GRANGECON CAFE & FOODSTORE

Wholesome aromas will draw you into Jenny and Richard Street’s smashing cafe, which retained its name when re-locating from the charming village of Grangecon to the bustle of Blessington.

Here they are in an old building that has been given new life by a lovely renovation job, with gentle modern decor and natural materials that should never date.

But the fundamentals remain unchanged: the stated aim has always been “to provide you with a really good food stop”, and this they continue to do brilliantly.

Everything on the menu is made on the premises, including the breads, pastries and ice cream; the ham hocks for the quiche lorraine are cooked here, the pork meat used in the sausage rolls is organic, fruit and vegetables come from Castleruddery organic farm, and all other ingredients are of the very best quality, many of them also organic and/or free range.

The menu is fairly brief, but that’s the beauty of it, allowing the cooking to be this good, and flavours superb: the quiche, for example, is a little classic and comes with a scrumptious salad; similarly moist, freshly-baked brown bread arrives with home cooked ham, farmhouse cheese (Sheridan’s) and home-made chutney, also garnished with salad: simple and excellent - not for the first time, we say: why aren’t there more places like this?

Delicious chilled Crinnaughton apple juice from Cappoquin, is offered, and B-Y-O wine is fine. Luscious Illy coffee to finish and maybe a slice of chocolate cake.

This is not cheap food - how could it be when the ingredients are of such high quality - but is extremely good value for money.

Seats 30; toilets wheelchair accessible; children welcome (high chair, baby changing facilities). Open all day Mon-Wed, 9am-4pm; Thu-Sat, 9am-5pm; party service. Closed Sun, Bank Hols & 25 Dec - 1 Jan. MasterCard, Visa, Laser.