Macknade Cafe
Restaurant Sit Down Selling Road, Faversham, England, ME13 8XF, Reiaume Unit
21 Photos
About Macknade Cafe
Showcasing what can be done with the fantastic ingredients available in this famous food hall, the passionate team create all manner of wonderful dishes for an all day menu, which draws real inspiration from the unique opportunity of having Macknade as their kitchen larder.
Amenities
- Highchairs Available: Yes
Features
- Free Wifi: Yes
- Gift Cards Available: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Quick Bite: Yes
- Seating: Yes
- Table Service: Yes
- Takeout: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Contact & Hours
Selling Road, Faversham ME13 8XF England
https://macknade.com/pages/macknade-faversham
Opening Hours
- Sunday: 10:00-16:00
- Monday: 09:00-16:00
- Tuesday: 09:00-16:00
- Wednesday: 09:00-16:00
- Thursday: 09:00-16:00
- Friday: 09:00-16:00
- Saturday: 09:00-16:00
Nearby Attractions
Reviews (338)
A wonderful experience
I've had a really lovely experience at the cafe every time I visit. The coffee and customer service was (as always) lovely and they were accommodating to everything I asked for / wanted. We chose our lunch from the specials board which was delicious. We'll definitely be returning! Also, there was a large range of pastries which were huge !
Underwhelmed
Visited Macknades and decided to have a light brunch. Staff were lovely but they thought it ok to bring my meal, then a few minutes later the drinks and finally a few mins after that my friend got her meal! I'd eaten particularly slowly which in itself wasn't ideal but I was still more than half way through when it arrived. Food was fine. I had avo and egg on toast and my friend had a bacon sandwich... not exciting but couldn't fault. We did smile when a request for a poached egg was refused... not everyone can master the perfect poached egg eh!
Lunch better than expected
Not sure what all the bad rap is to be honest… my friend and I had a delicious lunch & staff were friendly and helpful. Great coffee too. We'll be back again soon!
The sparkle has diminished from the 'used' to be gem of a place
Used to be great. Alas, not any more. Small portions, food not cooked with care & love, and the service is dismal. Pull up your standard socks MACKNADES!
Disappointing and nothing like it used to be
Very disappointing, used to love it here. I don't like leaving negative reviews but this was really poor. My friend a had brie toasted sandwich, anglo french. Very little french a tiny slither of brie and a huge chunk of fatty thick bacon which was overcooked and was indigestible.. My New York deli was a bit better but served on a tiny platter which made if difficult to cut and eat, not a patch on how it used to be and of course much more expensive.
Small expensive portion
If you want to spend £11 on a medium size slice of cheese on toast served with a small portion of salad from a bag, then this is the place to go to!😔
not the best
Lady on counter at the front of the shop was really friendly and helpful, but have to say all staff in the cafe were blunt, bordering on rude and just seemed like they wanted to be anywhere else. I enquired about the types of cakes and was grunted at, I enquired about the toilets and was grunted at. I enquired about types of tea and yes.... you guessed it, I was grunted at. Service in the UK consistently gets a bad rap, but I always want to defend it because I know how hard people work and always try to be as polite as possible, however when service is this bad it's hard to defend. I'm a local and there are far nicer places in Fav to have a cafe experience where you actually feel welcome and not like you are some burden on their time. The shop itself is lovely, we came away with some lovely fruit and veg. Shame about the cafe staff. Maybe they were having an off day. Won't be back in a hurry.
Disappointingly reduced portions
Disappointing. The portions have drastically reduced over the last 2 years. The pancakes are half the portion they were and the bread for sandwiches more thinly cut. The food tasted good but it was a disappointing lunch, especially for the price.
Friendly staff. Cracking cake
It's a shame people have more recently jumped to giving poor reviews. This certainly hasn't ever been our experience. We love coming for cake - always welcomed with a smile! Staff are super friendly and the food is always delicious. Looking forward to our next visit!
Shameful
Similarly with a some of the previous lots of feedback, I have scored 1 star. It appears to me along with so many places no one from the business is interested in feedback. We found the staff lethargic, disinterested and disengaged. My 6 year old nephew has more energy and enthusiasm. The food was very average and at £8.50 for a sandwich that had dried out ham in I would have preferred a sandwich from a supermarket. But you learn lessons in life and mine today was never go back don't waste money and just because it looks posh doesn't make it so.
Watery tasteless soup…
Today must have been our worst experience at the cafe. On the menu it read as vegetable soup, it came to our table as a watery concoction, heavily flavoured with herbs, no sign of any vegetables, perhaps the only thing acceptable was that it was hot, so we ate some to warm up. Ugh! I realise the open space cannot be kept warm, it was quite cold in there too. £14.00 was steep for the soups.
Rude and unfriendly service
Very rude staff and absolutely no understanding of customer service. Will definitely not be giving them my money again.
Shocking
Had a breakfast which was poor to say the least, tiny sausage and a hard overcooked egg, my bacon sandwich came out with no butter and so much fat on the bacon I had to send it back. Shocking food. We had to move mid eating as our table had been reserved but no sign to tell us that. won't be going back, totally overpriced and poor quality food.
Poor eatery
When visiting with a family member. Greeted very rudely by staff members after ignoring this. We were seated at our table. Food was inedible and overpriced. Staff were not interested in my complaint. Paid the bill and left in disgust Will never return to this appalling establishment
Unfriendly and poor service
We visited on a Saturday lunch time and sat down at a table that hadn't been cleared yet, I went up to order and the man serving on the tills was quite abrupt with me and not very friendly at all. When our drinks came over the girl put them down on our table and then walked off empty handed, still leaving us with the previous peoples dirty cups and plates. It wasn't until the food came over that we were asked if the empties were ours and they were finally cleared, but the table was never cleaned. The sandwiches were ok but nothing special at all for the price. My husband then went up to order a slice of cake for us to share, he asked for the last slice of a particular cake and the woman then proceeded to cut it in half, giving us the tiniest slice of cake which was barely worth sharing. We were overall really disappointed with the service, friendliness of staff and value for money - £27.50 for 2 sandwiches, 2 juices and a tiny slice of cake. It was our first time visiting and unfortunately we won't be going back
I don't like burnt toast
Went for Saturday breakfast. Food wasn't great, especially considering the price. OH had cooked breakfast. I had smashed avocado on toast and paid extra for smoked salmon. My toast had been burnt and scraped off (as had OH's) so I got more burnt toast flavour than avocado. The avocado was so smashed it was watery. The additional salmon approximated a dessert spoon in size - disappointing. Two of our party had scrambled egg which was ok. Another had the pancakes which looked and - apparently - tasted lovely. Tea tasted horrible for some reason but the coffees were ok. Poor for the price.
Abysmal cafe service
Good cake BUT abysmal Service. Waited 40 mins for 2 minute cups of flat white (overpriced) and 2 slices of cake.. very nice cake. Waiting staff returned empty handed 1 table not cleared throughout our wait and still so when we left.
Bit pricey
Tables very cluttered, not getting cleaned fast enough, not much choice of cake's options today, seems the hot drink & cake has been stopped was £5 now it's cake, tea or coffee all separately priced, coffee is always luck warm, sometimes the staff are lovely, other times it's like your an inconvenience, we went to sit at a table the girl said that's not been cleaned yet ! We looked around to see loads of tables were the same, we we're just going to add the cups to the table next as we only wanted a table for 2, so didn't want to take up a table for 4 if a larger party of people arrived.. it was so where do we sit, by the time we got served their was a table free… do think the cake portions are bit mean for the price. The cups are very thick too so you don't actually get much coffee in your cup, I go because it's local & the lady I take out likes to go there but practically £10 for 2 coffees & a small slice of a flatJack that was like a brick.. Not the best experience there, their so busy, they need better menu & up their game a bit from staff training with hospitality, to portion size.
Rude staff member
I visited in August with 2 of my friends who were visiting from Essex. Everything was ok. However I'd like to comment on staff. Some very lovely and took time to talk to us. There was a woman with blonde hair and makeup who had a sour face and was utterly rude. I think her name was josie. Apart from that being awful, the food and coffee was ok.
Pricey for what's served
For £12 per breakfast we expected more to be honest. No choices available for the egg and bread wasn't a good start. Not everyone likes sour dough bread. The food did taste good but was a bit stingy and wasn't particularly hot. Come on, let's have more than one small sausage for the high price. The coffees were only lukewarm too. Disappointed.
I give up!
I have visited several times in the last 3 years and it has never been a satisfactory experience. I so want this to be a great cafe but it just falls short on too many levels. The cappuccino is tiny and always luke warm, sandwich fillings have been virtually non existent to the point where I have had to send back. Portions are miniscule. Staff take ages and I don't know why because we have to go to the counter to order. The cakes look nice but are dry and tasteless. On our last visit we arrived at 3.45 in the hopes of having a late lunch, only to be told the kitchen closes at 3.30. I didn't fancy the usual tepid coffee and dry cakes. There were some flapjacks looking very sorry for themselves. This place could be amazing with hearty, simple food, longer opening hours and staff training. What a shame. I really can't be bothered any more.
Poor service expensive
Poor service and good experience. Felt we were being taken for a ride really. Paid far more that anticipated. We will regrettably not return for cafe.
very poor service - again
service was so slow we were about to ask for refund after waiting 40 mins for coffee and cake - when it arrived - only got apology after mentioning it. Staff seemed to be faffing about too much - looked like only one single coffee machine and one member of staff seemed to be chatting with someone over side counter for whole time we waited - not good enough. Excuse was they were busy - es thwy always are and so should be awar and have adequate staff / equipment / procedures. Had to wait long time for fuller brunch a week ago. Will not return
Absolutely overpriced and awful
I had been told this place served nice food. Very busy when we arrived but managed to get a table. Looked at the menu, very disappointed in the choices. I chose a Ploughmans sandwich, my friends chose the breakfast. The bacon on the breakfast was mainly fat, the mushrooms were cold and the food was very overpriced for what it was. My sandwich composed of dry Sourdough bread, grated cheese, pickle and some ham. It did not taste very good at all and I managed one quarter before I had to stop. There was no way the sandwich could be described as anything like a Ploughmans. The menu choice was limited, yet the place was packed, obviously some people do not mind paying well over the odds for bad food.
Light lunch
It's obviously very popular as most tables were occupied when we visited on a damp Monday afternoon. Emphasis seemed to be on brunch for hot food. We both went for the soup of the day, carrot and coriander. Very tasty and served with four slices of sourdough. Quite generous, although the butter served with it could barely cope with two slices. Okay for a snack while shopping for their wide range of produce,
Overhyped and no attention to detail, whole place needs an overhaul & clean
Have been a regular for years, it's just so disappointing each time that I finally felt I had to write something. The management clearly aren't on top of things. The shops does sell some nice things but often theres mouldy fruit and veg and for example soft fruits are usually on the turn by the next day. The cafe itself, it's ok, small portions and quite expensive; but it's more there is no atmosphere, always cold & when it's busy the reserve table system doesn't work. There just seems to be a real lack of care or interest in the place overall, litter strewn around the car park and the toilets are disgusting - clearly build up dirt from the lack of regular cleaning. (They have eco toilets so you have to touch the lid to open and close it to flush it - the catch was grim!) If basic things such as the toilet are clearly not being monitored and maintained it makes me question the standards for the food we're all eating and taking home from there each day!
Stingy Portions
I met a friend here for brunch. Knowing the produce is local and fresh, I was looking forward to a hearty breakfast. It was a bit disappointing as there wasn't much of it, and I would have expected more for the price. However, it was very tasty. I think they feel they can justify it as it's a great location.
A nice brunch stop
I had been gifted a voucher to use in the Ashford shop, which then promptly shut down! Luckily the Faversham branch was still open, but it was quite a drive from Ashford just to have a quick bite for lunch. The food was ok, but as others have mentioned portions are small. One slice of bacon, one sausage and a spoonful of tinned mixed beans. My husband had a fancy sandwich and he was very pleased, but the 2 of us that had Farmers breakfasts were disappointed. We had ordered veggie breakfast, but they had sold out of halloumi. The setting is glorious, clean and homely. 5* for thé décor and atmosphere. Staff were also friendly and helpful. We enjoyed ourselves and would eat here again, but only if in Faversham. We wouldn't go out of our way.
Disappointing
We generally go to a local cafe for breakfast but decided to try out breakfast at Macknades for a change. We both ordered the Farmers Breakfast which boasted 'Mr Pepper's sausage' and molasses's bacon. At £12 per head, we were expecting a hearty meal. Well! The sausage was tiny, I was annoyed but then I tasted it and felt relieved. It was totally tasteless and dry. The molasses bacon had a nice flavour but the fat was not crispy. The 'house' beans were assorted beans in a thin tomato sauce and the serving was about 1 tablespoon. The tomato was whole and not cooked through. The large mushroom was uninspiring, either grilled or baked but not seasoned. The sourdough toast was actually delicious and served with nice butter and the egg, although clearly a pullet egg (tiny) was nicely fried. These were the only redeeming features !! The whole breakfast was served lukewarm and the room we sat in (downstairs) was cold! If you want pretentious, over priced food, then this may be for you but I'm afraid I shall be sticking to my local cafe. I can only imagine the reaction from a farmer whom had been up for hours milking cows, ploughing fields etc and was presented with this!!
Pit stop before shopping - yum!
Pre Christmas shopping breakfast meal - got there nice and early and got served very quickly. Service was excellent and food was tasty too. Kids toasties are a good size too.
Great coffee and cakes
Great cafe tucked away at the rear of the shop. Very good choice of fresh coffees and cakes. The size of the portions is on the generous side. Helpful staff and very good service.
Good food but not the same without a toaster
Very busy but found a table, good cappuccino and sandwiched good, we always have them toasted but apparently they didn't have a working one one, the sandwiches are far better toasted.
Under par cafe
Wonderful food hall... but unfortunately the cafe was a little under par. Expected better. Children's menu not great. Ordered beans on toast… ask for a child's portion and was charged £6.50. It was Artisan beans (from a tin) kidney beans peppers etc tomatoes all mixed in. Grandson took one look and said " not for me " Took it back to the counter and then paid again for half a ham sandwich… another £4. At this point realised that we had then paid £10.50 for not very much food. Went back to the counter with the receipt. Didn't moan but explained and was given a £6.50 refund. Which was good. But come on Macknade… all that lovely food around you in your food hall and you dish up under par food. Menu needs to say Artisan beans (or beans from a tin) up your game please and it would be an all round better dining experience Pam.
Expensive, disappointing and won't be back!
We visited for lunch today, decided to have the farmhouse breakfast and frittata with salad. The food came quickly however the frittata was inedible, basically a massive slab of thick egg with burnt vegetables at the top with no courgette to be seen! Complained and allowed swap food choice which was good however not what you expect for the price of the food. Farmhouse breakfast was small for £12, grey bacon, tiny, hard full of holes so basically non existent sour dough bread. Coffee size was like a thimble! This used to be a nice cafe to come to but we won't be back unfortunately.
Disappointing and overpriced
Popped in for an early lunch. Friendly staff but food was really disappointing and expensive for what it was. In particular, the smoked trout sandwich was pretty awful. Sourdough bread was dry and basically inedible with one slice of smoked trout and a smear of creme fraiche for £8! The milk in the flat white coffees was scorched. Wouldn't rush back.
Very underwhelmed
We visited macknade cafe for the first time and are extremely underwhelmed, one member of our party ordered the breakfast which for £12 was very disappointing, a tiny single slice of sourdough bread, one sausage, a few tiny bits of bacon, mixed beans, a tomato, fried egg and a mushroom, we wouldn't mind paying £12 for a breakfast if it was a big plate of food, and we understand with the cost of living crisis that prices are increasing, however £12 for the size of this breakfast was shocking and not worth it at all. The rest of our food was lovely and the service was great, hence the 3 / 5 however we will not be returning anytime soon.
Overpriced underwhelmed
Went today with hubby for breakfast and shopping. The food was nice enough but a full English at £12 a pop with tea charged on top of that was a bit expensive. The menu tells you what you get but not the quantity. 2 slices of very small molasses bacon, 1 sausage, 1 mushroom, 1 tomato, 1 fried egg, house beans and 1 slice of toast with butter £24.00 plus another £6.00 for tea so £30.00 for breakfast for two. Hubby doesn't like tomato and wasn't even offered an extra mushroom as a substitute. My egg was not cooked properly the white was still see-through (some people may like that though) and the beans were a bit watery. As I say tasty enough but expensive for what you get.
Best coffee and walnut cake ever!
Only had a coffee and cake but the staff were very attentive, the coffee was great and it was the best coffee and walnut cake ever!
Lovely place to visit but need more staff
Went into the cafe this afternoon around 2pm and had a lovely flat white and a slice of red velvet cake! All the staff were really friendly and helpful but service was a little slow as it looked like they were short staffed. - would recommend having a couple more people to help them out. Will definitely be back soon
Always good and the best coffee in Faversham!
We've been shopping at Macknade's for ever and when the cafe was opened it becomes a one stop wonder, shop and eat. Great lunches and afternoon tea, best coffee in Faversham and the cakes, yum yum. Service is good, if a bit slow at busy times but well worth the wait.
One of our favourites in Fav
We love it here for good coffee, and small Breakfasts. The portions are perfect and mean you don't overdo it. Staff are friendly and adaptable- don't mind grabbing extras etc. I would say that as it opens at 10, people nearly run across the shop to be the first in line (ridiculous) so get there early as they don't take reservations. Will always keep Macknade as a staple.
Ridiculously expensive for very small cups of tea
Ordered tea for two - tiny pot for two people that literally gave us a very small teacup each. We had to order another one as so small. When I paid I was charged £10! A ridiculous price for 4 small cups of tea. Admittedly the waitress was very polite when I explained it was poor value for money - apparently we could have asked for more hot water but we weren't told this. I have to be honest we live locally and came here a lot before the pandemic but it's very poor value for money across the board now. We'll be going elsewhere unfortunately.
Weird cake options
Came here for a catch up coffee and cake with a friend but all the cake options were either weird combinations with a vegetable element or a gluten free coffee and walnut. I don't mind them offering these but something a bit more traditional as an option would have been nice. Did not have any cake. Did have a very nice toastie though so not all lost
What a let down
Before the lock down, we use to go to the Macknade Cafe everytime we were passing and never had any real problems. But our last visit has put us off for ever. It was so bad that we sent it back. We ordered 2x English Breakfast and asked for a bacon sandwich for my son. I was told that they could do a bacon sandwich, even though they were offering other freshly made sandwiches and had bacon with the breakfasts. But the two could not be combined. So we ordered him a Ham & Cheese Toastie and a peice of Chocolet cake. The Toastie was first to come out, Not sure why they called it a Toastie as it was anemic, but my son started to eat it. When the Breakfast came out the it looked a mess. The eggs were ery crispy around the edge and across the bottom, the Bacon had a coating of grease on it and was luke warm as was the rest of the meal. The Sausage was pink and un-cooked in the middle, the Mushroom was total limp and soggy. The Toast was just warm bread, I did try the bacon and the end of the sausage before I found it to be cold and raw. My wife breakfast was the same. My son stated the chocolet cake but after 2 mouthfulls stop as it 'taste weird' and left a unpleasant taste in his mouth. (He told us later) I complained about the food to the staff and they took the breakfast's back and offered us something else, We refused, once bitten..... To Be fair. When we came to pay they did take off the 2x breakfast and give us our hot drinks for free, so we only paid for my sons food and drink even though he had only eaten about half of each dish. They did say that the Chef had sent his apolagise. I know a few very good Chefs and none of them would not have let the food left his kitchen like that. We left there and went to another near by cafe and had a lovely HOT meal that was cooked fresh and catered to what we asked for. I will not be going back there again.
Delicious, fresh food
We came to the cafe on a Monday lunchtime in January and we were pleasantly surprised to find it buzzing and busy. We ordered the farmer's breakfast and the mediterranean sandwich. The food came promptly, nicely presented and good quality and flavours. I followed with a slice of cake (a dense chocolate cake) and an excellent coffee. The prices were a little high but okay for the quality and atmosphere. Service started off well but then tailed off (however it was busy and we could see the staff working hard). The cafe is part of an excellent food hall / farm shop, with plenty of parking. We will be happy to return.
Lack lustre breakfast
Visited for breakfast, very limited boring poor choice on offer, ordered scrambled eggs on sour dough with crispy Serrano as an extra. Eggs were edible, cooked nice and soft but tasteless as was the sourdough, crispy Serrano did not add anything. Shame as portion size of meal was good. Feel food has gone downhill since last year. Not sure if will visit again. Service was prompt and good.
Disappointed
Thought the food had really gone down since last year Pretty tasteless both the avocado and the frittata. Not sure if I will visit again. They need to up their game as expensive!
Breakfast
The restaurant was quite full. We ordered scrambled egg on toast for 2 people. At £6 seemed quite expensive but we hoped it would live up to the price. It came quite quickly, infact before the coffee. The toast crust was so hard it was totally impossible to cut. I tried really hard to get through it but really could not. My husband then said his was terrible as well. The actual egg was pretty tasteless as well. We told the young man making the coffee who came round and we explained the problem. They wanted to redo it but we could only think that it would be just as bad again. We really just wanted to get away. We paid our £5 for our two flat whites and were pleased to leave. We have been there before but only for cake and coffee but we probably will not bother again.
Excellent service
A big thank you to Sam the waiter who showed us excellent hospitality. He was very welcoming and could not have asked for a better service.
Disappointing
We used to love coming to the cafe. The menu is now very limited and very expensive. £7 for one small slice of cheese on toast. Last week you had a bit of salad with it. This week it's extra. Very noisy difficult to chat. Very slow service. It would be a good idea to put the coffee machine somewhere else. So noisy. The outside area was a lovely idea. Such a shame the weather has now meant its empty. Used to enjoy the creamy garlic mushrooms in the cafe on sourdough. Even that's stopped. Such a shame
Very disappointing experience
We were seated at a very sticky table, asked for it to be cleaned after which it was still very sticky. So we asked to be seated at another table..... waitress tutted and pointed to another sticky table in a very surly manner. We still weren't happy as this table was just as sticky. So we suggested we sit at one of the empty 4 seater tables, which she explained in an even more surly manner that we couldn't sit there until it had been cleaned. Fair enough, but by now other diners were gawping at us as if we were asking fur something unreasonable, so we left. Given that we were likely to spend £25 minimum on drinks and lunch, I'm sorry if not wanting to sit at a sticky table seemed unacceptable to the member of staff serving us. Between us we spent £70 in the store, it's a great shame that the previous pre-covid standards of service in the cafe have slipped so far from what I consider to be acceptable. To make matters worse, having arrived home to tuck into my £2.99 pot of celeriac roumalade, I find the use by date is today....28.8.21! Given that I made the purchase just a few hours before closing time today, I would not have expected to purchase something at full price with such a short use by date. I must stress, the date printed on it is 'use by' not 'best before'. A thoroughly disappointing experience all round! Very sadly I won't be visiting again in a hurry.
A disappointment
Popped in for lunch - what a mistake Very poor humas and salad sandwich Coffee ok but nothing special Come on macknade you really need to try harder
Lovely food
We we shown where to sit and then waited 15 mins before our order was taken. 15 mins after that our drinks arrived!. We had to prompt the waitress as to where I food was which was annoying! The food eventually arrived with a mild apology. It is hard to comprehend why the service was so slow as there were only 3 other tables occupied! Management needs to encourage staff to serve rather than chat to any table for more than a couple of minutes. The food was lovely but a revisit is in question because of the time it took to serve us etc.
Scabby wooden Platers
I have been Comming here for a number of years, i I have to confess I really don't like food served on anything other than a material that's dishwasher proof so it can be hygienically cleaned !! And I have never had complaint over the food, and it's another one of my pet hates Paying for food before consumption. But guys servicing food one scabby pieces of wood is no good for you or me and the local authority would fine you for this !!!
Delicious
This cafe serves delicious home made cakes and many other delights. We went for breakfast on a Sunday morning and loved the mushrooms, with thyme and double cream on toast. Most things on the menu look very inviting so we will visit for breakfast again.
Lovely Lunch!
Lovely small cafe at Macknade, s fine food farm. Had pate and sourdough bread with onion jam ans mi iture tomatoes lovelt and rustic had Black forest cake for dessert!
Good
Order at the til. Waitresses were efficient. Good food. I ordered the minestrone soup and the hummus dip. Yummy ! Would go again.
Excellent coffee & great brunch
I love visiting Macknade and stocking up on delicious fresh food before having brunch in the cafe. The coffee is excellent here, as are the cakes. From experience I can vouch for the cheese and charcuterie platters, as well as the avocado on toast and salted caramel brownies - all fabulous! Only downside is that it'd be wonderful to have a glass of wine with your cheese, they don't serve wine.
indeed Selling Road -Mackdane
Great place for every occasion. A day out in the countryside to weekly shopping to a rest place following channel hoping. Will recommend local and international visitors
Fantastic
This was my second visit for lunch. The service and food and coffee excellent. We had a sharing platter, brilliant value and and fresh and very well sourced produce.. which could all be purchased in the barn after. We bought loads of cheese and chutneys after.
True delight
Popped in to Macknade for an afternoon Tea for the first time and although quite busy managed to find a table. Great choice of eats to be had but ended up just with a tea, coffee and a salted caramel chocolate brownie. Everything was superb and also everything I saw looked very tempting. Wonderful loose tea and a excellent cafe latte! Do browse around Macknade as all they sell is amazing.
Brunch with good service
Macknades is a great place to find all sorts of foods, particularly unusual, to buy including fresh fruit and veg and the cafe is a good place to eat. We had the smoked salmon and creamy scrambled eggs for brunch, that was served immediately after the drinks we had ordered, which I liked, as I don't want to have finished my hot drink by the time the food arrives, I like to drink with my meal. I had asked to have my sourdough (choice if white or brown) on the side with marmalade, rather than under the scrambled egg. This they accommodated with a decent sized pat of butter and tablespoonful of marmalade. The toast under my friends scrambled egg hadn't been buttered so I shared the butter with her. The tea and the coffee were pretty strong (tealeaves, not bags in the teapot) for us weaklings, but that's a personal thing and I expect we could have asked for more hot water, but we didn't. Several dishes on the menu are a little different from the norm, which is nice. Well worth a visit.
Perfect lunch
We popped here today for a bite to eat, we only wanted something light to eat and the avocado smoked salmon salad was just what we were looking for. My only gripe is the menu, it's on the wall with a table where people eat in front of it. We sat at that table a few weeks ago, it's really uncomfortable when people are stood right by you looking at the board, awkward. This time we chose different seats however had to look at said board whilst people were eating their lunch in front of it, making us feel awkward if not rude. Menus on the table would be better.
Coffee shop
We moved tables 3 times as all the tables were dirty not to mention the floor where we sat. They forgot our order of 1 tea and 1 coffee. So we waited a good 25 minutes for it. Such a shame.
Super lunch
Arrived soon after 12 and decided to eat before we shopped. Choices (including specials) are chalked up on large blackboards opposite the counter where you order. Tip - know your table number before you go to the till. Drinks arrived promptly but I had to confuse the server as we moved table between ordering and delivery as the restaurant was just too cold! Tbh.. I don't know this could be fixed as you are in a large barn but it was a negative. The food when it arrived was plentiful and delicious - the best bread I've eaten in a good while accompanied with a variety of great quality cured meats and some very good paté de campagne. Alongside these were served delicious tomatoes - not always easy in winter, olive oil for dipping, onion chutney and mostarda di pere (so good I bought a jar in the shop attached). Well played Macknade - I'll be visiting again soon.
Worth the 40 minute drive
We were told about this place but had never visited. The food hall was amazing and we had never seen so many Italian specialities outside Italy! Fabulous cheese and Deli counter plus butchery and fresh bread. On enquiring at the checkout we were told it was owned by Italians! The Café was very busy so we had to go downstairs which was rather chilly. A wide selection of meals and snacks all freshly made to order, I had a Ploughmen's sandwich which was so vast I couldn't eat all the bread. Friendly service with an excellent choice of coffees and teas. We shall return !
Very tasty indeed. Oh yes
managed to visit late on a saturday when the cafe was not crowded. Loved the platters, the relaxed atmosphere and the service. Planning to return to sample a breakfast soon. Very soon.
Nearly There
We've been visiting Macknade for a long time now (we love to shop here, the shop attached to the Cafe cant be faulted) And have eaten in the cafe a few times. The idea of the cafe is great, with some great menu ideas, (we went for a platter of meat and cheese). You feel like you're coming somewhere a bit special here and its great that all the food feels local and well thought out. However on our last few trips the staff have been a bit all over the place (we asked a few times for extra plates and gave up waiting in the end) We also tried to buy some tea but stood waiting for staff attention so long we gave up. It's hard to say negative things about Macknade as we really do enjoy our trips there, but some better staffing and some slight improvements to the food would make it go from really nice to excellent. We will be back, and I'd encourage others to go too, it just needs a few finishing touches :)
Won't be returning
Came here for lunch with my Mum. Have used Macknades for years for shopping and the occasional lunch but won't attempt to eat here again. Bearing in mind we'd chosen to arrive around 2pm to miss the worst of the lunch rush we then waited nearly 45 minutes to be served one sharing platter, of vastly reduced portion size, by the rudest man ever! Nothing needed to be cooked and, let's be honest, the tiny slivers of cheese and ham really didn't require much effort to assemble. Absolutely no apology for how long we'd waited and was extremely aggressive as he stood at our table. When we asked to see the manager he told he was the manager and continued to be aggressive as he processed the refund we asked for. So we've returned home with a bitter taste in our mouths caused by the food we didn't get to eat! Will never consider eating here again.
Embarrassing
We had been to Macknades Cafe a few times before and we enjoyed it. It is a very busy cafe during lunch time especially on a Saturday. The instructions on the board as you go in are to find a table then go to the counter to place your order and pay. This is what we did. Just as I had sat my mum down at the table a waitress came over and told us we had to move because some other people had come in and were waiting for a table to become available and she had been asked to look for one for them. It would seem that there is some kind of unspoken rule or preferential treatment of some customers which left us feeling annoyed and embarrassed as we had simply done as instructed on the board. We think that this cafe is best avoided during busy times especially if you are new to the cafe and not one of their regulars.
Overpriced Lacklustre Breakfast
I have been shopping and eating at Macknade for over 4 years now. It's a wonderful place to find 'hard to find' gourmet products. Yes, it is highly overpriced for some basic stuff but still, it's one of the better gourmet shops in the area. However, the problem is with the restaurant... I have lost count how many times I have eaten at Macknade Cafe, I used to love it there. Unfortunately, it has changed recently and become very disappointing. At one time you could order scrambled eggs with crispy Serrano bacon, sourdough toast and grilled tomato. The portions were big ad sourdough was crusty and delicious. HOWEVER, now it's completely changed. Each item has to be ordered separately (driving the price up) the portions are smaller, gone the lovely sourdough crusty toast to be replaced by 1 thinly slice of sourdough bread. The grilled tomato was hard, lukewarm and tasteless. The egg portion was small. I thought this must be a one-off incident and did not complain but felt it had been a waste of money. Nevertheless, last Saturday I ate their again with a friend and we both ordered the scrambled eggs, Serrano bacon and grilled tomato and once again the same breakfast, lukewarm tasteless tomato, 1 x thinly sliced bread and a small portion of scrambled eggs. I made a complaint and was told that " This is now how we serve it " How tight-fisted, how very mean, you people (Macknade) must be really desperate for more money if you are downsizing quantity and quality. I refuse now to give you any more of my money until you change your mean and stingy tight-fisted policies.
Restaurant Experience
Extremely dissapointed with the very poor service level, first spoke to a young teeneger (waitress) who then called a senior lady (pressumably the manager) - the last thing they seem to have in their mind is customer satisfaction... decent product and set up, sad that there is no understanding about customer service, in short I would NOT reommend it to any one. Would prefer to have an average coffee at a place where the customer is made to feel welcome - rather than paying to receive negative energy...
Horrific changes
Came here with family after the birth of my first child. The legendary cheese and meat boards were off the menu for my wife whilst she was pregnant so she was eager to have them again once the birth was over. But what a massive disappointment!! The size of the meat board had reduced by roughly 75% but was still the same price. The service was horrifically slow, they must have been making the cheese in the kitchen. I will not be returning! Such a shame the changes have been done to clearly take money rather than satisfy customers. The picture attached shows the new meat board at the top and the lovely old style meat board below.
Beware if you are taking a baby
Given that this place has a number of baby groups throughout the week and they try to persuade you to stay for food / drinks after with 20% off for anyone from the baby group the cafe is not very baby friendly. On a few occasions after our groups we get our prams from the storage area and put them next to the table so the babies can sleep while we eat. We make sure they don't block the walkways and keep them as close as possible. On more than one occasion one particular worker (I assume one of the managers) has asked us to move them over as they are in the way. This made it almost impossible for us all to sit at the table together. And on other occasions she has continually given us dirty looks and been quite rude to us when we sat on a different table to the one she reserved for us. We only sat on a different one so we could get the prams to it. The ones she reserved were down some stairs which wasn't convenient for us. They have now put a sign up to say no prams in the restaurant area. Really not very helpful for a group of new mums who are all trying to have something to eat and drink. If we can't take the prams in we can't dont this. Unfortunately we won't be staying again and they will be losing our custom. I appreciate that it is a small and generally busy restaurant but surely there needs to be a bit of common sense used by management. We always make sure we aren't in the way. Not good at all. to persuade you to stay for food / drinks after with 20% off for anyone from the baby group the cafe is not very baby friendly. On a few occasions after our groups we get our prams from the storage area and put them next to the table so the babies can sleep while we eat. We make sure they don't block the walkways and keep them as close as possible. On more than one occasion one particular worker (I assume one of the managers) has asked us to move them over as they are in the way. This made it almost impossible for us all to sit at the table together. And on other occasions she has continually given us dirty looks and been quite rude to us when we sat on a different table to the one she reserved for us. We only sat on a different one so we could get the prams to it. The ones she reserved were down some stairs which wasn't convenient for us. They have now put a sign up to say no prams in the restaurant area. Really not very helpful for a group of new mums who are all trying to have something to eat and drink. If we can't take the prams in we can't dont this. Unfortunately we won't be staying again and they will be losing our custom. I appreciate that it is a small and generally busy restaurant but surely there needs to be a bit of common sense used by management. We always make sure we aren't in the way. Not good at all.
No dogs allowed?!
Walked through the farm shop looking forward to a breakfast and coffee with my spouse and dog, (having checked the doors for any sign of not allowing dogs within the premises) passing many Staff, who saw that we had a dog, through to the cafe. Ordered a coffee each with food and decided to take the dog outside for a breath of fresh air whilst we waited. When re-entering the farm shop I was rudely challenged by a member of staff who stated that dogs were not allowed inside, I explained that we had ordered food which shouldn't take much longer. I was told to leave whilst the staff member told my girlfriend about the situation, we ended up having to have the food to takeaway. The staff were very amenable to getting us take away food, and even got pots from the shop to put sauces in, they were obviously embarrassed by the whole thing. We understand that dogs can't go in all places but thought that there should be some kind of sign or that the staff who had seen us go in with the dog should have said something before we ordered from the very limited pretentious menu. Shame about the sizes of the expensive coffee, it was nice coffee just lacking in size for the cost. Will not be returning!
Should be better
I've been visiting the shop for many years and decided to take a friend there, whilst there we thought we would have a bit of lunch, it took 15 mins for our drinks to arrive, out lunch arrived 40 mins after we ordered and that was only after we chased one of the staff. We had ordered a cheese and meat platter, so not even hot food. I asked the waitress for some plates and she told me to ask behind the counter, the queue at the counter was really long so we decided not to bother. It's a shame the service was so terrible because the food was lovely, good quality and wonderfully presented, the venue is great, such a shame to be let down so much by the service.
Poor
We often come to Macknades and visit the café. It has never let us down before until yesterday. We went at 2.55 p. m. for 2 teas and one slice of cake (the slices are large, and we thought we would share it!) There were just 3 other tables with customers - all the rest were empty. When I say empty - I mean without people. The tables themselves were littered with dirty plates and no effort was made to clear them. There were 3 young ladies serving, sometimes joined by a fourth, and if they didn't stop so often for a chat and giggle our modest 2 cups of tea and a slice of cake might have made it to our table a little sooner. As it was, we waited 15 minutes for this simple fare to be produced. I was quite shocked, having never seen this disorganisation before in a place we visit regularly. I do hope that it was a " one-off ".
Deli Heaven
Had a fabulous lunch yesterday. I could go on about the hummus, frittata, olives and outstanding sourdough bread with delicious Italian butter, but the fact is you will just have to take my word for it that this is a great tasting, fresh and appetising lunch spot. The staff are courteous and know their job and it is obvious that they too love their food and want to share this with you. With a fine selection teas, coffees and local cider and beer it could not be better. Don't go if you expect fine dining (this is catered for, quite excellently, at Reads next door), but do you go if you want a deli style meal with some hot specials - you will not be disappointed.
Won't bother
Went with a friend to do some shopping them have a light lunch. Decided on hummus. Ordered then waited and waited. 25 minutes later it arrived. Totally tasteless and runny. Would not have minded but the Cafe was not busy. Staff just hanging around and talking, totally disinterested in their customers. Won't be eating there again.
Great homemade rustic lunch
The place was heaving with the busy run up to christmas. The cafe is well run with lots of lovely farmhouse type dishes. Hot soups, lovely salads, meat and cheese platters and much more ! The bread is fantastic the same as that sold in the farm shop - everything is tasty and fresh with lovely ingredients. Lots of drink choices (no alcohol) and excellent coffee with homemade cakes and biscuits. Really great place to meet re-charge your batteries and do some amazing shopping too.
We, along with others, froze
I went there with a group of ladies. I was really looking forward to it, but although the food was great I, for one, couldn't really enjoy it as the place was freezing. We heard quite a few comments about it. Even the staff had heavy coats on and looked freezing. My cheeseboard was very good at £6.95 but some had the soup and bread at £3.95. They had lots of rustic bread but the soup bowl was small and was only half full too. Because of the quality of the food this could have been a really good experience. I am normally a warm person but today I got chilled right through. Sorry to say we won't be going again unless it is in the middle of summer.
Nice food but awful service
After looking around the extensive farm shop we ordered 2 sandwiches in the cafe. After 30 minutes I enquired as to the whereabouts of the food and was told they were very busy and we were next. While I admit there were other tables seated, there was certainly not a feeling of the cafe being all that busy. We watched several other people ask about their orders all told the same thing, at one point a manager (I presumed) came round and said sorry blaming lack of staff. Another 25 minutes passed and eventually our lunch was served. The food was nice, a ploughmans cheese sandwich and Italian meat sandwich, but after an hour we really had to rush. Another table left before their sandwiches artived as their lunch hour had expired! The menu in the cafe is very nice, but nothing actually requires any cooking (salads, tapas plates and sandwiches) so the long wait just didn't make any sense.
Always worth a visit
Have been several times when visiting family in Faversham. We always enjoy a look round the fantastic array of produce. We always have a drink and food and have not been disappointed. There is a good choice of tasty food. Had the Guinness cake today, very tasty! Of course, this is not a budget shop with prices on the higher side. Mind you, there are things you can't get at other retailers with a fantastic fresh produce area.
Terrible customer service
Having been here loads of times with no problems, I took my sister for lunch here. My sister ordered the New York Sandwich which a couple of bites into thought the cheese tasted odd. She politely took the sandwich to the manager and explained her dilemma. The manager took the sandwich telling her he would be back to talk to her. A while later the chef came out almost telling my sister off telling her how expensive the cheese was and how nothing was wrong with it. We were offered no replacement sandwich and no refund, meaning we have paid £5.95 for absolutely nothing!!!!!
Great Lunch
Visited here again for lunch yesterday. I had a meal frittata as a main and it was delicious. Unfortunately there were not many cakes out (I believe they had had a very busy Saturday) and what they did have looked a bit dried out. My sister with me had asked for a slice of one particular cake - and asked for the second slice in, not the outside one which was dry. When it arrived it was like sawdust - it was obviously the cut edge slice they had given her. If they continue to serve such dry cakes they won't be doing themselves any favours. Other than that everything else was up to the usual high standard. You have to find a table then order your food at the till giving the table number, then when it is ready the staff bring it to your table for you.
If you REALLY appreciate good coffee (and food) then this is for you
This is on my way to and from somewhere several times a week which saves me going there as a destination in its own right. Ridiculously good coffee. World class quality. Much, much cheaper than chains. Superb cakes and sweet treats. It's all good but the £8.95 deli platters (big enough for two to share as a decent lunch) are the outstanding menu item. Easy access from the M2 and A2. Loads of free parking. To get to the cafe you have to walk through the sort of produce that puts Waitrose in the shade. Also there is a cracking fishmonger on the same site. This place is one of the things I like most about Kent. Lucky us.
plentiful
the cakes are delicious and huge. All the food options are simple but effective. Staff are all friendly.
Stale bread
Ordered a sourdough brown bread sandwich which I have done many times but I had trouble even swallowing a mouthful where it was so dry. Took it back and they made another one with white sourdough bread. This was just as bad! Surely they can see the bread isn't fresh. There was no way I could eat it so my lunch outing was spoilt 😔
Great place for lunch in amongst a wonderful farm shop
Often meet a friend here - the food is delicious and served promptly despite the fact it is always busy - they use the lovely bread that you can buy in the shop and the fillings are imaginative, plentiful fresh and tasty - there is a specials board too. You cant fail to find something to tempt you here - coffee and cake is a must after a savoury something :)
Needs to go back to its roots
As a regular, I have been here several times, before, during and after lockdown. I have seen the cafe expand from a mere 2-3 tables to what it has become today. Sadly, the cafe was on the wane long before the first lockdown. As others have said, the portion sizes do not represent good value for money and they have dispensed with salad accompanying the sandwiches and replaced with greasy crisps. On this occasion, I had the smoked salmon sandwich and cream cheese and the bread was dry with the salmon content barely noticeable over a deluge of dill creme freche. Macknades used to be something of a pioneer and the cafe represented everything that was good about the produce sold in the store. Now it is just plain average at best and poor value for money. There are so many better eating establishments in and around the Faversham area now that offer more variety and inventive alternatives, much better quality and certainly much better value. I think in future, I will only visit the cafe for a coffee and convenience, as it's a good meeting point with ample parking. I think the brand is in danger of becoming diluted now what with the Ashford branch and the imminent expansion to Tunbridge Wells.
Needed a clean
Having visited a couple times before and been satisfied we were sat near a window and radiator which were both very grubby even the plant on the windowsill had a thick layer of dust. The food was ok not much of it but tasty, and the menu quite limited would say they were style over substance on the choices.
Felt like someone was watching the profits too much
We were very disappointing in this experience. It felt like we were getting the bare minimum of treat for our money. Of course places have to make a profit, but I think we went on a day when the kitchen was feeling very mean. There was an option for sitting outside but we discovered that the 'ploughman's' out there consisted of just a baguette sandwich thing, and no plate, it just comes in a wrap. I feel we should persevere with this place because the shop is so full of amazing goodies, but I will ask next time exactly what we are getting before ordering food to 'eat in'.
Ok'ish
Three of us went there for brunch and went to the cafe where I've been many times and it's always been really good with lots of selection. Not sure what's happened but it was disappointing. We ordered the Frittata special at £7, Welsh Rarebit with Salmon £10 and Smashed Avocado and Salmon toast at £9. My frittata came on a plate with nothing else, no salad garnish and it was quite bland and small, didn't look like a normal frittata, I make better frittata at home. The Welsh Rarebit was one thin slice of sourdough bread and whilst tasty, over priced as was the other toast dish. I totally appreciate that they use quality ingredients but all the dishes lacked a decent portion size and accompaniments. The cafe wasn't over busy at all so not sure why things looked rushed. Disappointed compared to previous visits and will be giving the cafe a miss for a while and hope it improves.
Truely Epic Lunch
If you like local products and very reasonable prices then this is the place for you. My partner and I regularly visit this 'Café' every weekend for lunch. We have tried all of the options on the menu and have settled on a regular order. The 7 meat platter and the 7 mile platter. Two platters, one of meat and the other of local cheeses are perfect for sharing and always have us leaving with full stomachs and massive smiles. What's great is that after eating the amazing food, you can buy everything you have just demolished for lunch so you can have it for dinner!! The service is great and everyone is more than happy to assist you. Great selection of drinks both hot and cold. Cannot recommend this to enough people. So much so that now family members buy us vouchers for birthday and Christmas gifts.
Quick Lunch with family
Came here today with my mum, sister and 2 year old daughter. We had a 7 meats platter and the french platter to share. The meats were very tasty and fresh. The selection of cheese on the french platter was good but not very generous serving sizes for the price. We also had a cake each, I picked the honeycombe cake which we saw a waitress pick up a slice, touch and then throw in the bin..... I did get given a different slice but it was still slightly dry. (not sure how long it had been on display) We all enjoyed a hot drink but my sister had to ask for a clean cup. I would say the service is friendly and good, the lunch was nice but avoid the cake!
Disappointed First Time Customer
We decided to visited Macknade cafe today for lunch on the recommendation of family who thought it was lovely. I cannot say we agreed with their opinion. Our waitress (Mara) came and took our drinks order and brought them over however we said excuse me as we wanted more sugar but were ignored. I then went to the counter to ask for some more sugar to which her response was 'I did ask when you ordered' (she is correct however we said yes but wasn't enough brought to the table). I was taken aback by the abruptness and attitude she gave me there. One thing about working in customer service; the customer is always right. The service was very slow, we were sat for at least 20 minutes before our order was taken. The food was ok. I asked for baked beans on toast but got served kidney beans on toast (confusing), and no one bothered to ask how our food was either. You would also think they didn't want our payment as we tried to ask numerous times for the bill. So overall a bad experience and wouldn't recommend to anyone. I think some customer service training is required here too.
Busy and cold but tasty
Lovely food and great service from the man that brought it out. The counter staff were a little rude and abrupt when we asked about seating. They did not make us feel welcome. They were busy but a smile and courtesy goes a long way. There is a very rude sign on the counter with 'wait patiently' underlined about tables being cleared. I understand why they feel this but to have it written so prominently on the counter added to the unwelcome feel. Food was lovely and came with a nice salad. We were told our drinks would be a while but had not thought we would get our teas and coffees 35 mins after the order and a long time after our food arrived. They could do with another coffee machine! The room was cold and there was no hot water in the bathroom. There was a sign apologising but I was concerned that someone in a chefs outfit was having to use cold water when they visited the bathroom.
Sudden letdown
Having been here a few times in the recent past, we'd always enjoyed a latte and a sandwich. Recently, I knew prices were going up, and that I could have gone along with, but I honestly expected the sandwiches to be just as good, but they're not. Adding around £1 to the cost with the same size sandwich, bad enough, but when our plates arrived, it was like receiving half a sandwich. So not only have prices gone up, but they're literally giving customers a sandwich half the size, and the content was anaemic too. The cheese in my sandwich was considerably less, and my wife's must have had such a thin slice of Brie that it melted to nothing once toasted! Well still visit the farm shop, but not stepping into the cafe again!
Fabulous
Everything about macknades is brilliant !!! The cafe serves the most gorgeous food from fabulous bread / soup / cheese platters / open sandwiches, wonderful scrambled egg with smoke salmon on amazing soda bread, everything you eat is presented beautifully, the service is friendly and plesent, every time we go there I feel like I have eaten very naturally and feel good inside !! If you can also shop in the farm shop which you have to walk through to get to the cafe, all the veg / fruit / fresh cold meats / cheese, is a credit to them there is a butcher on site of you want one, and Hermans fish shed next door which is in my opinion one of the best selection of fish I have ever seen, macknades is one of the best farm shops I have been to and I have been going there for years it has gone from strength to strength, we have now moved to Suffolk and I have not found a farm shop that can compare !!! Soo we. Regularly make the 3hour trip to Kent to purchase all the spical things at macknades & eat in the fab cafe,
Not what I thought
I took my elderly mum here for lunch. We did wait ages to be served - then ordered from the limited menu. The bread was lovely but not suitable for older people - the sour dough crust is far too hard ! The service was very slow and staff seemed more interested in chatting to each other than looking after the customers
Fine Food indeed
Tucked in the back of this amazing shop is a cafe that offers a fair choice of excellent snack meals. It caters well for the vegetarian and the produce is inviting. It is self service and quite basic, but very a good place to meet up for a chat and a bite. We visit often and have never been disappointed.
Macknade Supper Club
Just returned home from a superb evening at the Macknade Supper Club. Chief George excelled with simply fabulous authentic Middle Eastern cuisine. Service was efficient and friendly throughout. Lovely ambiance and great company. Terrific value for money. Thoroughly recommend such evenings. Really well done to George and his team.
Incredibly noisy
I have eaten at Macknades on several occasions, have enjoyed the food and have adapted to their quirky ordering system. My recent visit was ruined by the noisy racket produced by the coffee grounds being hammered out of the filter into metal containers feet away from the diners rendering conversation impossible. Stunned by this appalling practice I started to notice other irritating issues like my Italian Artisan meat platter was composed of such miserly portions of meat that it did not look three dimensional, but more like a photograph. Squirming in discomfort on my hard chair in an acoustic nightmare I couldn't wait to get out of the place.
Not a great gluten free availablity
Popped in for a spot of lunch, ended up with just a coffee. Unless you enjoy salads that's about all you can have. There is a gluten free cake, but it's uncovered and under gluten containing cakes so cross contamination is clearly present. As a coeliac this isn't going to be a place I return too.
Delicious lunch
Went here for lunch again today with my sister. We have been loads of times and always find the food to be delicious and the staff always polite, friendly and helpful - and today was no exception. I had the frittata again which is lovely and then the raspberry and coconut sponge. My sister had something beginning with Q which I can't remember what was actually called - but effectively it was a wrap with chilli in it - she said it was delicious and she also had the raspberry and coconut sponge. Not sure if you'd call this cheap eats or mid-range - it was about £20 to have two drinks and two " mains " - the cakes afterwards were separate.
crisps and sandwich dripping in grease
Tiny sandwich very greasy, no salad garnish and homemade crisps bitter as burnt and dripping with grease. Hot chocolate undrinkable. The in ide cafe was very empty but I still could not get a servers attention to pay! I shall not be coming back. Horrid. Outside Food Village is much better.
A gem of a find
Came across Macknades by accident on the intrrnet, it has everything at reasonable prices & fantastic quality. No butchers but that's not the end of the world!!!!
Expensive and overated
My friend and I each ordered a regular latte, it turned up 15 minutes later in a tiny espresso cup. On reading other reviews I noticed someone else had the same experience. It was a nice cup of very small coffee but £2.00 for a few sips of warm coffee wasn't worth it. The seating arrangement is slightly odd to, you find a table and then go to the till to order. I questioned the girl at the till on ordering, and enquired what would happen if someone happened to take your table while you order. She said she would have to reprocess the order again! There are good reviews on here, but for me it just doesn't work. Underwelmed by the whole thing.
Love This Place
I visit Macknade as often as I can, as I live some distance away. The service in the cafe is excellent, cakes are homemade, coffee is good, and there are certificates on the wall for the servers who have done a barista course. Lunches are fresh and wholesome, what I like is local produce is used as much as possible. The farm shop is amazing, I like the fact I can just buy a small amount, the servers on the deli are very helpful and will let you try before you buy. Check out the rest of the buildings, Hermans Plaice fishmongers has every type of fish you could ever want. If you having been yet, give it a try.
the best breakfast in town
I would highly recommend the breakfasts here. Good value for money, friendly service. There is little deviation from the menu so not for the fussy eater. They could cater better for food allergies given they are in a shop that sells most of the products required to offer an alternative option to most menu items. Would definately return.
Great Cake Selection
Lovely cafe with good cheese and meatboard selections, great cakes and great coffee. Very reasonably priced too!
Valentine breakfast let down.
I had been told that the cafe did a lovely breakfast... as it was valentines days and we had the day off thought we would treat ourselves. unfortunately for me and my husband we had a very poor breakfast. We both chose scrambled egg on toast with Serrano ham and tomatoes. The toast was hard an unable to cut and not buttered, the ham was like shoe leather, huge tomato but hard and the scrambled egg over cooked and nothing creamy about it. We paid £16 and in my opinion very over priced. I very rarely leave food but on this occasion I left it all. The waitress very nice when she cleared the table and didn't ask if everything was ok. It is a shame as we are local, but I cannot see myself visiting again
Disappointed
Had lunch here today. Had a very disappointing sandwich with dry bread (it felt old) I think it should have been toasted. I did mention my concern to the manageress who did offer me a refund. I certainly won't be rushing back have been to nicer places.
Delicious
Visited earlier today for lunch. Sandwiches delicious, drinks tasty and cakes send you to heaven. Friendly and accommodating staff Wonderful veggie options which is a massive plus for me ☺
First class service
I recently had reason to query a product with Macknades, spoke to Lucy Wallington the store manager, she was very polite and helpful, the query was sorted out in no time at all. I would thoroughly recommend shopping at Macknades.
Not great service
I have been here numerous times and went for lunch again yesterday. Unfortunately the service was not great. We asked for a black coffee but when it arrived the cup was only half full. The ai tress said that's so you can put milk in and we restated we wanted it black and could she top it up. The waitress was grumpy and went to do it when she came back we asked if it had been topped up with coffee and she said no water which we pointed out would weaken the coffee she really didn't care. We ordered a salad without rocket and this came with rocket. When she bought our tea we said she could take some of the milk back as we didn't need it all and she could use it again she tutted and said she couldn't. Basically she was obviously having a bad day but this shouldn't be passed on to the customers.