In Praise of the Cycling Cafe

As autumn heads towards winter and the weather gets colder and wetter, many of us need an extra little incentive to get them out the door and on the bike. Often that comes in the form of a steaming cup of coffee or mug of hot chocolate and a plate of something tasty, whether it’s cheese on toast or a home-made cake.

Fortunately, we are blessed with some wonderful cafés that seem to be strategically placed to meet the needs of a cold and weary cyclist. We’ve listed a few of our favourites below:

  1. Honesty Café, Lambourn – The first of two Honesty cafés to make our list. The Lambourn shop has really friendly staff, excellent coffee and hot chocolate, and the freshly prepared food is very tasty, with a great range of soups, sandwiches and cakes.
    Location: 17 High StreetLambourn, RG17 8XL
    Opening Hours: 0800 – 1600 Monday to Sunday
    Website:  http://www.coffeeshops.honestygroup.co.uk/honesty-lambourn/

  2. Honesty Café, Inkpen Common – Tucked away beside the Crown and Garter pub, it is a lovely place to relax and sample their range of cakes, biscuits, tarts, pastries and preserves.  You can also buy the breads made at the Honesty Bakery.  They serve breakfasts from 8.30 until 10.30 Monday to Sunday and light lunches from 12pm. Cycle parking is provided in front of the pub.
    Location: Great Common Road, Inkpen Common, RG17 9QR
    Opening Hours: 0800 – 1600 Monday to Sunday
    Website: http://www.coffeeshops.honestygroup.co.uk/honesty-inkpen/

  3. The Tea Cosy, Hurstbourne Tarrant – The only café outside West Berkshire to make our list. This hidden gem is tucked behind the car dealership on the north side of the village. As the name would suggest, tea is served in a pot with a knitted cosy and while their sandwiches and hot food are lovely, it’s the cakes that really stand out. Just the ticket before getting back in the saddle for the long climb to Faccombe. Please note that they are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
    Location: The Dene | Hurstbourne TarrantHurstbourne Tarrant, SP11 0AS
    Opening Hours: 0930 – 1700 Wednesday to Sunday

    Website: https://www.facebook.com/theteacosyhurstbourne/

  4. Saddleback Farm Shop, Brightwalton – Situated just off the Wantage Road, it has an excellent café at the back of the shop serving hot and cold meals and a good selection of home-made cakes. With beautiful views over the North Wessex Downs, this makes a great pit stop for bike rides north of Newbury.
    Location: California Farm, Brightwalton, RG20 7HR
    Opening Hours: 0830 – 1700 Monday to Saturday; 1000 – 1530 Sunday
    Website: http://www.saddlebackfarmshop.co.uk/kitchen/tea-room/

  5. Hampstead Norreys Community Shop & Café – Hidden in a little courtyard next to the church, this provides a warm welcome for weary cyclists. Serving delicious foods for breakfast and lunch, they also offer deli items, locally made cakes, tea and barista coffee. As well as being home-made, lots of the ingredients are home grown too. The only downside is that they close at 12pm on Sundays!
    Location: Church Street, The Manor CourtyardHampstead, Norreys, RG18 0TD
    Opening Hours: 0800 – 1900 Monday to Friday; 0830 – 1600 Saturday; 0900 – 1200 Sunday
    Website: http://www.hncs.co.uk/cafe/

  6. Blackbird Café, Chapel Row – Situated next to the Bladebone Inn, the owners bake daily to stock their cosy little café full of yummy cakes and goodies. Their breakfasts and lunches are good too and are made using local, seasonal ingredients. Just remember that they are closed on Sundays and Mondays.
    Location: Chapel Row, Bucklebury, RG7 6PD
    Opening Hours: 0830 – 1430 Tuesday to Friday;  0900 – 1430 Saturday
    Website: http://www.theblackbirdcafe.co.uk

We realise that this is far from an exhaustive list, so if we’ve missed any cafés that you would like to recommend, then please get in touch on Facebook or Twitter and let us know.