Bladder Training. (Kenninghall Bistro, Kenninghall)

Kenninghall Bistro,

Under new management as Twin Teapots

In case I've not mentioned it (recently) then last weekend I ran 3 marathons in 3 days across the Dorset Coast path. This meant that I was currently in recovery mode. However on hearing the news Big George seemed overly keen to arrange a cafe cycle ride today and one that was over 40 miles. I assumed this was so he could get a blow by blow account of my adventure, as it turned out this was not the case although he got one anyway.

I had recently been recommended to try the Kenninghall Bistro, which just so happened to be just over 40 miles away and in the correct wind direction so nicely fitted the requirement. A couple of years ago I had gone there when it was the Kenninghall Coffee House and it had been distinctly average so I was hoping for better today. But before then we had the twenty mile part of the ride into the wind. 

It soon became apparent why Big George had been so keen on a ride as with my 3 marathon legs I was certainly struggling today and he clearly wanted to make this payback time for all the occasions I had left him behind. At the slightest sign of me launching into a marathon based tale he would sprint off leaving me floundering as I was still sore from last weekend's exertions. I feared he would teach me a cycling lesson I won't forget but he hadn't thought his plan through.

Big George likes to spend his Thursday nights out with the 'boys' at his local pub but now in to his later years his waterworks are not what they used to be so after each burst of cycling activity I was able to catch him up as he had to stop for a series of comfort breaks.

In this stop start style we soon made it to Kenninghall Bistro and I had managed to keep up. 

Outside Kenninghall Bistro in the outdoor continental style seating area

While Big George went off to powder his nose I checked out the cakes and it was a fine selection with two enormous sponge cakes plus a selection of tray bakes and scones.

A fine cake selection on display

I obviously took a fruit scone home to test out for fruit scone of the year.#FSOTY. It was a good, if rather crumbly, one.

Kenninghall Bistros Fruit scone

For todays cake choice I opted for salted Caramel cake while Big George had an Americano and a breakfast sandwich. As a breakfast sandwich is clearly not cake Big George played no further part in cake reviewing activity today.

We choose to sit in the outdoor continental style seating area and lap up some rays, where are refreshments soon arrived.

Cake and drinks

My hot chocolate was very large making me nervous that it would be just a hot milky drink, so I was relieved that it was still pretty chocolaty, although a bit stronger and a little smaller would have been best for me. My salted Caramel cake was again very large but also very tasty receiving a high cake taste quality (CTQ) mark.

Big George had been a bit sniffy about returning here as he had remembered it's previous incarnation but he not only ate his breakfast sandwich but his words as he though his coffee was top drawer and, although not part of my cafe rating system, said his breakfast sandwich was one of the best he had had.

We were both pleasantly surprised at how good the Kenninghall Bistro was and highly recommend a visit.

It was now wind behind on the return journey but as this was the longest ride we had done for a while Big George soon started to fade and with the addition of coffee to his bladder then several more pit stops were required and I had avoided a cycle based thrashing. Hopefully normal service will be resumed when we ride again next week.

Scores Based on 2 visits

Hot Choc Quality	Guest Hot Drink Quality	Effective Cake Selection	Cake Quality	Ambiance and Atmosphere	Café Rating
6.2	8	7.7	8.85	7.09	7.57

Route

Click here to download 44 mile Norwich Kenninghall loop gpx file to your gps