My Saturday in Hornchurch

It’s a rare thing for us to have a local saturday and enjoy some of my favourite places in Hornchurch but this weekend we had that chance. I’m also delighted to say that even in these tough times all the local businesses seemed to be doing well and there was definitely a good atmosphere as we walked around. We decided to start with a long overdue return visit to French’s Cafe which has undergone a complete makeover to coincide with the new restrictions that are in place at the moment. I personally think this is the best cafe in town and today’s visit didn’t change that. As we entered there was a hand sanitizer and a a place to fill out your personal details before heading to sit at a table that had kindly been reserved for us by Issy. The menu was smaller than usual given the current situation but still had a good selection to choose from. We decided to choose a Full English Breakfast and the Ham , Egg & Chips along with toast and butter & two cups of tea. I’m now delighted to say that the food was fresh , hot and an absolute pleasure to eat. This is a great cafe and all the staff are very friendly. I’m certainly looking forward to many more visits in the future.

Full English Breakfast

Ham , Egg & Chips

After a little stroll it was time for our next stop at the amazing Le Moulin Patisserie which is always popular. We were greeted at the door by Helene who then escorted us to a table which she had reserved for us. We started with a Mocha and a Green Tea before ordering two of their fabulous cakes. We chose the Bakewell Tart and the New Creme Brûlée which was absolutely delicious. After a nice chat with Helene we ordered another tea & coffee to go with a slice of the amazing Creme Brûlée Bread & Butter Pudding which is simply to die for and was accompanied with a Chantilly Cream. It was great to be back in Le Moulin as you really get a great feeling when your in here. This place is very popular with all the locals and it’s not hard to see why. Thank You for the friendly service and delicious cakes and look forward to seeing you all again soon.

Mocha

Bakewell Tart

Creme Brûlée

Creme Brûlée Bread & Butter Pudding

Now it was time for us to take the short walk from the town centre and head to the Hop Inn micro pub. Here we were greeted by owner Phil who said that the table in corner had been reserved for us. Then as we entered we received a nice welcome from co owner Alison. Even with the reduced capacity there was still a great atmosphere. Now to choose a drink to which my wife went for a refreshing Gin & Tonic while I opted for the Murmur a fabulous pale ale from the Wild Beer Co that was full of tropical fruit flavours and a perfect way to begin. They were very busy and even had people waiting outside for tables. But it’s not hard to understand why because not only the amazing hospitality shown by Phil , Alison & Andrew they do serve a great variety of beers from local breweries as well as an extensive gin list. Now for another drink and this time my wife went for a Beefeater 24 Gin while I chose a fantastic malty Red Ale from the Five Points Brewery. I then had to finish with dessert so chose the most amazing Imperial Stay Puft Praline from the Tiny Rebel Brew Co. . This was a praline marshmallow porter where the only thing missing was a flake. Then it was time to take the short walk home but we’ll definitely be back many times in the future.

Wild Beer Co. – MURMUR

Five Points Brewery – Hook Island Red Ale

Beefeater 24 Gin

Tiny Rebel Brew Co. – Imperial Stay Puft Praline

I would now like to say a big Thank You to French’s Cafe , Le Moulin Patisserie & The Hop Inn for their fabulous hospitality we certainly enjoyed some great food , cakes & drinks in a nice friendly atmosphere. I would highly recommend a visit to any of these places and especially now when this industry is finding it very tough. So show your support and pay one of these establishments a visit soon.

Thank You all and look forward to seeing you all again soon.

#SupportLocal #SupportHospitality #Hornchurch