Out & About Summer 2018

The Pantry Yattendon T: 01635 202202 Open 8.30am to 5pm Monday to Friday; 9am to 4pm Saturday FB The Pantry/@HelloPantry www.thepantryyattendon.co.uk T he sight that greets you

as you enter The Pantry in Yattendon Square is one of pure indulgence - mouth-watering cakes cover the counter top and if you think you’re just ‘popping in’ for a coffee, thing again - resistance is futile. The array of cakes is the work of pastry chef Soaz, who has been at the café since last October. Manager Gemma Holman knows that she has acquired a ‘star baker’. “We all get on really well here,” says Gemma, a trained chef herself. “And we love to give our customers the best – when the large egg custard tart appears, it flies out the door.” The Pantry has also recently experimented with an ad hoc supper club. “It’s not a regular thing,” says Gemma. “But we’ve done it a couple of times and people love it. They bring their own drinks and we supply the food, it’s always great fun.” It was a particularly sunny morning when we visited and already some of the tables outside were buzzing with mothers, having done the school run, catching up after the weekend. “We do have a lot of regulars,” explains Gemma. “But passing trade too, as well as local rural businesses who like to come here for breakfast or especially lunchtime.” Not surprising really, when you see the dishes of freshly- prepared salads being laid out, alongside an amazing- looking quiche. There are also myriad oils and vinegars to choose from, which can be purchased to take home. It’s not just takeaway food – The Pantry supplies salad boxes for those on the move – there are also a small selection of gifts, from candles to designer dog biscuits. It’s not hard to see why this café has established itself at the heart of the village of Yattendon and why people travel some distance to sample its fare.

Harrison’s Coffee 15 The Broadway RG14 1AS T: 01635 36354 Open 8am until 4pm Monday to Saturday FB Harrison’s Coffee / free wifi / homemade Chilean vegan bread H arrison’s Coffee is run by Chilean couple Pedro and Susana, who have worked in hospitality for 20 years. Harrison’s brings some South American tastes to Newbury – sandwiches are made using home-made, organic, vegan Chilean bread. They also make Alfajores – caramel sandwiched between shortcake-like biscuits. The more traditional coffee shop trinkets are also on offer and children bring their parents for a special hot chocolate. Pedro prides himself on taking care of the fine details and the couple’s friendly demeanour explains why business has been good since Harrison’s opened in March. “We are happy,” Pedro said. “We are looking to find customers and we found friends.” Yoga teacher Susana believes in the balance between exercise and food and that the little things are important. Pedro said: “We always try to find some organic and healthy products like the home-made bread. We are looking to improve the business with different things.”

How did Pedro and Susana find themselves in Newbury? Pedro said: “The first thing is we know Newbury and we like Newbury and we were looking for somewhere like this. “When we came to see the place we think it’s perfect. It’s in front of the clock tower, I think it’s a really nice location. We like this part of the town for a coffee shop.”

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