T & Cake, Almondbury

Oh have we got a treat for you here, yes here, a spit from Huddersfield, in a leafy (and what passes for posh in these parts) suburb. There’s a high street with a butcher, baker and possibly a candlestick maker. I didn’t look, I was too busy throwing open the door of this handsome stone double fronted café/store with a hunger on me like a marooned man.

T and Cake my friends, is one hip joint. Owners Stephen and Tracy Jackson ran the high-end operation that was the Weavers Shed at Golcar for nigh on 20 years, and they’ve shifted their considerable expertise to this cool caff which feels less like coffee stop and more like a European coffee shop.

Low level groovy tunes, a velvet Chesterfield and matching over-sized armchair, deep purple walls and tons of their own cookbooks; a mouth watering menu is cutely annotated ‘Savoury Things, Sweet Things, and Things on Toast’, which includes a classic Croque Monsieur, devilled kidneys and field mushrooms.

Elsewhere, grilled halloumi; caramelized squash; falafel and pomegranate dressing is a lush, wholesome dish and Eggs Benedict seriously good. If you want to feel really grown-up, have a glass of Sauvignon Blanc with it. Close your eyes and you’re a million miles from Huddersfield.

We’re happy to report that the barrista’s had proper training. Hooray! Kick back, crack out your slim volume of Proust or Hello over coffee and Almond-berry Cake (Tracy says they couldn’t resist. Fair enough.)

Take posh Yorkshire goodies home: Sheffield honey and Womersley vinegar and don’t forget fido. Tracy makes a dog biscuit with foie gras and bacon. Even the pooches are posh in Almondbury. Open Mon-Fri 9-4pm Sat 9-2pm