Thursday 10 May 2012

Vigour Cafe [formerly McKechnie's], Stratford-upon-Avon

This is an independent coffee shop on Rother Street, one of the very few independent establishments in the town. Access is fine, especially in warmer weather where the front opens out, but you might need help when the doors are closed to keep out the cold.

We opted for the breakfast baps. I had sausage and egg, Drew went for sausage and bacon. This was certainly a good choice. This was a breakfast bap of magnificent proportions. A proper burger-sized roll with two sausages; the egg was fried in a ring so the texture of the white was dense and smooth, with a glossy just-about-runny-but-not-enough-to-make-a-puddle yolk. The sausages were compact, full of earthy rough-cut flavour. 

The meal comes accompanied with a salad - well, with three tiny rocket leaves which met with my approval. It shows a sense of humour; a witty riposte to the endless attempts by many places to serve breakfast rolls with a damp salad, in a vain attempt to make you think you are getting more for your money. Or to make you think that you have chosen a healthy option.

Coffee is not hot but I gather that is deliberate. Not a problem as it makes the coffee more sluggable, if you are after something to quench your thirst rather than savour. My latte was tasty and smooth, served in a mug and saucer. It's a brand called Formula 6, from the James' Gourmet Coffee Company, and has quite a dense texture and foam with a slightly nutty aftertaste. This makes it the perfect accompaniment for Drew's option, the seasonal pumpkin latte, adding a kind of nutmeggy aroma to the drink. This was a regular sized mug which was huge - would be designated a 'large' in a franchise establishment and priced accordingly.








Latte: *****
Access: *****

1 comment:

  1. Fab. It's a place I've not been to yet. Will have to give it a go sometime.

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