Some mountain bikers eat to ride. And then there’s the rest of us who ride to eat.
Whether it’s a communal pre-ride brew before heading out on a weekend ride, a mid-ride pause for a belly-filling pasty or a bacon butty, or the reward of a post-ride sweet treat, eating good food and drinking better tea and coffee is for us, part of what it’s all about. After all, burning calories on a ride is the perfect excuse for a little indulgence right?
We’ve eaten some spectacular food and have drunk some superb coffee at various trail centres around the UK, but right now we want your recommendations. What trail centre do you think has the best coffee? The best tea? The best milkshake? And for food, which places do you think serve up the best grub?
We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below. What places MUST we visit to sate our appetite and quench our thirst? And if you’ve got multiple recommendations, then by all means list what you’ve got. Who knows? If we get enough suggestions, we might even put together a foodie guide for all the best trail centre cafes in the UK…
And for those of you who are particularly fond of coffee, have you voted in our weekly poll below? We know we’re guilty of being somewhat obsessed with coffee here at Singletrack Towers. And thanks to the office espresso machine, we drink A LOT of it. Lord knows publishing six magazines a year without that machine would take an absolute miracle, so be thankful we have it here.
Are you obsessed by it too? If so, we’d love to know what sort of espresso coffee floats your boat, so check out the options and let us know how you enjoy your brew!
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Cardinham for the finest cakes known to humanity!
Cafe at Glyncorrwg – awesome cakes, coffee, and the best beans on toast in the world!
The burgers at Nant Yr Arian are incredible. Plus, where else do you get to watch Red Kites whilst you eat?
Dales Bike Centre do amazing cakes..
The bacon butties at Llandegla are really good and (although I’ve not had one for a while) the full English at the Marquis Drive café certainly used to be excellent post ride.
Second for Cardinham and the savoury Cornish cream tea. Mmmmmm…
Another for Cardinham, The cake is far better than the trail.
Comrie Croft, amazing cakes. Healthy food with veggies grown on site. Plus, the tea comes in a proper pot with a knitted cosy and china cups.
Ha, I came here to vote for Cardinham, and it’s already have several votes. The cafe is amazing.
+1 for Llandegla. Lovely bacon butties and decent coffee
In the finest stw tradition of not quite answering the question properly – Peaslake Village Stores for pastry based things and hot drinks ( in proper mugs). If you want fancy things like seats, then there’s the bus shelter opposite.
Comrie Croft – fabulous coffee, masses of fresh home-made and home grown (on site!) food, huuuuuuge cakes, seating inside and outside….
Would have to agree about Comrie Croft and dales center. Have to say that think food and drink at llandegla isn’t very good and won’t have either there anymore except the porridge with their honey which is great.
Does No.1 Peebles Road, Innerleithen count? It’s not that far from Inners car park…. and there’s nothing at the trail head itself
llandegla wins hands down imho,
burgers are great, but I had this there once and it was amazing https://oneplanetadventure.com/winter-food-challenge/
avoid the rubber burgers at BPW!
+1 for Dales Bike Centre
…. mmmm ….. Friday Showstopper 🙂
The portions, service & music at the old CyB cafe were great.
yeah, the original S and D CyB café get my vote, that and The Hub at Glentress were truly brilliant.
i’ll have a think on a current fave.
one planet is pretty good, Grizedale and Whinlatter are good, heck, they are all decent….
Another vote for Cardinham – great coffee and cake!
Coffee’s awesome and the new Leeds Urban Bike Park…
OPA @ llandegla good food in ‘healthy’ quantities.
I consider the Cairngorms as a natural trail centre so i’ll nominate the Mountain Cafe in Aviemore, really good coffee and cakes, their food is excellent as well
Another one for OPA at Llandegla. Anywhere that has that much cake and meat products at consistently good quality right next to a bunch of trails is a winner in my book!
Chocolate dipped flapjack at Stammer Park YUMMY (as with YAK, not a center, just real life)
Stanmer even rrrrrrrrrrr
As mentioned in earlier feed, sausage slice at peas stores, mug of tea, sitting in and around the local bus stop, watching the mtb world go by. Pure natural trail centre.
Clotted cream tea at Cardinham.
Llandegla cafe for the freakshakes with the baked goodies on top & Cafe Hope for everything home made and amazing coffee’s – they also cater for Vegan, Vegeterian, Gluten free and more. Well worth a trip up the peaks.
Can I just say all of them, there’s some new ones for me but any excuse for coffee and ride.
The pre and post ride pig option of a bacon anything is always good plus a beans on toast is hard to pass.
I think context is key, i recall a coffee from a dirty mug on a fish farm in central nowhere being sublime but maybe if it hadn’t been so cold or I’d been so desperate for coffee it might be different 😉
James
Can’t beat the cakes at the Dale’s Bike Centre!
Coffee or Tea is our daily drinking habit. Most of our US person of the young generation has not started our morning without a cup of coffee. Generally, I take a cup of coffee in the morning from my mother hand and another time any coffee house with my friends. We use the Hamilton Beach coffee maker at home to make coffee quick. This coffee maker needs only 5 minutes to ready my every morning coffee.