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Home-made Hash Cake in Parsley Sauce with Poached Egg
Spoon is top drawer
Not only is has it become a big part of the local community, this S8 cafe and bistro serves rather good food too! Deborah Wain investigates
W E’RE a lucky lot here in S8.
Abbey Lane’s Spoon is the sort of family café and bistro
everyone wants in their neighbourhood, with a relaxed atmosphere and consistently good food.
Our latest visit coincided with a spell of glorious sunshine which allowed us to make full use of the impressive new bench seating outside.
It’s now seven years since Jules Evans opened Spoon and he has been overwhelmed at the extent to which the local community has taken his venture to its heart.
He said: “I never imagined that I’d develop such an attachment to my customers – my wife and I have been invited to people’s weddings and other special occasions. It’s wonderful,”
Jules’ philosophy is to offer the same excellent service and welcome to everyone, regardless of how many times they visit or how much they spend.
He also really listens to his customers and their feedback has guided Spoon’s offering as it has developed over the years.
Spoon has a comprehensive choice during the day, from its popular breakfasts to sandwiches, wraps, salads and fish and chips. All dishes are made fresh on the premises down to the jams, sauces and ketchup.
If there was a gap, Jules’ new two-courses for £13 lunch menu fills it and it’s likely to appeal to diners who have a little more time to spend
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over lunch and want something affordable but very impressive on the plate.
You can choose two courses from a selection of starters, mains and desserts. Spoon prides itself on catering for vegetarians and those on special diets, and is flexible if the kitchen has the ingredients, so you shouldn’t be afraid to ask for what you’d really like.
The first dish to arrive at our table was colleague Mike’s Fishcake of the Day; a light, golden fishcake filled with flakes of salmon, cheddar cheese and spring onion, served with a zesty citrus mayonnaise and salad leaves.
I also chose a dish from the starter menu – a gluten-free Goats Cheese Crostini. This was a creamy disc of cheese on top of a nutty crust topped with a delicious beetroot chutney. It was perfect for the summery day.
Mike’s main course choice was another sumptuous cake – this time Home-made Hash Cake which was full of shredded beef and served in a fresh parsley sauce with a soft-centred, poached egg providing a slippery blaze of colour.
The final cake was of the sweet kind – a warm Butterscotch Brownie, which is always available for those with a gluten intolerance, like me.
The butterscotch sauce and scoop of vanilla ice cream lifted this brownie firmly into the realm of pudding and there was enough to share.
Spoon is also open on Thursday evenings for ‘Thrifty Thursdays’ and then Fridays and Saturdays for its evening set menu, which has recently been revised.
Spoon is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, 9am-4pm, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 9am-11pm, and Sunday, 10am-3pm.
Spoon can also be booked out for private functions.
• Spoon Cafe & Bistro, 20 Abbey Lane, Sheffield, S8 0BL. Tel: 0114 2740014. spoon-cafebistro.co.uk