The latest instalment of our monthly restaurant review took us to Whites of Earls Barton. For a change we decided to visit somewhere during the day that would make an ideal venue for a meeting or catch up with friends or business colleagues.
Nestled on the edge of Earls Barton, Whites has undergone an intensive build and renovation over the past couple of years and offers a lot more than just tea and cake! This is a family-run business in Northamptonshire that specialises in selling fruit, vegetables and dairy products to local people. There is a Farm Shop that includes a quality butchery, deli and many locally produced items too, but our review was a stop in the Kitchen Café.
Personally, I always believe a good sign of any local café is a varied array of visitors and nearly every table being full. We did not book and that was not an issue as we were shown straight to a table on arrival. The menu is not vast but for a breakfast or brunch snack it was perfect. On offer was a small selection of breakfast options and then further sandwich and jacket potato options if you were visiting later in the day.
We opted for sausage and bacon with scrambled egg and toast, alongside a bacon and sausage sandwich for my guest. Being picky, I would have liked the option of a full English breakfast but I was not disappointed. The eggs were cooked perfectly and were very flavoursome, the sausages were nice and meaty with the bacon being well cooked. My guest was given the option of granary or white bread for her sandwich and enjoyed every last bit.
Sitting next to the counter we were faced with a full selection of home-made cakes and treats, and we simply could not pass these up! I opted for the millionaire shortbread, which disappeared very quickly! Whilst enjoying my treat I also had a deluxe hot chocolate which looked amazing! A deluxe hot chocolate is a weakness of mine as I enjoy these immensely. On this occasion I was glad to receive an actual ‘hot’ hot chocolate which was topped with cream and marshmallows. My guest opted for a traditional English tea alongside her Biscoff shortbread, which also looked great.
I think one of the best things about our visit, alongside the friendly staff, modern decor and great food, was the Farm Shop. At a time where you are constantly barraged with news about empty shelves and a lack of produce, all of the shelves were full. Please do not tell anyone but they also had tomatoes!
The Farm Shop aims to buy as much local produce as possible to support county farms and English growers. The shop is filled daily with fresh deliveries, so you know you are getting the freshest quality. I was also tempted to the self-squeeze orange juice but I had possibly over indulged my sweet tooth by this time.
To summarise, if you are looking for locally sourced produce in a village setting with the option of buying for home what you have eaten in the café, then I would recommend giving Whites of Earls Barton a visit.
A big thumbs up from the team at All Things Business.
Watch our video review here
