[dropcap type =”circle”]T[/dropcap]here are few things in life as truly satisfying as discovering a new eating option-especially if that option is a bit hidden away, a bit different and serves really, properly delicious food.
I present to you The Batch Café! A triumph of an eaterie that prides itself on serving dishes created from local produce wherever possible and is proving to be THE new place for breakfast, coffee and lunch in the Cherwell Valley.
Husband and wife team Lucy and Carl are already cooking up a storm at The Batch which is at Greenhill Farm in Bletchingdon.
Lucy trained as a chef 15 years ago at Leiths School of Food and Wine. She has worked as a private chef in the UK and US, had her own catering company in Oxfordshire, spent a few months running a café kitchen in Margaret River, Western Australia, and worked in cafes and restaurants around the country. She popped up at the East Oxford Farmers Market on many occasions in 2010/11 as The Moving Teashop, serving brunches and teas alongside her sister, on their collection of vintage china, which is now put to good use at The Batch.
Rural and relaxed
Lucy said: “The next step was for us to find our own premises and create something permanent. A friend tipped us off about a café on a campsite and farm, which was lying empty, so we approached the owners, Greenhill Farm. We loved the rural setting, the size of the space and the relaxed atmosphere of the site. A deal was done and The Batch was born in February 2017.”
There is no doubt that we are well served for coffee shops and eating options in this patch, but with parking in our market towns becoming ever more stressful, a village café with plenty of parking and no danger of getting ‘caught in the traffic’ is a really attractive proposition. The location is also superb and the outdoor eating area really makes the most of the rural views-cosy blankets are available to borrow to keep the autumn chills at bay.
Warm, comfortable, perfect
The décor is retro vintage with mismatched chairs and Lucy’s collection of china and it all makes for a charming place for a cheeky coffee or a long, gossipy lunch. It is warm, comfortable and relaxed-perfect.
Lucy bakes all the cakes, creates the menus and cooks everything that is served in the café. Carl has always been a dedicated coffee drinker but is now taking this interest to the next level at The Batch. He took a break from his own career to help set up the business, discovered a natural talent for holding down Front of House and as chief barista and now there’s no turning back and he’s made a permanent home for himself behind the counter.
Tempting little take out boxes
The coffee is superb, the breakfasts delicious and the cakes divine. Actually, Inspector Morsel and I were so impressed with Lucy’s baking prowess that we were duty bound to bring home a selection of cakes ‘for later’ which ended up being about an hour later because we simply couldn’t resist getting our sticky mitts on the tempting little take out boxes and enjoying the sweet treats! It is worth noting that we had already eaten a campers breakfast and mushrooms on toast and had it not been for a pressing engagement we probably would have stayed for a second breakfast course and tried out the other offerings!
Lucy added: “It’s really important to us that we use the best coffee, meat, beer and wine that we can get our hands on and we’ve made a point of finding as many local producers as possible. We use Organic milk, Free-range eggs from Greenhill farm and outdoor-bred pork. Our sausages are from Blue Texel farm shop in Launton, our coffee is supplied by Ue Coffee in Witney, and our teas are from Jeeves and Jericho. We also stock beers and cider from XT, Shotover and Cotswold Cider. We make all our cakes here in The Batch kitchen. Our lunch menu changes every day”
If you haven’t already popped in to The Batch Café then I suggest you make a point of checking it out. The café is open from 9-4.30 from Tuesday to Saturday-the kitchen is open from 9.30am. You can find the café at Greenhill Farm, Station Road, Bletchingdon.
Find out more at www.thebatchcafe.uk and follow the story on social media @thebatchcafe or call 07718 394194