Due to the impending closure of the Hub Cafe I made the trip to Glentress yesterday for some cake and coffee , (before going for a ride since I was there anyway). Now, I've had a love/hate relationship with the Hub over the years. No seats and long waiting times in the summer and closed mid-week in the off season when I have most of my free time, but even I was a bit sad yesterday when I left for the last time. And the reason for this sadness? My last ever slice of their carrot cake.
To call it merely a cake is doing it a great injustice. It deserves it's own menu board. More of a pudding than a cake, as you discover the first time you try to eat it with your fingers. So moist it's almost impossible to pick up in pieces of any size. Best attacked with a fork and enjoyed in chunks. Many have I enjoyed over the years, but none as much as yesterdays.
So to Emma and Tracey I bid a fond goodbye, and to the new Peel Cafe I wish good luck, but for me I need to find a new cake of choice, because as good as the new carrot cake may well be, it'll just never quite hit the spot.
Long live the King of Cakes!
Whats happening with Emma and Tracey's involvement in the area? Last I heard there was rumour of another cafe in Innerleithen or something?
That's the saddest thing I've ever read.
That's the saddest thing I've ever read.
+1*
*Probably
Is the Hub open on Monday does anyone know? Heading up for my last bit of cake and a smile from Teeny 😉
*sniffs*
God speed, carrot cake.
Closes 27th I believe.
Funny,I always found the carrot cake (and a lot of other things)at laggan far superior. 😉
after an big ride out there , there cafe was truly awesome. sad indeed.
unless of course the new owners also produce great cake! :S
Carrot cake at Laggan not as good. The haggis and mozzarella panini on the other hand. Genius. Oh so wrong, but genius.
The haggis and mozzarella panini on the other hand. Genius. Oh so wrong, but genius.
Heading up there on Saturday, might need to give that a go, sounds great!
Sad times indeed.
doffs cap.
The haggis and mozzarella panini on the other hand. Genius.
Yep +1
clubby I agree with almost all that you have said however you need to change the carrot cake bits for flap jack. The flap jack at the hub is truely out of this world, a master piece in cake/biscuit perfection.
The flap jack at the hub is truely out of this world, a master piece in cake/biscuit perfection.
This. I've never been anywhere that does cake of any variety as good as The Hub. It's a shame, because we go to Glentress every year, first we went for our honeymoon, and then for our anniversaries. It'll be a bit weird once it's gone, the cafe's always been part of it.
Hope the rumour about them setting up in Innerleithen is true!
I can't believe why the Hub is so fawned over.
Crap food and had to wait ages
Trekster, yes , open Monday.
I'll miss the Hub greatly too, over the years have spent a lot of time sitting out enjoying great scran with different friends, many of whom have moved on to other parts of the world, good times. A ride at GT won't be the same without it!
Except originally, there was no cafe, no bike shop, just a car park and changing room. And the trails were still awesome back then. The Hub was the icing on the cake, but you can still have great cake without icing.It'll be a bit weird once it's gone, the cafe's always been part of it.
The cafe had just opened last time I was there! 1st time there was only the car park & no changing room/shower.
Dales Bike Centre's carrot cake is good too
wheeleeneelee - Member
Trekster, yes , open Monday.
Cheers. My last chance and only 2nd time this yr!!
Militant_biker - MemberIt'll be a bit weird once it's gone, the cafe's always been part of it.
Except originally, there was no cafe, no bike shop, just a car park and changing room. And the trails were still awesome back then. The Hub was the icing on the cake, but you can still have great cake without icing.
When I started going there was nothing at all, just car parking. The route was a hike`a bike "up" the boundary fence to Dunslair mast. Down through what was a wheel grabing bog and turned left down the contour ridge at the bottom bog Britney and down the 1st & 2nd parts of the Helly shelter climb 🙄 Taht was called "all terrain biking" in nthem guid auld days 😆
I had some carrot cake when I was there a few weeks ago, it was awesome. I had one of those big cooked breakfast things aswell, that wasnt bad either.
A week up there this 'summer' biking and hiking- came back heavier. I blame that damn carrot cake!
Houns - Member
I can't believe why the Hub is so fawned over.Crap food and had to wait ages
I agree, not a patch on the Drop Off cafe, which will be missed
yes, agreed, the only thing that made the trip to Afan worth it
i prefered the fruitcake myself
but the soups were worth getting soaked and covered in mud for
Carrot Cake was a bit too rich & greasy for my liking (ours is better 😉 ) but that white-chocolate millionaire's shortcake.... mmmmmm....
I had a fruit flapjack from the hub last week and it was superb ...we stayed in the small lodges a couple of weeks ago and had a "bikers breakfast" in the peel centre cafe and it was well tasty..
in the peel centre cafe
ooooohhhh you're not allowed to talk about "the other place" in this forum you know!
in the peel centre cafe
ooooohhhh you're not allowed to talk about "the other place" in this forum you know!
Youll all be using it soon though 
I'll miss it too. And the choice. Oh how we're spoilt!
In the cracking weather we've had recently its lovely to sit outside the Hub with a cuppa facing the setting sun rather than sit in an almost subterranean palace of tiles - even if they (who shall not be named) do a cracking venison burger!
In the cracking weather we've had recently its lovely to sit outside the Hub with a cuppa facing the setting sun rather than sit in an almost subterranean palace of tiles
Well in the new place you can also take in the patchy grass banking too don't forget, whilst savouring the smell of the sewage station.
whilst savouring the smell of the sewage station.
OK - I'd not noticed that but now you've sold it to me 😉
I did notice the carpark smells godawful some days - is that the same problem?
I always thought the carrot cake was a bit slimy tbh. Then I stopped being allowed to eat it anyway.
So then I asked nicely if, since they didn't sell any gluten free cakes, would it be OK if I eat my own? Seeing as how I'd just spent the morning trailbuilding, and had bought a baked spud and a banana smoothie anyway for about £7. Was told bugger off.
The "patchy grass banking" was glorious when all the wild flowers were blooming. I hope they don't sanitise it into a golf-course look-alike.
clubby - Member
No seats and long waiting times in the summer and closed mid-week in the off season when I have most of my free time.
I don't see how an independent business could survive otherwise
neil the wheel - Member
That's the saddest thing I've ever read.
Heard of the Holocaust?
So to Emma and Tracey I bid a fond goodbye, and to the new Peel Cafe I wish good luck, but for me I need to find a new cake of choice, because as good as the new carrot cake may well be, it'll just never quite hit the spot.
Amen to that
Comparing cake to the holocaust? I realise you're attention seeking but that is A new low for cynic-al and STW *shakes head*
It was an average Cafe at best not great but not bad.
i went up at the beggining of the month and had a chat with tracey and emma. i bought 2 mugs too.
the hub is legendary and part of the buzz of glentress. i never walked over to the peel center cafe for a look.
tracey and emma i salute you and wish you nothing but good things. 🙂
I liked that the Hub was ramshackle and basic, it was all that was required and was built out of love for biking. Sitting outside in the sun enjoying the after biking feeling... oh the cake! Over the years it could/should have been improved but why would you when you knew it was going to be moved eventually?
I wish Emma, Tracey and all the "tight-young-lovelies" I have feasted my eye's on over the years good luck. I appreciate what they brought to the area and I hope to hear they are back in business elsewhere (and if I can I will visit... oh the cake 8) ).
tight-young-lovelies
I use my inside voice for those kind of things, you should too 🙂
I did notice the carpark smells godawful some days - is that the same problem?
Yeah i think it depends on the wind direction, basically the humming green box with the flashing red light (poo tardis?) stinks. There was also some raw sewage flowing down the road a couple of weeks back from the new toiled block I guess but that seems to have been fixed. I noticed the jet wash was closed on wednesday so maybe the poo tardis is struggling.
jedi - Member
the hub is legendary and part of the buzz of glentress. i never walked over to the peel center cafe for a look.tracey and emma i salute you and wish you nothing but good things.
This. I got to chat with Tracey a few weeks ago - great to see her on good form and philosophical abut things.
So to Emma and Tracey I bid a fond goodbye, and to the new Peel Cafe I wish good luck, but for me I need to find a new cake of choice, because as good as the new carrot cake may well be, it'll just never quite hit the spot.
And from me too. Thanks for providing great food and a great environment to enjoy it in for the past 10 years folks. I kind of feel sorry for the Peel Cafe as they've got a hell of a lot to live up to.
We've equipped our VW campervan with Hub coasters and Hub mugs. It'll now be known (to us at least) as The 'Dub In the Forest 🙂
[/i][i]tight-young-lovelies
*cough* yes, well, It's a quote from a friend *cough*
Except originally, there was no cafe, no bike shop, just a car park and changing room. And the trails were still awesome back then. The Hub was the icing on the cake, but you can still have great cake without icing.
I meant it's always been part of our Glentress experience over the past four years. Glentress is still going to be awesome, it's just going to be strange for us that the Hub won't be there.
As for the cafe being average, I'd hate to see what they'd say about the Birches Valley cafe at Cannock Chase. The cakes aren't as nice, they're half the size, and last time I had a bacon sandwich there the bread was mouldy. 🙁
There were trails at GT years before the Hub arrived - which AFAIK coincided with the new trails.
Oh and I have heard them called "jailbait"...but the poster got pulled up on that, probably quite rightly.
I think everyone will miss the hub. I will miss the fruit flap jacks that's for sure.
Some people are having a goodbye to the hub ride over here if anyone is interested - http://www.trailscotland.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=1437