The Picnic Hut in North Norfolk

The crab salad sandwich I purchased for £8.95 had a red sauce/ relish which basically meant the crab was completely over powered .

The Picnic Hut, Wells-Next-Sea has a sign outside saying “Probably the best Crab Sandwiches In Norfolk” - WRONG, they are DEFINITELY THE BEST CRAB SANDWICHES IN NORFOLK. Choice of bread (Wholemeal with crab?) and generous brown crab as a base with just as generous white crab above, so tasty and fresh. Washed down with an Orio milkshake. We can also recommend the sausage &/or bacon rolls too from a previous visit. Friendly staff too and literally two minutes walk to the harbour.

Really lovely handmade salads and sandwiches - all the food looked very fresh. The staff were very accommodating to my dietary requirements and I enjoyed my very lovely chicken salad back in the cottage I was renting.

We visited the Picnic Hut twice during our week in Wells. The sandwiches were great with plenty of filling and on nice bread. Their famous crab sandwiches are definitely worth trying but on the second visit I had the roast beef, which was also delicious. All sandwiches are freshly made to order, although they are not cheap they are value for money. The cafe is in a good location just close to the harbour where there are plenty of seats to enjoy a take-out.

Tea bag in a paper and plastic cup, plastic knives, dry, hard cake, all throw away not environmentally friendly! on the up side staff were friendly

Me and my wife and daughter and dog called in here for 3 sarnies although a bit pricey the reviews were fantastic so we couldn't wait to try it. What a disappointment. The crab sarnies arw supposed to be gorgeous but ugh no, it was full of large pieces of shell could have broken my tooth. It hardly had any crab in it a thin smear of brown crab paste and jammed with cucumber and lettuce I wouldn't have paid £3 if I knew they were like that. The wife and daughter enjoyed theirs but man the crab sarnie what a let down. If you down here on hols callmin and try it but keep away from the crab sarnies. I wanted to go back and demand a refund but the wife restled me to the floor gave me 3 digs to the side of the head and stopped me.

We always try to stop here for a crab sandwich, a cup of coffee and an ice cream when we are Wells. The food is absolutely lovely, the staff are really helpful, and I can't think of a better way or a better place to enjoy a crab sandwich than sitting outside in the sunshine outside the Picnic Hut. Highly recommended.

Visiting Wells-Next-The -Sea in Norfolk and strolled through this great seaside town with the family to find this gem of an eatery where we were treated to the best crab sandwiches ever (and I've had a few)! As if that wasn't enough, their sausage rolls looked unique enough to compel a sampling, and THEY were also the best! The English butter toffee ice cream was the hat trick...amazing! As we ate and enjoyed, it was evident that the entire staff loved their work, delivering great service to all with such positivity, manifested in good natured bantering, singing and impromptu dancing while creating some really special food! You just know when a place is special!

I couldn't resist the sign outside The Picnic Hut saying "The Best Award Winning Crab Sandwich". That turned out to be a silly mistake. I ordered one 'To Go' only to find a thin layer of brown and white crab meat between two thin slices of bread plumped up by a kind of mayonnaise sauce. Hardly worth the £9.95 price. It was the worst crab sandwich I had all week and I had quite a lot Strangely, I had a much (Much!) better Crab Sandwich a few days later when eating inside Mrs B's Tearoom which is owned by the same people as The Picnic Hut! Their sandwich was full of crab, almost bulging inside the thick sliced granary bread plus salad trimmings. This one was well worth the £9.95. Plus the service from the two ladies was excellent. It became obvious these two cafes had the same ownership as I watched staff moving ingredients between the two establishments. I can only assume its better to eat inside rather than order 'to go'

Absolutely made our day we had booked a beach hut and needed to take a picnic instead of doing it ourselves as we are on holiday decided to Google places near and up popped The Picnic Hut . Well we weren’t disappointed The Picnic Hut supplied Afternoon Tea to us it was fantastic definitely would recommend the food was fresh the sausage rolls were still warm cakes and scones were fabulous Thank you it was delicious and made our day !! 👍🍰🙌

We celebrated a birthday on the beach and collected afternoon tea from the Picnic Hut. This included a great range of fresh sandwiches, homemade sausage rolls, enormous cake selection, a tremendous salad box with fresh olives and avocado, and delicious cheese and fruit scones served with cream cheese, pickle, jam and fresh cream. The food was absolutely delicious, superbly packaged and prepared exactly to our requirements. I would highly recommend the Picnic Hut to anyone wanting to purchase an outstanding afternoon tea in North Norfolk.

Stopped in for a takeaway sandwich lunch for 3. Greeted immediately with a friendly welcome. Great choice of sanwiches and rolls all made to order in front of you. Lovely fresh bread, generous and tasty fillings all wrapped up with care and attention. We chose local frab, chicken & bacon, and ham with cheese and chutney. All were delicious.Plates and napkins packed in too. We will definitely be going back.

Sandwiches/rolls were ok. Definately not worth the price!!! We had a crab roll and chicken & bacon sandwiches. You can easily make these yourself! Smoothies were ok. Again too expensive. Location is great and service was good too!

I can not fault this place atall!! Me and my son both have allergies and they couldn’t do enough for us. It is so difficult going out with allergies but I highly recommend this place. Made you feel welcome and not a problem! Definitely coming back again.

Nice crab sandwich but not enough filling for the price. Take my advice…. Buy the £6.50 large dressed crab from the stall on the seafront, some muffins/barm cakes and make your own. 😋

The most delicious crab sandwich ever aside, the staff were also so lovely. They were quite busy but not too busy to be polite and friendly, also offering recommendations on cakes (also delicious) but also double-checking dietary requirements as we'd asked for oat milk in...

We stopped here twice for lunch - lovely food and service both times. Great crab sandwiches and ice creams. And they let us take our dog in 🐕

Just had 2 cups of lovely tea and crab sandwich on granary bread , and sat inside , very good service, seems to be always busy.Thank you ladies . Bread well filled up with crab.

Whilst there were 3 people "working" I was totally ignored, stood around for some minutes and left before I started to take root.

We initially planned to head here for lunch based on TA reviews but, after a wait of around 15 minutes, it turned out that the anticipate delay was much longer than expected (which we were told by who I assume was the owner or manager)....

Called in to spend the day at Wells, couldn’t go there without a crab sandwich could I? The Picnic Hut was popular on Trip Advisor so I decided to try it, it was delicious, freshly made while I waited, ate on the Quay side overlooking...

I like the cobs they do here. The whole family enjoys them too. Good range of choices. They are a little expensive but I would rather pay a little more and enjoy what I am eating. The peanut butter bars they sell are delicious,.

Title says it all! Cost a bit more than the average sandwich though, but IMO, worth it. The chicken sandwich wasn't bad either!

We are from Dorset and have a lot of local crab in the area but the crab sandwich from here is the best we’ve ever eaten. Well done!

Awesome sandwiches and spectacular Oreo milkshake. Brie and bacon sandwich was perfect and the mozzarella sandwich went down well.

We called here for crab sandwiches to take with us on the Holkham Round. They more than lived up to their reputation and I loved the way the brown and white meat were separate in the same sandwich. The walk was very wet so the...

Every time we visit Wells we make a point of stoping here for a Crab sandwich. Today didn’t disappoint, we waiting for a short time outside for our food to arrive (it was busy), the sandwiches & cake were brought out to us by a...

Probably the worst crab sandwich I've had in the years I've been coming to the North Norfolk coast, barely any crab meat, a load of salad as filler on cheap bread all for a whopping £7.95 If I wasn't so far away when I went...

Looking for a Crab Sandwich in Wells we came across this little sandwich shop, which I remembered from TA. It’s very small with just a few stools in the window if you want to eat in, but it’s really a case of buying your lunch...

Amazing, most beautiful food. Choice of bread and the most amazing bacon n Brie roll with cranberry , really tasty very reasonably priced. Cream tea was delicious what a beautiful little gem of s cafe with the most friendly of staff

The title says it all - freshly made while you wait and absolutely delicious. Choice of breads. Staff very friendly.

Just spent a couple of days in wells and fell across this fabulous little gem. Great service and excellent sandwiches/rolls. So great that we went back again the next day. If you plan a walk or a day on the beach make sure you collect lunch from here before you go. You will not be disappointed.

My partner and I stopped here for a quick bite to eat on our 2 week stay in Wells. This was the best food we had all week!! The Crab sandwich was excellent and the ham salad wrap was amazing! The meat is so tasty, the salad was fresh and the bread was full of flavour! This isn’t your average sandwich shop, everything is made to order, fresh and local!! Also the customer service is top notch!! We will be back!

A group of us stopped for lunch. All the food we ordered was brilliant, particularly the salads which were great value for money. The staff were lovely and made our orders quickly given we were a group of 8.

Smack bang in the middle of Staithe Street is the Picnic Hut. Ordered a bacon and brie roll, what I got was crispy edged smokes bacon, warm, melting brie, cranberry sauce and an extremely tasty granary roll covered in many different coloured seeds.Surpassed my expectations. My Wife had a brie, onion chutney and celery sandwich on white bread. She was also very impressed. Recommended!Friendly staff, we will be back!

Wonderful crab sandwiches and the best I’ve had in Norfolk. The hut is currently allowing people in one at a time and then bringing your order outside. So it feels safe to buy such yummy food.

The staff were so lovely and welcoming, me and all my friends were looked after so well. Lots of lovely smoothie and milkshakes especially the Oreo one.

We walked into The Picnic Hut along with our 2 dogs and were instantly warmly greeted by two very pleasant members of staff. We Both had a toasted sandwich with Stilton cheese, chutney and tomato along with a cup of tea. It was just the best toastie ever!! We then indulged in a slice of home made coffee and walnut cake which was devine. We would definitely go back again and would recommend you try them. Both girls were very friendly and knowledgeable about the local area. Excellent!

Firstly the staff are soooo nice great welcome and very helpful, it says “probably the best crab sandwiches in Norfolk” and I say...? There probably right... it was delicious thank you 😊x

Lovely crab sandwich and nice cold drinks Wold recommend 100% definetly would come back and filling was more than ample spot on fab

Visited here weds5th aug 2020 for a takeaway sandwich. Good choice of fillings etc and could have bread,or roll etc. We had a long wait outside having placed our order.We came to eat a little later and there was very little in the way of fillings and at £3.50 a roll thought it was not good and will not go again.

Have walked by this place on several occasions and today was the the day I just had to give it a go. What a lovely little cafe with a warm welcoming atmosphere. I was created by a lovely member of the team. Asked all the right questions which resulted in me enjoying a lovely bacon sandwich on seeded bread washed down with a lovely cup of Yorkshire Tea. Seating available inside and out which is nice to have been given a choice on such a narrow street. Definitely a place I would go again.

There is a sign in the window of this tiny, super friendly cafe which is a quote from a newspaper stating that The Picnic Hut serves ‘probably the best crab sandwich in Wells’. We disagree - this is the best crab sandwich in the world. Phenomenal!

Visited after reading positive reviews on Trip Advisor.Fantastic service and excellent fresh handmade sandwiches.The girls went above and beyond to ensure we had everything needed even topping up our hot chocolate.Tip When it’s busy take orders and payment off customers else you’ll lose customers like you did when we were there. Walk outs aren’t experiencing your excellent shop, food and service.

I would like to say a big Thank You to Elaine and her family for organising a delicious spread for my Mother-in-Laws Funeral. We live in Kent and were slightly nervous about organising a remote event. Nothing was too much trouble and the food was great especially the cakes. If you need a caterer I would not hesitate to recommend them. The price was reasonable and the home made sausage rolls a delight. If not do pop in to the Picnic Hut for a sarnie, ice cream or chocolate brownie you will not be disappointed.

Freshly prepared in front of you. Full of delicious crab meat.....really delicious! We went 3 times in one week - they really are the best!

4 of us visited after a pleasant walk . Service was exceptional and the crab sandwich was Devine. I wished I lived locally as I would spend all my money eating here! The Reece’s peanut cup ice cream was also lovely Thank you

Back in Wells and looking for a light lunch, so we gave the picnic hut a go. Glad we did, wd had a children's sandwich, chicken and bacon which was loaded, the other half had a crab sandwich which she said was very nice, staff could not do any more, they were very helpful. Lots of things to choose from and different breads.There is just enough rom inside for about six people to sit inside.

A change of plan owing to a rainy day (rain in Norfolk in October; who knew) and we were left with the problem of needing to find a take-away for a Coeliac needing gluten free food. They couldn't have been more helpful and made a lovely lunch with gluten free rolls. They understood about avoiding cross contamination and opened a new butter and prepared my dish with clean cutlery. Our "normal" sandwiches were excellent too.

Called in here just before leaving Wells, desperate to take a crab sandwich for the journey. No trouble at all for this lovely, helpful lady who prepared the most delicious sandwiches, all packed up and ready to go.

We visited Wells next the sea on Sunday my Wife and I had used The Picnic Hut before under previous ownership and were 100% happy with the service and food, unfortunately it wasn’t as good this time the food was ok but nothing outstanding the rolls were made to order quite quickly we tried to order sausage rolls as these were excellent previously but were told that none available as they are made at there sister shop and hadn’t been delivered fair enough but disappointing. My Wife asked for a gift voucher for a present as the had been advertised about a month ago on there Facebook page but were told they hadn’t had any this year bit strange to put a post on FB but not have any. Overall the food was nice but seemed expensive for what we got really and don’t think we’ll be visiting again.

Quality sandwiches, rolls, cakes and everything you could ask for, presented well and with great customer service. A warm welcome always awaits no matter how busy. Don't miss the bacon rolls!!

Crab sandwiches, ice cream, cakes, coffee, tea and just about everything else you can think of. It always wins with a crab sandwich. That perfect mix of brown and white meat. Good quality roll, a little bit of greenery, just the right seasoning. They will also knock up just about anything with crab in it or any other filling you can think of. Gorgeous.

We were here the end of July, and on the morning we went here, they were having problems and were awaiting a plumber.

A mixture of white and dark crab meat, a good choice of fresh baked bread and rolls to choose from. Sandwich was delicious. Super customer service.

On a busy August day we had a crab sandwich and crab salad; both were lovely with generous amounts of white and dark crab meats (the salad chewing a nice variety of things as well). The staff were very friendly and the food was quick. It's a small café but with a nice atmosphere.

Great service, some outdoor seats and coffee just how we like it. Lots of other drink options too - and ice cream. My friends said the sandwiches were fab - with plenty of filling.

We called in here often during our stay in Wells. The food is fresh and delicious. This morning we had a lightly smoked bacon sandwich, in a lovely soft granary roll, delicious was an understatement. The staff and always very warm and friendly. I wish there was a Picnic Hut on every street corner!

Incredible crab sandwiches!! Such generous portions, really friendly efficient staff.

Really slow service, even though 3 employees were in the cafe, no one served us, we waited for over 7 minutes, until the waitress on the till started biting her nails and it put us off being served food.

Fabulous find in Wells excellent choice of food for a veggie and a gluten free diet..

What a wonderful welcoming kind to both us and our very tired Old English sheep dog on a boiling day! Biscuits and water for Sophie delicious milk shake for Clive and best hot tasty tea for me. All done with a warmth and generosity and smile on a baking day! Thank you. Highly recommended! Do not pass without stopping!!

Looking around Wells for just a plain sort of sandwich is like looking for the Holy grail.Just wandered up Staithe street from the front and I found this gem. Any thing you want on any type of bread or cob. Home made sausage rolls to die for and also home made scones. Wonderful, and all at a good price unlike what is on offer down on the front.

Visited last week and purchased two salad boxes, one goats cheese and one chicken, both very fresh and tasty.

Great little find. They make the best milkshakes and the staff are really friendly (and very competitive) as to who makes the best milkshakes. Either way they are extremely tasty and great value for money 💙

Once again a super quality lunch from the Picnic Hut. Our favourite is the Stilton, onion chutney and celery on a granary roll, and the cakes are delicious! Such a super team who always give a warm welcome and great service.

Although it was mid-afternoon we had to wait nearly 10 minutes for two sandwiches to take away, even though the cafe was not busy.

Had the best crab salad here. Loads of crab and lots of different salad vegetables. Choice of mayonnaise or balsamic vinegar to dress it. Pot of tea - all for less than £9.00. Brilliant!!

Opted here for a leisurely bite to eat as we fancied the fillings on the board...was after a panini but were told they stopped doing panini’s as they didn’t prove popular but recommended something even better,they could do a lovely seeded granary roll toasted like a paniniWe ordered and paid,then my partner changed his mind and then I decided to change my mindbut the lovely lady said it often happens......so I can highly recommend my filling of Stilton&caramelised; onion chutney(full) with baby leaves on the side...PERFECTION!!My partner had something equally as nice with chicken&mango; and chilli sauce!Latte I was told was good but I had tea and what I have never actually been asked before but have always said it should available...”let me know if you would like some more hot water in the teapot”...RESULT!!after all these years of tea and cakes etc..first time ever!!Great friendly staff,good prices,extremely YUMMY food,sat outside on one of the two tables,perfect people watching &dog; identifying as the world went by...in the sun

Had a great coffee and my friend had the gluten free ginger cake and sorbet. Coffee was great and she said the cake was very moist and sorbet delicious. The staff were very friendly and filled our reusable water bottles from the tap very happily.

Lovely coffee and cake. Served by great staff. They serve a large variety of drinks sandwiches etc. Great talking about the places we visited in our youth

This small but friendly cafe is truly a great find. Staff very friendly and accommodating, the best though has to be their very best Crab salad sandwich. It was an absolute delight, the best crab sandwich I have had in a very very long time. Would certainly recommend if your passing... loved it! Thank you.

So glad to find a cafe open late in the afternoon. Lovely tea and cake in a very friendly atmosphere. The salads looked very tempting - will return.

It was a busy, sunny Easter bank holiday weekend and the staff here seemed over it. Slowly moving, only explaining after the event that the ice cream was coming in a giant cone as that’s all they had left so you had to search down inside to find your scoop of ice cream!

This has to be a perfect crab sandwich! This sandwich is why we came to Wells. So fresh and full, lovely sandwich. The two ladies serving were so friendly and helpful.

Stopped for a snack and shared a crab sandwich on granary. Loved the amount of fresh crab meat and how it was divided up between white meat on one side, brown meat on the other, all separated by salad leaves. For the price you can not get better.

Ice cream milkshakes here are fabulous, we stay in Wells each year and always have one. Lovely little place to watch the world go by.

THE Picnic hut is fantastic - you'll be hard pushed to find a better place to duck into in Wells, that's for sure.

A lovely little friendly cafe offering a range of cakes, pastries, sandwiches etc.at a very reasonable price.

Certainly a place to visit when in Wells-next-the-Sea. There is plenty of selection and the atmosphere is warm and friendly. Shelter from a cold day and shelter on a hot day.

One of two of the usual places I use for a snack lunch were closed today: so called in here as there was a spare few seats. The place is small: but welcoming. Sat in the window and ordered a bowl of homemade soup. It was huge - and delicious! Very friendly lady working behind the counter. Much enjoyed: highly recommend and will definitely call in again. I expect she gets very busy: both with eat-in and takeaway orders - all freshly prepared. Thank you.

Situated on the main shopping street close to the quay this establishment is welcoming and often less busy due to its size, take aways are well worth the visit

Called in for coffee and scone today. Really nice place and nice ambience. Would recommend. Nice and warm both temperature and athmosphere.

Can’t recommend this enough. Tiny little place near the bottom of Wells high street. Amazing sandwiches, millionaire slices, hot choc and coffee plus friendly staff. Shame there isn’t more seating but it is cosy if you can get a seat inside. We visited twice this week - came back to Wells just to have our lunch here.

We went there 3 times in one week .....need i say more!

I have recently had a new hip and was worried about sitting on the high stool. The staff could not have been more helpful offering to bring a chair from outside and offering any help needed. The coffee was good too and someone came in for a bacon roll which smelled wonderful.

Me and my partner were served by 3 lovely ladies who served us up a delicious toastie and sandwich which were both filled to the brim! Very good service. Will be back!

Found this lovely cafe. The food is freshly made and you can see the staff making the food. The crab sandwich was superb and the beef and horseradish sandwich was excellent. The coffees tasted so smooth. The cost of the visit was very reasonable.

The best crab sandwiches so they claim and honestly I've no reason to doubt them. What a friendly couple of ladies, very chatty and funny. I'd have believed anything they said, they were so genuine. Even my wife enjoyed her sandwich (and she's not especially fond of crab). Decent coffee too. Lovely little cafe.

When you see people leaving a café and insisting they have a photo taken in front of it you are alerted to the fact that something special may be happening. A warm welcome from the lady owner and her colleague for sure. However, nothing, just nothing, prepares you for the quality of the crab sandwich. We all know of Padstow,Brixham and Redcar for quality crab and indeed some nice restaurants.This however, is in another league. The filling is made using some special ingredients which I will not tell here. Suffice to say better than I have had even further afield in Australia and Singapore. The joy of trip advisor is that it can indicate a truly great find. This is one. Believe me, try it and be ready to be amazed.

We had a lovely lunch here whilst visiting Wells. Really tasty toasties and the cakes and pastries are delish! Also had a perfect vanilla latte something other places don't always get right! Staff are so friendly and helpful. My fave lunch out of the whole trip!

We never visit Wells without a trip to the Picnic Hut and we are never disappointed! The food is so fresh and tasty, it’s made to order and generous portions. The staff are so friendly and helpful. Cannot wait to visit again :)

The sandwiches to "Take Away" were fantastic. Stuffed to the brim and fantastic granary bread. Glad that we stopped here for our beach picnic. One downside, the uncomfortable atmosphere created with the way the senior management spoke to the other staff. We'll be back here for picnic sarnies next time we're walking in Norfolk.

Love it here. Great fresh sandwiches and wonderful ice cream and the staff are so friendly. A must visit in Wells.

We picked up a crab sandwich here for our journey home - freshly made whilst we waited and full of crab filling. They offer a variety of sandwiches and cakes which also looked very nice.

Very friendly staff, superb crab salad rolls, and they even gave our dog some treats too. What not to like?

Really can't fault this place. Eat in or take away. Delicious cake, fresh crab sandwiches and good coffee. Staff are friendly and you and take your dog. Visited twice it was so good.

We visited here more the once. Each and every member of staff we came across was equally friendly and made us feel welcome. A large variety of sandwiches can be ordered to suit all tastes.

Got lunch from the wonderful ladies who work here, Food is so fresh, my seven year old daughter loves it in here as they always go out of there way to include her in conversation. We will see you next year.

Came here to get a takeaway lunch. The cheddar cheese and branston roll was fab as was the Stilton and celery sandwich. However the real star was the millionaires shortbread which was the best I have had, and I’ve had a few! Staff were friendly and helpful.