Rose Buds, what a little gem of a find! When we found ourselves on a cold snowy morning in Shefford, Bedfordshire, the steamed-up windows of the warm-looking café drew us in! Hot chocolate was called for in weather this cold!
Rose Buds is located in the centre of Shefford. Shefford is a small town with big village personality; the small High Street is filled mainly with local, independent stores, though a major supermarket sits just behind. Shefford is one of those places that has seen, and is seeing, huge expansion in residential developments. As a child, it felt like a village – it’s unrecognisable to those days now.
But located in the heart of Shefford – in the old part that hasn’t changed – is this charming café. The welcome we received was lovely; the menu was comprehensive and good value, and the café was quaint and well decorated.
The Café
Rose Buds is cute in style, yet contemporary too … it reminds me of a traditional vintage tea room yet Rose Buds @ Duck Lane is spacious, bright, and modern too with old-style wooden chairs and chalk boards.
Having placed our order, I had a look around and spotted a Mother’s Day afternoon tea menu … it sounds really good (and I was told already sold out!)
Dogs (well behaved) are welcome … I spotted a jar of dog treats on a side table. There is plenty of room for prams, with a small children’s play corner. There’s outdoor seating as well, but not in this weather!
The Food
The menu has something for everyone. If you want breakfast (large or small), a lunchtime sandwich (toasted panini) or jacket potato, or a piece of lovely home-baked cake, then this is the place to go. The hot chocolate was fabulous and we shared a piece of triple-decker Victoria sponge (it was scrummy).
Other options included espresso coffee and walnut cake, chocolate cake, buttermilk scones, jaffa drizzle cake, St Clements cake, carrot cake, lemon drizzle cake and chocolate honeycomb. All of these are freshly made and displayed at their ‘home-baked cake station’.
All of the sausages, bacon and bread used in their menu are locally produced. We spotted a customer digging in to their breakfast … next time we’ll definitely opt for that too!
Our Verdict
Rose Buds @ Duck Lane is a family-run vintage cafe and tearoom serving breakfast, lunch and afternoon treats. This is their second establishment. There is also a Rose Buds in Hitchin, Hertfordshire (just a few short miles away), which is also known for its excellent coffee and cake. Independent coffee shops are something to cherish and support. Good luck to Rose Buds; they have lovely cafés and long may they continue.
