed. Service was good and food arrived at the table very quickly. It would definitely been worth a wait if we had too! Great chips and the onion rings were just amazing!!! Food portion was really good. Highly recommend a visit here.

This is a cafe/restaurant that could be so much better if they gave even the slightest impression that they cared what you thought about them.The food is actually quite decent - decent but not great. The overall impression is of a menu that tries to be original but where the execution is a bit lacklustre. The descriptions of menu items lead you to expect more than is actually delivered, although in fairness what is delivered is quite edible but just less enjoyable than you might expect given the "foodie" vibe they do their best to impart.The service levels however need to be looked at. An example includes tables that weren't cleared following the previous diners' departure, and when cleared were casually wiped over leaving about 2/3 of the surface unwiped and with food residue on it. The staff generally give an impression of being undermotivated and perhaps undertrained. Overall, it's OK-ish but would really benefit from an injection of enthusiasm. A decent local competitor would probably provide the necessary motivation, as customers defect.

A treat to find a place to get a coffee after 4pm Tea and a coffee a large piece of ginger cake (very nice). Good selection of cakes and friendly staff. Seats could do with having cushions. We'll be back.

We ordered the full English and it arrived hot and the plate was very full. See you again Blue Egg when I'm very hungry!

I’ve eaten here a few times, and whilst on the whole the food is good today’s visit wasn’t great. Main meal was lovely, crayfish tail and mango salad. Fresh and tasty. I don’t understand however how a member of staff can walk past a table laden with dirty cups and plates and not clear it. Why would you choose to leave your customers with with a table full of dirty crockery when they’ve finished eating and walk past with empty hands? This has happened each time I’ve eaten there so isnt a one off. Secondly we ordered cake. The coconut and custard (where was the custard?) was very dry, but tasty. The chocolate and raspberry ‘brownie’ however was so rich it was inedible. Two of my friends had this and neither could eat more than one mouthful. When we left they took their uneaten cakes back and commented that the texture was very gooey unlike a brownie and was too rich. They were met with a disdainful “that’s how they’re meant to be” kind of comment. Not great customer service. A “I’m sorry to hear that, please choose another cake to take away” would have cost them hardly anything and left my friend’s happy. As it was the unfriendly attitude means neither will return. I really want to like it here, but service can be so hit and miss.

Visited here with a friend on a ride around the area having heard good reviews before. We were not disappointed. Huge breakfasts with options for swapping elements if not to your taste, nice to have the flexibility. Veggie options available too although no full vegan option due to mushrooms being cooked in butter... a simple change here would sort this out to cater for all. Coffees good although disappointed my espresso not served in an espresso cup... fussy I know but oddly detracts from the drinking experience! Cake selection amazing and vegans catered for here with a very rich vegan slice, very nice it was too. Outdoor seating for the summer plentiful. Service friendly and efficient enough.

Just come back from The Blue Egg and it was one of the worst breakfasts in a long time. One sausage fine, the other with a rancid vinegary taste and pink; it had to be off. Spilt a few drops of milk from the ridiculous pouring cups, but when we mopped it up with a serviette, the table was filthy black!!! All served by a bunch of waitresses that were unfriendly and couldn't smile!

We had quiche with salad and a coffee. The coffee arrived quickly but the quiche took ages. Started checking surrounding tables and noticed that people who arrived later were already eating. Having finished coffee thought that it would be an idea to chase things up when the quiche arrived. It was odd as it was just the pre prepared quiche and salad garnish. Anyway food ok but service needs some attention.

I've been to the Blue Egg four times now. The portions are huge & it is not cheep. On 3 occasions I've asked for my food to be " HOT" rather than the first visit where the quiche that I chose was served up luke warm! I've just taken my mum for her birthday & ordered food & asked for it to be HOT at the point of ordering. I chose the vegetable & lentil lasagne. I should have sent it back as once again along with the (cold) cheesy ciabatta that accompanied the lasagna, was luke warm! It was very dried up & stodgy, probably been sitting under the heat lamp too long. It cost £12.95 & I did not enjoy my meal whatsoever. I mentioned to a server that even though I asked for my food to HOT it was luke warm again . She said she would get the hot plates checked(?)

Food is average not great and it can become very noisy .Not ideal for a quiet lunch with a friend .food choice is plentiful Great if you have young children with an outdoor area and animals

We visited a few weeks ago on one of the last sunny days of the summer. There were two floors of items for sale (some quite pricey), mainly food, wine and soft drinks, some clothing, accessories, toys. The restaurant food was exceptional, you can choose sweet or savoury options (the home made sausage rolls were really good). There is also an outside eating area which is really nice.

Came here with a group of 15 cyclist on a long distance trip to Holland, we were super needy and they went above and beyond to help us all! We even needed someone to help us translate a Dutch menu and they had someone at our table in 2 mins to help!!!

Amazing service. Super friendly. Definitely a top place went above and beyond ***** - good atmosphere.

My first visit here with a friend who luckily knew the system - you can order off a menu or have something from the display cabinet. I just wanted something simple and vegetarian so had a piece of goats cheese quiche with salad. I wouldn't agree with reviews that say the staff were rude, they weren't exactly warm or friendly, but we were served quickly.

Came here with my friends for lunch. The food came out reasonably quick, we ordered a cheese burger, and two chicken burgers. Which was advertised to come with onion rings; but didn’t we hAd to ask. The onion rings had too much batter on it. The chicken burger was, four chicken strips in a bun, which was tough and too hard to chew. The chips were lovely; however it is not worth the price as it was £12.95 x

Delicious lunch, amazing pudding-I couldn’t finish it all as I was stuffed! Lovely place, sweet outdoor play area for kids in the back. Will definitely go back!

I visited Knead Food on 22/09/2019 and had a horrible experience. Staff were rude, unhelpful and downright off putting. I have a range of food allergies, which the cafe claims to cater to, but when I asked staff for help I was met with hostility. When a member of staff went into the kitchen to ask the cooks about allergens, I saw with my eyes both the member of wait staff and the cook being rude and derogatory. Whilst the food, I was assured, was delicious, the experience was completely ruined by the experience with staff.

Came for lunch with a friend today, I'm sad to say how awful it was. We sat in the outside patio area with my dog. Firstly, the dog bowls provided for water were green and scrummy. Don't know when they were last cleaned, yuck.

Been a few times today included. My sister in law has been many times and told me about how rude staff have been in the past. They didn’t disappoint today. It’s so funny. Not one smiled. Not one and believe me we watched (it’s great fun try it) The girl at the till was devoid of any charm and almost barked her questions. Food thrown down without one word We are a nice bunch of happy people so it’s not us. Food ok. Sandwiches huge but therefore impossible to eat I’d go back if not just to laugh at the staff

We have actually never been here but are avid egg lovers so guessing it’s pretty good and a good experience for fellow egg lovers. should probably check it out ngl

We are regular visitors to the Blue egg, and we always have a great time here, it is important to us to support local businesses. Whilst it can get busy at the weekends, the staff are always pleasant and happy to help. The food is reasonably priced and it is very family friendly. My little ones love visiting the goats whilst we eat. Lots of sun cover fo eating outside.

Arrived at lunchtime and as I couldn’t remember the particular dish and was put on the spot as to what to order I asked if they ‘still did the chicken with chilli sauce wraps’, to be greeted with a big huff and answered ‘yesss, the kfc wrap’ to which I replied with a positive in case my food was tampered with. I then asked for two cokes with ice to which I was then told the total price with no please or thank you when I paid.

I visited here with two friends on a double lunch break. It’s not my first visit, but I always look forward to indulging in everything on offer! The restaurant/shop/farm has a great reputation with locals, and I will always bring friends, colleagues and those I want to impress for a treat.

Living locally we frequent the Blue Egg often and have never been disappointed.

Stopped here to grab lunch having seen that other friends had called in previously.

Exceptional food truley full of flavour and very very tasty, value for money, and large portion sizes. We really enjoyed our visit to you today and was not disappoined at all, 5 star.. We will be visiting again. Only negative is that we wished you were closer to where we live as would visit all the time. Have happily recommended to more family and friends who will be visiting you soon.

fantastic food here both the meals they cook, and also the delicious cakes and sweets they have on offer to sell take away also. decent range of foods, including Sunday roasts, but the cakes are fab1

Had lunch for two. Great food, not cheap but really fresh and worth the price.

One of my favourite places to go.

I had a great lunch here with my family, very reasonable price to portion, and very filling too. We had a mix of chilli nachos, lentil chilli, sausage roll and soup, with the pesto pasta side salad and found it enjoyable. We were happy to have a short amount of time to browse the shop before we ate which meant there was no delay in our food being prepared for us by a young chef and her supervisor who seemed hard at work, and what a great job they did, thank you!

Dropped in for some breakfast on our way to where we once lived. The place has been refurbished. (It was lovely before, but is even better now) Had a great breakfast. Good food and great service.

Lovely food! Relaxed atmosphere. Really good for families. Highly recommend. Lovely setting, shops & small garden centre as well!

Called in for lunch with a friend, and have to say I think the food was excellent! Tasty and filling, great portion sizes.

Visited for Sunday lunch and all I can say is WOW! the food was fresh and delicious. Vegan Sunday roast was fantastic as was the regular roasts. Catered for allergies brilliantly and was very reasonably priced. Staff were friendly and polite. Absolute gem of a find!

Made a special trip to The Blue Egg on the recommendation of a foodie friend. An amazing selection of freshly prepared cakes, pastries and hot food was available. The quality of every last bit was not in question. The portion sizes were at least twice the standard offerings in similar places I visit. I heard James Martin say recently that there was no such thing as "cheap good food". He is right. The food here is certainly not cheap. But neither is it expensive for what you get. I suspect that they would rather throw food away at the end of the day than serve it at less than its best the next. That adds to cost. In my view it's worth it as I honestly can't remember when I had a better tasting or fresher cake.

went with a friend,was very suprised on all the main meals and dessert choices,a gem of a place,tucked away in leafy essex,worth a vist

Had full english, sausage and bacon excellent quality, black pudding a real let down for 1 pound extra, definatley not worth it poir quality. Real let down was hash browns, they tasted of fish. Mush have been frying a lit of fish in oil night before. They stunk and were inediable. Will call again but for lunch not breakfast.

We visited on a Sunday after hearing so many good things about the place. It was absolutely heaving with hardly any tables left and a big queue for food and drink. Lots of delicious looking sweet treats and cakes, the savoury flans looked amazing too. Ended up with a coffee and chocolate cake which was delicious. I would recommend this place for a bite to eat. The shops around it are really quaint with some gorgeous little country gifts.

Cycling friendly, children viewing animals, fresh bread daily and food made on the premises to meet everyone's taste. Great and friendly staff, who care about customer service. Order a sandwich and get a meal, sausage rolls large and to die for plus extras to buy, cakes to fill the sweet and needy tooth, all make this a place to visit; shop and nursery on the same site. Cold and warm food to meet every need.

The food is of good quality and well presented. The staff were very nice, friendly and attentive. The shop although not huge has a lot of nice items food and gifts.

This is a great place to kill an hour, it has a quirky shop upstairs selling unique items from belts to board games. Downstairs is a food market with high quality produce from around the world. There is then the cafe the menu is small but what they do they do well the food is good quality and large portions. It can get busy but you don't fell overcrowded. Popular with cyclists as well.

An intentional stop on a great day of riding. The food is beautiful and if things were a little different the burgers were huge!!!

I visited the blue egg for a little celebration breakfast for my daughters GCSE results. What a disappoint.

Having just read a recent negative review, I’m extremely surprised at the points raised. Having been a customer for many years, I’ve always considered Knead Food ( The Blue Egg) to be an extremely friendly and well run small local business. The food is brilliant - evidently not microwaved. The staff are always extremely busy, but never too busy for a smile or good service. Admittedly it is not air conditioned, but it has been an unusually hot summer. If you want air conditioning, I suggest you visit one of the more generic large local chains where the food is most definitely microwaved but of course you’ll be a lot cooler whilst you eat your lower quality meal. I feel it would be more helpful to post constructive criticisms rather than point after point of negativity. Points made that are so far removed from my own experiences here, that I would question whether we are talking about the same place.

Microwaved quiche, sticky chairs, sticky table, tinned drink was warm, warm water, no ice machine, full of flies and no insectOcutor, disinterested staff, windows closed on hottest day, no aircon, bread exposed to flies, overpriced, making a huge profit, seems to be run my moody teenagers. Tables uncleared, garden area had tables but no umbrellas, an array of cakes fully exposed to flies. Requires an urgent EH review from Essex Council.

Popped here with the family as we had heard good things. This place offers a wide range of organic homemade breads/cakes/ salads etc and all delivered to an exceptional standard. The meals here are great with generous portions and very well priced. Such a family friendly destination with children’s play area, small ‘petting zoo’ with goats and chickens. Also has a lovely little gift shop and garden Center. Love it here

Visited for brunch based on reputation & previous visits. Food quality is without question some of the best. Ordering was swift & efficient. Only downside was delivering the food. Tea without milk or spoon. Incorrect toast order. All corrected but the staff could do with further training to deal with this & make it a positive experience.

Great place to have a drink and slice of cake. Well used by cyclists - perfect for them. My only criticism is that the place wasn’t very clean - beautiful day and the tables outside were all dirty and full of rubbish/dirty dishes even though there seemed to be plenty of staff around. This place could be awesome - needs a little TLC.

This place comprises of a few shops, little garden centre and a cafe. Has a large free car park. However everything is expensive. The food shop sells a bit of everything including homeware gifts, greetings cards, wine and homemade frozen meals but most of it is a lot more expensive than comparable items elsewhere. But it's nice to just wander round and get a coffee.

A pleasant lunch venue with small garden centre & quirky shops. Not a huge choice and with a definite trend to healthy salads. Slightly canteen feel and lots of Mums with kids so quite noisy. Not particularly cheap.

Really enjoyed visiting this restaurant. Food was very good and very good value for money. Would definitely visit again

Great choice of food and freshly made cakes and breads. Always busy. Linked to shops with good variety of products. Have been here on a number of occasions for lunch and it has always been lovely. Also have a good gluten free selection.

It helped that it was a sunny day and we sat outside. The food was excellently prepared and served most efficiently by the staff. They were very happy to immediately supply any extra requirements without a murmur but always a smile. Sitting outside is definitely preferable.

Have dish and chips from here on a regular basis on a Friday night as they do takeaway very nice food and really good portion sizes

Coffee nice ....didn't eat. Shame gift shop so lacklustre and sad...read reviews on fb so was hoping for more.....

It was a couple of years since I'd been to The Blue Egg but I'd remembered it as a great place to get a breakfast/lunch on a Sunday avoiding the standard pub roasts.

Had lovely afternoon at The Blue Egg today. The selection of cakes was amazing and all delicious. Tea was hot and plentiful with extra hot water supplied. But even better was the efficiency and attention from the manager and her team. Our whole group felt very much at home and had a lovely time. Thank you Blue Egg. Will certainly recommend future visits for other meals.

The Blue Egg is a café and shop in the Essex countryside between Saffron Walden and Braintree. The menu has good options for meat eaters, vegetarians and vegans, with a great selection of daily specials, all freshly cooked. Service is excellent and the food arrived quickly despite the café being rather busy. Level access, plenty of parking, extra seating outside for warm days. There are also three friendly goats outside.

We often have lunch here as it it close and convenient and we cannot fault the food...unfortunately the cleanliness of the floors, tables and especially the toilets leave a lot to be desired!!!

Food was ok. Service was appalling. Not sure whether there were new staff or not. Will be back but expect improvements

Really good food. I’d heard about the place via some cycling friends. We did a bike ride as had lunch there. Im not vegan but I had the vegan burger took a while getting to us Bt It tasted amazing!!!

Suggested by my son’s work colleague, we couldn’t have been more pleased. Tasty, filling food in a relaxing, cafe-style environment, at value for money prices. The menu had something for everyone, with also a good selection of vegetarian (maybe even vegan) dishes. The cakes looked...

Food is generally pretty good here and I’ve been several times.... I live not far...just need to sort the service...

The Blue Egg is more than just a cafe/deli as it has a great range of gifts and other items...

Get another marvellous Sunday lunch in the Shed. Super food, high quality meat and veg, and stupendous puddings, especially the rice pudding! Can't beat it and great value.

Well, we found it. The jewel of Essex. This little eatery is off the beaten path, but is worth searching for and stopping in. Without a doubt the eclectic crowd tells you that people of a walks know good food and happy service. I walked out with an appetite to return. I also left with a loaf of bread, mince pies, a desert list too long to list. We shall return.

The food can not be faulted however in the shop there is a consistently rude woman. We go pretty much every week for breakfast on our weekends off of Work. It is something nice to do, however, the woman with brunette hair (potentially the owner) is very rude in her manner to customers. I will probably raise this with her when I next see her, I don’t think it is acceptable given that things are not cheap in the shop. I don’t want to stop going but it may well come to that.

I have been to this cafe a number of times over the past few years, and the food is consistently excellent. The quiches are phenomenal (I didn’t like quiche before tasting one of theirs), cakes awesome and bread wonderful. Cream tea is also fabulous, massive fruit scones baked each day, only issue is not enough cream in the little pot for me.

I love the Blue Egg and visit regularly.

On a day out with my mother and sister we thought we would visit the blue egg. Having eaten here before I was looking forward to enjoying the food again.

We came here after having a walk and had a large snack/small lunch. There is a small well stocked shop on site which has lots of local things in it, the Kneed Food restaurant, a garden centre, a small playground and some goats and hens!

Tasty food, friendly & quick service, plenty of bike racks and outside tap to top up water bottles. Just what you need when out on a bike ride with friends.

Visited Blue Egg with family for lunch. Large selection of homemade fresh lunches including specials and an even larger selection of delicious cakes The interior of the cafe was basic and a bit dark but other than that a great place for lunch!

We joined a large group of friends on a motorbike ride out to this gem of a restaurant. When 23 of us rocked up, the staff never batted an eyelid and we were very efficiently (albeit very seriously) served. The food on offer was fresh and looked very yummy. I had the sweet potato, feta and spinach quiche......to die for.....the best quiche I have had in a very long time. Everyone seemed very content with there orders. We wandered around in the adjacent gift shop too, which is filled with a lovely, unique selection of goods. This establishment is well worth the visit and we will most definitely return! My only criticism is that the staff were not very friendly or engaging, but maybe it's because they were busy.

Sadly I believe because of the low ceilings there is quite a lot of noise carries around the eating area. We arrived for a light lunch after probably a busy period and were quite surprised at how many of the young staff were standing around and not attending to our needs. However, once our order was taken it arrived very quickly and was very tasty. Reasonably priced and we'll worth a further visit.