We were at a loose end on a Saturday morning, so I decided to take the family out for some brunch.

There are a few good brunch spots to the north of Cambridge but we aren’t spoiled for choice here. Luckily, a cafe and farm shop has recently opened up, called Willow Grange, located just off the A10 between Waterbeach and Stretham. I have been keen to visit for a while because of all the good reviews I have read in the Cambridge Foodies community, so I was excited to tick this one off.

It is an easy place to miss with only a small sign up as you drive by. You could probably drive past it a dozen times without knowing it is even there.

Parking is plentiful with a cute little tortoiseshell kitten that came out to greet us as we got out of our car. The venue is in a large warehouse, with a log fire and a decked terrace outside. You have to go through the farm shop to get to the cafe, which sells a wide range of locally sourced items ranging from cheese, pasta, fresh meat, and alcohol.

I noticed one of those fancy pre made Brick pizzas for £10 in their farm shop fridge. I couldn’t help but notice that I paid around £8 for the exact same pizza at Scott’s Farm Shop (which is only a 5-10 minutes drive away). That’s quite a markup. Still, the shop is filled with quality products and there is a wide selection of everything you could want. It is also worth noting that Willow Grange is a much more pleasant experience and the sort of place you are happy to casually browse on the weekend when compared to Scott’s, so I will leave it up to you to decide if that justifies the extra cost.

Pulled pork sandwich

The menu is small but with all the classics you can expect from a brunch menu – avocado on toast, seasonal soups, Turkish eggs, and a bacon roll. One dish that jumped out was the “pulled pork sandwich”, a roll with BBQ pulled pork, bramley apple sauce, Monterey Jack cheese, whole grain mustard and sage slaw. This is something I simply couldn’t resist, so decided to give it a whirl.

My first impression was how small and timid it looked. I was actually a little disappointed to start with, especially considering it was over £10 but looks can be deceiving and this was one of those occasions.

I opened it up to find a tightly packed roll that was absolutely stuffed with juicy BBQ pulled pork. You know, that juicy pulled pork that makes you really want to sink your teeth into it and chew uninhibitedly. The sage slaw added a creaminess that made sure the roll wasn’t too dry while also adding a satisfyingly crunchy texture that wrapped everything up perfectly.

The mustard gave it a subtle spicy kick and the cheese also added an indulgent gooeyness. It really hit the spot, especially since the roll was strong enough to hold it all together with surprising strength, especially considering how incredibly soft it was.

This, my friends, is exactly how pulled pork should be done.

Turkish eggs

My wife had Turkish eggs which came served with two poached eggs placed on top of toasted sourdough bread. This was then garnished with Greek yogurt and a pickled onion that added an attractive pink pop to the plate.

She said “the eggs were poached beautifully but I could have done with an extra egg or two… The sourdough toast was also slightly over done but I really enjoyed it overall”.

A kids menu was also available for £5 each, with the options to add a fancy brand of Fruit Shoot and a packet of Pombears for an extra £2. This was perfect for our two year old toddler who had an egg on toast. 

The team at Willow Grange had unfortunately run out of their fancy brand of Fruit Shoots and quickly popped by to ask us if we would like something else. We opted for an orange juice to replace it, which in turn ended up breaking the meal deal. We didn’t think about it at the time but after checking the receipt in the car it turned a £7 meal deal into a £9.25 deal. This didn’t bother us much but I know it would have upset others. I think a little communication explaining that the swap would have changed the price would have done wonders here.

Locally sourced craft beer

I was excited to see a great selection of locally sourced craft beers, including Wylde Sky from Linton and my personal favourite Brew Board from Harston. 

A good time was had by all

Willow Grange is a much needed brunch spot for the North of Cambridge. We often get overlooked in these parts and I am delighted to see something like this open. Better still, you can never have too many locally sourced farmers markets, especially in such a rustic and spacious venue with real potential in the summer months. I cannot wait to pop back when the sun finally graces us with its presence, as I think this might be a real winner for lovers of the great outdoors.

Thanks for reading