Our Time at Eleanor's Byre
Eleanor, Whoever She Is
We don't know who Eleanor is, but her cowshed is full of nice things and they make a very nice flat white.
We'd passed Eleanor's Byre countless times. Sometimes we thought it was closed because we couldn't immediately see a door. Other times we had somewhere to be, and stopping for coffee would have meant arriving late.
Then, one sunny day this summer, we finally stopped.
Nice Things. And Soap.
Inside, it's one of those little shops full of things you didn't know you needed until someone arranged them beautifully on a shelf.
Candles, gifts, lovely little bits and pieces. Soap.
Did I mention the soap?
There's quite a lot of soap.
We enjoyed having a good poke around while a young chap prepared our coffees. Everything was done with care and an eye for detail, which is always encouraging. A flat white might be a simple thing, but there's a difference between making one and making one properly.
These were nicely done.
Coffee in the Garden
We took our drinks outside and found a table in the sunshine.
The garden is lovely. Well maintained, peaceful and clearly somewhere that gets a bit of attention. The dogs settled down while we enjoyed our coffee, and for a little while there wasn't anywhere else we particularly needed to be.
There were a few other people enjoying the place too, so we're clearly not the only ones who've discovered it.
It was all very pleasant.
Nice coffee. Nice garden. Nice surroundings.
Nice.
What Would Make It Better?
Here's the thing. We liked Eleanor's Byre, but we couldn't help feeling there's an even better little café waiting to emerge.
Personally, we'd love to see a little more emphasis on the coffee and cake side of things. More indoor seating, a few more tables, proper cups rather than takeaway ones, and perhaps opening up the other side so passing visitors can see that something is happening inside.
It's the sort of place you could easily drive past without realising what you're missing. We certainly did, several times.
The gift shop is interesting, and there's clearly been thought put into the things on display.
Did we buy anything?
No.
But we did enjoy the coffee.
The Heather & Sand Verdict
Eleanor's Byre is a lovely little place to stop for a coffee on a sunny day. The garden is a real asset, the flat whites are carefully prepared, and there's plenty to browse while you wait. We'd personally love to see it lean a little further towards being a proper coffee-and-cake destination, because the ingredients are already there. Would we stop again? Absolutely. Particularly if the sun was shining.
And who knows? We might even buy some soap next time.