Review: The Mill Cafe, Hempnall

As you may know by now, I love to explore a new area for the best places to enjoy a cuppa, afternoon tea, a wedge of cake or simply good food worthy of shouting about. Well, whilst visiting friends in Florida earlier this year, I got chatting to a lovely lady called Jean who told me all about The Hempnall Trust in Norfolk, a charity that she was involved with herself. Jean told me to pop in for lunch some time, where they host The Mill Cafe once a month, within the stunning old windmill just down the road from my regular stopover. Based in the Hempnall Mill Centre (just a few miles south of Norwich), The Mill Cafe runs every first Monday of the month to help raise money for this local charity. The trust provides grants for residents of Hempnall who may be experiencing need, hardship or distress. Examples of these grants include assistance with funeral expenses, emergency funding, palliative care support, even help with heating or fuel costs. Anybody can apply for these grants, so long as their permanent residence is within Hempnall. Many of the patrons within The Mill Cafe are elderly or disabled, dining here to meet with family or friends, enjoy a range of activities on offer whilst they visit and tuck into delicious, home cooked food provided at an affordable cost. The menu offered sandwiches served with salad and crisps, homemade minced beef & onion pie or roast mixed peppers & cheddar quiche (of which I tucked into) served with new potatoes and salad. If you have room, there's a dessert menu, where I saw lemon layer gateau, summer berries & cream or a naughty bannoffee roulade being served to my fellow diners. You can also order tea, coffee, soft drinks as well as home baked cakes (I could choose fluffy fruit scones, coffee & walnut cake or a Malteaser cake) all made by the volunteers working that day. These treats can be taken home as a takeaway option if you're passing and fancy something for the road. The lunches cooked here are prepared by a professional chef and she's assisted by helpers & volunteers who prepare salads, vegetables and refreshments, as well as help with the clearing and washing up. It's a real team effort here, with the volunteers all helping to entertain visitors, clear tables, serve customers and I got to see them preparing their own lunch for when the cafe closed, enjoying it as a team later in the day as a reward for their service. My lunch came to £5.80 in total, including a slice of homemade quiche with all the trimmings, a slice of coffee & walnut cake to take home and a soft drink - it was extremely good value for money. Not only is the food truly delicious, a really friendly atmosphere here and you're made to feel so welcome, I'll be back again for sure next time I'm in the area. The Mill Cafe is open the first Monday of every month from 10am to 2pm. www.hempnalltrust.org.uk Read my new "About Me" page here! You can also read about Miss Sue Flay's "Around The World In 80 Stays Challenge"and other Secret Stays & Reviews here. See more of my travel videos here and more of my food review videos here. Or get in touch via social media through Facebook, Instagram & Twitter for a natter about life in general! Please note - I paid my way during this visit and I am in no means obliged to blog or write about their offerings, but I simply choose to share with my readers, should I enjoy the experience. Any questions or to discuss a "Secret Stay" or review, please do email:hello@misssueflay.com All images © 2015 Miss Sue Flay, these may not be used or reproduced without written permission from the owner, many thanks in advance.