CAFE CULTURE

There’s no denying that cafes and hospitality venues have suffered over the last year due to lockdowns and motorcycle friendly cafes are no exception. However, things are looking a bit brighter and motorcycle rides to have tea or a full English are on the cards again. Some familiar cafes have fallen by the wayside, but many have managed to power through. We decided to have a look at one of John’s erstwhile articles on motorcycle cafes and see which were still running and offering sustenance to a travelling motorcyclists along the way. If your favourite cafe is still open or you have found a great new one you can recommend a ride to, we’d love to hear about it no matter where you live – it’s great to have an edible objective, like cake or an all day breakfast, when you go for a ride :D

Here are a few from our list to give you an appetite:

How to feel on top of the world - a cafe and tourist destination up at the top of the Horseshoe Pass near Llangollen on the A5. The road up is twisty, turny and fun! It points to lots of good routes across N Wales and Snowdonia. Add in a big car park and outside seating - particularly pertinent these days - and you’ve got a great destination.

A top fry up and loads of parking, usually with many motorcycles to admire and outside seating, making this a great destination for the summer. It’s a friendly, welcoming place and worth the wait if they're busy.

Jet, bats, Dracula and a great cafe to visit. What’s not to like about Whitby? The Whistle Stop is part of the rail station building – as you might have guessed from its name. According to John, when he visited a while back it was a ‘proper cafe’ with a good menu of traditional foods, which included fish and chips, burgers and any good pub grub you can think of. There are local roads in the area to delight any rider, like the A174 coast road to Scarborough and the A169 to Pickering which offers some spectacular moorland views.

Well this is a classic destination in the North. Close to junction 42 on the A1 with parking for hundreds of bikes, this cafe is not to be missed. Good food, lots of parking and space for caravans and camping! A great place to head to for a meal or to stop overnight on your way somewhere. There’s an extensive menu – including the obligatory pie, chips, mushy peas and gravy mmmm. They even host events on offer throughout the year so check it out if you’re in the vicinity!

Recommended by you for its 'awesome grub', this cafe is possibly a biker's best friend. The car park is large enough to hold around 500 bikes and it's only 10 minutes from Silverstone circuit.

Recommended by motorcyclists, Wessons has morphed into the Horam Emporium and as far as we know motorcyclists continue to be welcome. Has anyone been there lately and if so can you give us a heads up on its new look and feel?  

Known for its great milkshakes and burgers, Ryka's cafe also has a dream car park for motorcyclists - and it can get very busy! There’s been a cafe at Box Hill since the 1920s apparently so if it ain’t broke don’t fix it, the proof of the pudding and various other cliches. They must be dong something right and it’s a great ride to get there, so this is a must for motorcyclists in the area.

So here are just a few cafes we’ve written about before. Do you have an update on any of them and do you know any great ones to recommend to other motorcyclists? Superb weather too at the moment to go for a ride and try some of them out!

Let us know at [email protected] or drop us a message on Facebook and see you there for a fry up!

08/08/2021 - The group I ride with, "The Fossils" mostly retired guys so we ride during the week as you know, if you want a good deal follow the pensioners!!
One of our regular stops is Waterloo Café a mile or so south of Market Harborough towards Northampton, just before Great Oxenden. Other favourites are the cafés on the Leicester to Loughborough Railway line at Rothley, Mountsorrel, Quorn and the Touchdown Café on Wellesbourne airfield, a few miles south of Warwick.