Chesters By The River, Skelwith Bridge

Chesters sits in a picturesque location by the river Brathay in Skelwith Bridge, at the mouth of the stunning Langdale valley. Operated by the same family as The Drunken Duck Inn, Chesters is named after the roguish white English Bull Terrier who ruled the roost at the pub in the eighties.

Serving breakfast, lunch, drinks and legendary home made cakes throughout the day it makes a naughty but extremely nice stop-off at any time.

They make and bake everything on the premises, including all the jams, chutneys, breads, cakes and pastries, using traditional recipes and natural, good quality, seasonal ingredients. In the summer you can relax on the decked terrace looking out over the water, or in the colder months sit inside by the roaring fire.

We dropped by for an indulgent breakfast before a walk in the Langdale valley and, as it was sunny morning, we sat outside. We were the first to arrive, but by the time we were ready to leave there wasn't a free table. This charming cafe is clearly a honeypot for those who know a good cake when they see one, and I can definitely see why.

Dave's American pancakes with maple syrup looked amazing; 3 very thick and fluffy pancakes adorned with blackcurrant compote, cream and a shot of syrup. They made for the perfect sweet holiday breakfast treat.

I had the potato scone with bacon and poached egg, the portion was slightly more modest but lovely all the same and clearly made with good quality produce.

I am by no means a connoisseur, but the coffee was really good too. We each had a latte which was nicely milky and not too strong, with the bonus of being served in huge cups.

There is marvellous array of very tempting cakes on display behind the counter. You will find classic favorites such as flapjack, brownies, lemon meringue pie, carrot cake and chocolate cake alongside the likes of tiffin, raspberry oat and nut slice, banana and walnut loaf with toffee sauce, apricot and almond puff pastry pie and lemon and blueberry baby bundt. Or there is the option of a freshly baked scone with homemade raspberry jam & whipped cream, it's apparently the same scone recipe they used for the first batch almost 26 years ago.

After breakfast we couldn't do the slabs of cakes justice, but we'll definitely be back to sample the baking soon.

Chesters By The River
Skelwith Bridge, Nr Ambleside, Cumbria LA22 9NJ

Surprise Pizza in the Yokshire Dales

The Red Lion at Burnsall is well known locally, both for its picturesque location in the Yorkshire Dales and as a lovely old pub with rooms serving fine food.

We stopped by recently one Saturday afternoon for a beer, having spent a day relaxing with friends by the River, swimming and catching crayfish.

The intention was to sit outside and have a cheeky beer in the late sunshine before heading back to our camp in Appletreewick, but after a couple of pints (the Timothy Taylor's Landlord was on great form) we spotted a pizza menu on the bar and decided to stay for a quick bite to eat. After enquiring with the bar staff we were directed round the back and across the car park to the grounds of the Manor House B&B, where we eventually stumbled across the River Cafe, nestled in the house gardens overlooking the River Wharfe and the hills beyond.

We ordered our food inside, along with a glass of Rose and a couple of bottles of Black Sheep Bitter and sat down at a picnic bench in the beautiful garden. Our drinks were quickly brought out and we happily waited, anticipating our food and enjoying the amazing views of the river and fells. We saw a chef come over from the pub and shortly our food was delivered.

We started with a portion of Dough Balls & Garlic Bread (£2.95 each). The garlic butter was deliciously heady with garlic and the handmade Dough balls rivalled any you can get in Pizza Express. With a crisp crust and doughy interior they were dunked into the pot of garlic butter and devoured; a hit.

Our pizzas promptly followed. We had opted to share a Margherita (the usual mozzarella, tomato & herbs, but with the extra addition of pepperoni - £5.50), a Hot Spicy Beef (minced beef, chorizo, jalapenos, onions, green pepper with Tabasco - £5.95) and a Rusticella (baked then topped with Parma ham, rocket, oven roasted tomatoes and parmesan - £5.95).

The pizza bases were very thin but the toppings generous and spread right to the edge. This meant that whilst not exactly crispy, there was just enough soft dough to carry the tasty toppings into our greedy, gaping mouths! The pizzas were delicious; not at all greasy and nor did they have that duvet-like thickness that often puts me off a badly made takeaway.

The sweet intensity of the tomatoes with the salty ham and peppery rocket on the Rusticella was a particularly memorable combination, but ultimately we couldn't agree or decide which one we liked best.

We are still not sure if it was just because we were slightly squiffy – yes it is possible that we were seduced by the delightful location, sunshine and the surprise and spontaneity of finding great pizza in the Yorkshire Dales - but we all agreed that these were some of the best pizzas we have eaten! Our experience was probably enhanced by the deliciously unexpected nature of our visit and the perfect end to the day but we would definitely recommend this hidden gem for a quick, cheap bite to eat. Well worth a visit - if you can resist the lure of the Red Lion itself, that is.

Dine inside or out, or also available to takeaway, the River Cafe at the Manor House is open for Pizza Friday, Saturday, Sunday and bank holiday Mondays 5.00pm - 9.00pm. Yum!

The Red Lion & Manor House B&B
Burnsall, Near Skipton, North Yorkshire, BD23 6BU

The Cook Book

The Cook Book is a great little cafe cum bookshop in St. Just, an ancient mining town in the far west of Cornwall near Land's End. What better means to while away a thoroughly unpleasant wet, windy and misty Sunday afternoon than munching on delicious homemade cakes whilst browsing through the secondhand books!

The cafe serves an all day breakfast, seasonal soups, lunches, cakes and scones and as far as possible source local produce. It is dog and child friendly with cheerful staff and a warm welcoming atmosphere. There are daily newspapers laid out on a communal bar and the place is crammed with an ecletic selection of books - 5,000 or so in three rooms upstairs, spilling down the stairs and in the cafe itself.

Their cream tea is a true Cornish feast – two homemade scones and a saffron bun, served with Rodda’s Cornish Clotted Cream, delicious local Strawberry Jam and a big pot of tea. Saffron buns are a traditional Cornish specialty - rich yeast buns, coloured yellow with fresh saffron and loaded with currants. They are all to scarce these days, so a rare treat indeed.

Disappointingly Dave couldn't manage his saffron bun as well as the two large scones, so he wrapped it up for breakfast next morning!

The Cook Book claims to feed body and mind, it is true but places like this are also good for the soul.

The Cook Book
4 Cape Cornwall Street, St. Just, Cornwall TR19 7JZ

This post forms part of a series about our 2010 gastro camping trip in Cornwall.

Polpeor Cafe

Polpeor Cafe proudly lays claim to being the most southerly cafe in mainland Britain and it enjoys a stunning position perched perilously on the edge of the steep cliffs at Lizard Point, under the flash of the substantial Lighthouse.

The cafe itself is little more than a small cabin with a corrugated roof. It has a traditional, almost retro, vibe; not in the trendy sense but certainly not in a naff way either, you just get a feeling that it is slightly old fashioned yet a very homely and genuine place.

It is open during the day selling all manner of drinks and delicious homemade delights, but during the summer you can also enjoy an early dinner, sitting outside on the back terrace. The no-frills plastic tables and chairs don't detract from the experience in the slightest and with uninterrupted sea views it really is the most perfect location. If you are lucky you may see a rare Cornish chough (a member of the crow family with a distinctive red beak and legs) or even a seal in the water below.

It is BYO so we took along a bottle of Polgoon Aval, which the friendly staff were also happy to chill for us whilst we waited for our food in the evening sunshine.

Dave ordered the Luxury Fish Pie which seemed to be popular and, he declared, for very good reason. Generous chunks of white fish and prawns were covered in sauce and a bubbling golden top of potato.

The steak and kidney pie had tempted me, but being so close to the sea I felt obliged to do it's bounty justice. So I chose the Fish platter and it arrived loaded with white and brown crab meat, prawns, grilled mackerel and sardines, served with a fresh salad and bread and butter. I had also ordered a portion of chips, which I realised was rather greedy when I saw the size of the platter itself!

For desert we shared the cafe's special - homemade Jubilee Meringue with blackberry and apple compote, Cornish ice cream and clotted cream. The meringue was exactly as meringue should be; crunchy yet still chewy and gorgeously gooey in the middle. It was retro heaven.

The food is all cooked fresh to order in a small lean to kitchen and was fabulously good. It's not just about the food though, here everything conspires to make for a very charming experience .

We made the walk back up into the village and stopped for a few beers at the local pub. Given the sign outside it would have been rude not to and after a couple of pints of Skinners Betty Stogs Bitter, I can confirm that we were very happy campers indeed!

Polpeor Cafe
Lizard Point, The Lizard, Helston, Cornwall, TR12 7NU

This post forms part of a series about our 2010 gastro camping trip in Cornwall.