Up Country garden centre & cafe - review

We had a really fun day out at Up Country garden centre near Haywards Heath.  I've driven past it so many times but never ventured in until my friend suggested we meet there for the kids to play on the bus.  I had no idea they could play in the old bus in the back, I always thought that was the cafe as it has a big cafe sign on it, lol.  Turns out the cafe is inside the shop and the bus is just there for fun!

Carafe Cafe, Lewes - review

I'd been past this cafe a few times but never been in, it seemed like a good idea to check it out when we fancied going somewhere for lunch after a visit to Raystede one weekend.

Carafe is an independent coffee shop with a Turkish twist.  They serve the usual cafe fare but also have some Turkish delicacies and Turkish coffee.  Nik and I loved their Turkish pastries and breads (and the kids enjoyed their massive sausage rolls!)  The sweet treats were good too, Nik and the twins all had cookies and I had a lovely sticky chocolate orange cake which was too irresistible to photograph (I forgot before I wolfed it down!)  The staff were so friendly, the cafe was light and airy with cool photos of coffee on the walls and the food was beautifully laid out.  We'll definitely be back!

Christmas at Wilderness Wood

Right at the very start of our Advent Adventures (post to follow!), we headed to Wilderness Wood for the first of our activities behind door one...  Buy a Christmas tree!

I knew they had festivities planned so we went there in the evening to choose this year's Nordmann Fir and check out the outdoor kitchen in action.  What I didn't realise was that when you buy your tree you get a free wood-fired pizza included - bonus!  Tonight's the last night they're doing it so make sure you head there if you still need a tree and enjoy your super fresh pizza too!

Oast Farm Jaunt

We went for a little jaunt down to our local cafe recently.  It's a lovely little walk along part of the Wealdway for us to get there and the kids always love hunting for sticks and apples as we go.  Currently enjoying beating the nettles back so we can get past without being stung.

Cafe 212 - review

You may or may not have noticed, there's a new cafe at the top end of town.  Cafe 212 opened quietly a few weeks ago.  Opposite Thai Terre, they've transformed the old angling shop into a bright, spacious cafe offering a large menu of breakfast and lunch choices.

I took the twins along for brunch one Sunday morning to check it out and we had a lovely time.  It has a bit of a European flavour with some dishes having a Turkish style to them but there are all the usual suspects too.  I chose the 212 breakfast for the twins to share and I went for the Eggs Royale.

The 212 breakfast includes toast, sausage, bacon, bubble & squeak, fried egg, tomatoes, beans and mushrooms.  I tasted a little of everything and it was lovely, especially the bubble & squeak!

My own breakfast was nice too, a simple but yummy eggs benedict served with a little salad.  The coffee was also nice and much needed (I had a large latte)!

The twins loved their babyccinos too, especially the Lotus biscuits that came with them!

Overall I would say they serve no frills, tasty food.  There's an extensive menu with something for everyone from pasta to baked potatoes and a few European options, even catering for those with allergies as I saw they have gluten free options, it all seems to be freshly made which is great!

They even have a kids corner with loads of toys and a lockable gate so you can supervise your kids from one of the back tables while you eat in peace knowing they can't get out and cause mischief.  We really enjoyed our morning there and will be happy to go back again and give some other items on the menu a try.

Constantinople Cafe - Lunch review

After we gave up on the Big Cheese Festival at Hove Lawns, we did a quick search for somewhere to have lunch.  Luckily it was a short walk up a hill to reach some local shops and cafes and we soon discovered Constantinople which looked cosy and inviting.  We're so glad we found it as we had an amazing lunch which really saved our day out.

Constantinople Bistro

The Framptons Tunbridge Wells, review by Bex

Mum and I enjoyed an afternoon out on our own on Wednesday as I'd taken the afternoon off following a staff meeting in the morning.  The twins were at the childminder for the day (making gorgeous glittery firework pictures) so we enjoyed an afternoon of freedom with lunch and shopping in Tunbridge Wells without worrying about children getting bored or hungry or potential meltdowns or naps!

I'd recently discovered new cafe/restaurant The Framptons in The Pantiles via Instagram and their food looked amazing, we'd tried to go before but couldn't get a table (and had hungry twins with us then) as we hadn't booked.  This time we were lucky and got to enjoy a delicious lunch which filled us up for an epic afternoon of shopping!

I had a latte when we got there and Mum had a cloudy cider while we perused the menu.  

Lots of things on their new winter menu sounded lovely but I was most excited to try The Pantiles Crumpet - Homemade crumpets topped with 14-hour oak & whisky smoked beef short rib, poached eggs, hollandaise sauce and pickled shallots for £9.  I also ordered a glass of Malbec to have with it.

Rose & Olive Tearooms in Uckfield - review by Bex

I've been wanting to check out Uckfield's beautiful new Tearooms, named after one of the owner's grandmothers, since they opened back in May but I only recently managed to visit.  It was worth the wait, such a beautiful venue for a relaxed catch up with a friend!

Cafe Rust, Brighton - review by Bex

Last week I took the twins to Brighton to visit Laura and her daughter, Arla.  We went to a soft play first so the toddlers could burn off a bit of energy before we decided it was time for lunch.  The original cafe Laura had planned to take us too was already full so we went to Cafe Rust on Preston Road which she'd planned on trying and we're so glad we did!  It was absolutely gorgeous!  As soon as we walked in and saw the door at the back opening out onto a garden we headed straight through and walked out into a beautiful little walled garden full of flowers and blue chairs and wheelbarrows.  It was lovely!