Appleby’s new Riverside Cafe has become a popular spot for locals and visitors alike in just six months.
The cafe is a true family business. Michael Lamb bought the Grade II listed building in May last year. Working closely with his daughter, Vicky Wallis, together they have created a welcoming venue.
With a team including her mum Allison, children Mazie and Coco, and sister-in-law Charlotte, Vicky opened to the public in August last year.
Vicky said: “There is so much more we want to do, and we have a five-year plan to further improve facilities, but opening the cafe for the winter allowed us to let the team settle in. It has been an opportunity for us to really get to know our customers and what they wanted from our cafe.
“I am so lucky to have my family and the girls who we work with, Becky, Lynne and Lauren. We have been cooking traditional, homemade food, and we really like our customers to give us new ideas for our menu. We like it when customers have food requests. One of our regulars said they liked carrot and orange soup – so we have that on the menu now.
“Our bubble and squeak was very popular and we pride ourselves on having food the whole family enjoys eating together.
“We are developing a children’s and vegetarian menu and we are more than happy to make a half portion for the little ones until then. We also offer oat and soya milk as well as cow’s milk and decaf ground coffee options.
“We use Cumbrian produce wherever possible, and we will be having our special daily quiche, homemade sausage roll and a special dish every day throughout summer.
“We have ice cream from Abbott Lodge just a few miles away from Appleby and coffee from Cumbria’s Farrer’s.”
During the winter season, the Riverside Cafe is open from 9am until 3pm Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, from 9am until 4pm on Saturdays and for Sunday lunch.
Vicky added: “We started the Sunday lunches after people requested. We served our first traditional roast on January 29 and it was a sell-out – including takeaways. Since then they have continued to be popular, so booking is essential.
“We are so grateful to our regular customers, who have helped us make our cafe such a friendly and welcoming place – and we are very dog friendly both indoors and out.
“We are looking to make the outside of the cafe even more welcoming in the months to come with new planters and hanging baskets, new signs and additional outside seating.
“We are so lucky to be the first cafe people see after arriving by train, and we want their first impression of Appleby to be a good one.”
The popularity of Riverside Cafe’s food is growing with outside catering and private bookings added to their repertoire.
