We’ve been here once before, though on that visit we just bought raw milk, as we’d already had tea and cake at the bookshop down the road.
Coffee and Walnut Cake
Although there’s no scientific basis for believing raw milk is good for you, I did feel a bit better after drinking the last lot and thought I’d have some more. When reading up on it I was surprised to find that it’s completely banned in Scotland, and many other countries.
Strange how you can buy cigarettes or alcohol from the supermarket but raw milk is heavily controlled.
Anyway, back to the review.
Tea, cake and milk in a proper bottle
Tagg Lane Dairy is a working farm in the Derbyshire countryside and has a slightly stronger smell of cows than is normal at a tourist destination. Apart from fresh air it has raw milk, organic burgers and a very nice cafe.
The cafe is quite new and is very clean and unfussy. It avoids the modern curse of being cluttered with tables made from floorboards and various industrial surplus and is far better for that. I don’t want to eat in a workshop I want to eat in a cafe.
The menu seemed to be a bit limited, though I didn’t look too hard at the time. It seemed to offer three sorts of cake and mince pies, but it may do more. It had Victoria sponge, Lemon Drizzle cake and Coffee and Walnut cake. To be honest, you really don’t need more.
They also have plenty of ice cream, or maybe gelato. I’m not quite sure of the difference, but it was too cold for either of them.
To be honest, the best bit wasn’t the excellent cake or the nice clean cafe. It wasn’t even the view (we sat outside so I could take some photos of the views). It was the staff. They were cheerful, efficient and more besides. I’m going to have to use the word “lovely” here. It’s a high praise, and in danger of being gushing, but they deserve it.
Julia says the blank spot in the middle reminds her of something off CSI – the murder of an innocent cake
So, to sum up, a nice simple stop for tea, cake, ice cream and raw milk. Lovely staff, a pleasant experience and something to look forward to next time I take a trip to Derbyshire.
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Sounds like an ideal arrangement. 🙂
We did have walnut cake with coffee frosting-absolutely wonderful and I’m more of a frosting fan than cake, but the man was kind enough to share.
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I have been reading the claims that raw milk is higher in various nutrients than pasteurised (apart from the obvious microbes). I couldn’t see any references to support the claims but it seems to be logically correct that heat-treated milk is going to have fewer vitamins etc.
Anyway, yes, it is bizarre that you can drink yourself to oblivion with over-the-counter liquor from a supermarket but can only buy raw milk direct from the farmer.
I can’t really see a downside to drinking raw milk. Farm hygiene is so good these days I can’t see germs being a problem and I totally agree with your logic about the heating.
Good point about farm hygiene. Besides, as I volunteer at a farm and don’t use a bacterial hand wash afterwards, I’m sure my immune system can cope.
I’m sure it can. 🙂
Oh, my mouth was watering as I read this. It does indeed sound “lovely.”
It was. 🙂
A farm at the bottom of our lane sells raw milk. Maybe we should. try it.
I’ve just been reading this and it seems, as one of the “elderly”, that I shouldn’t be having it.
Bah humbug, nanny state, political correctness gone made, health and safety culture…
I have more to worry about than a few microbes.
https://www.food.gov.uk/safety-hygiene/raw-drinking-milk
When, some 30 years ago, Louisa went out with the farmer to round up the cattle on a quad bike and came back with fresh milk that was probably raw we never gave it a thought. 🙂
It was better when we didn’t have to overthink everything. I’m sure we were all healthier when we ate more dirt.
It is hard to get raw milk in Australia too, and I suspect it may not legal here any more but I grew up on raw milk straight from the dairy and I survived, actually I suspect the raw milk and the growing up around farm animals and a bit of dirt did more to make for a healthy immune system than the current hyper clean and sterile environments today’s kids experience. I bet there is more of a health risk in unclean tables in cafes then in raw milk.
May all your cafe experiences be as good as this one!
According to Wiki you can buy raw milk for bathing and you can buy a share in a cow. In a country full of dangerous snakes, spiders and deserts it’s strange to think milk is seen as a problem.
PS – totally agree with you about immune systems.
Sounds like a pleasant day out! We’ve had rain and wind squalls punctuated by brief sun all day here.
In my new, upbeat, persona I am going to fix on the sun rather than the brief. 🙂 Hope you have more sun than squalls.
Blimey, that was unexpected. I hope the place knows how honoured it is. A promising note to start the new year.
Yes, it is likely to be downhill from here…