Elveden Estate, based on the Suffolk/Nofolk border, is a wonderful little treasure trove of two cafe’s, farmshop and gifting area. Situated on the A11, with a quick turn off and only a short distance from the popular Centre Parcs holiday village, it’s a great place to visit on a weekend.
We were in town visiting my parents and thought we’d take them to lunch at Elveden for something different with a bit of shopping to boot.
THE ELVEDEN COURTYARD..
At Elveden Estate there are numerous options available when it comes to a bite to eat. As you enter the estate you’ll see the Elevden Inn pub which on this occasion we didn’t visit but it looked like it had a real charm to it and had a full car park.
We sat down immediately for food in the main cafe. This was labeled as the ‘restaurant’ and only when we sat down did I realise there was the ‘Post Office’ which holds a tearoom too! Perfect for sandwiches and lighter bites or a proper pot of tea.
The staff at the restaurant were attentive and busy. There was a busy feel to the restaurant but it was a calm, quiet space with more adults than children. I’m sure they dine children but just seemed to attract an older crowd which is always nice for a lunch spot sometimes.
We all went for something different from pork belly and bubble and squeak, fish and chips, burger and a sandwich! All of which were plentiful and tasty.
Despite being from Newmarket – I had never visited the Elveden Estate & Restaurant before.
The food was really good quality and felt restaurant quality. (Quite obvious you may say). There were your cafe regulars like sandwiches, soup etc but the mains were really special and it was great to see they also have themed nights for something different to entice customers back with too. If we lived closer we’d visit much more often especially for the seasonal events.
We then took a wander around the farm-shop which was HUGE. There was a hefty alcohol section full of gins and local breweries produce and then a full department of homewares and gifting options. There were so many Christmas sale items too and I’m sure I’ve heard it’s a popular place to visit at Christmas too.
I picked up a Champagne reed diffuser for only £9 and also some Suffolk Sea Salt which as odd as it sounds, I much prefer proper coarse salt for some meals! These weren’t ridiculous prices so it was nice to have a good meander and know you could pick something up.
If you’re a fan of shopping locally, this place was perfect for all types of gifts from children, adults and even the dog!
Have you been to Elveden before or visited the Suffolk area? Considering it’s near my home town I forget what’s there! I guess when you live somewhere for years and years, you don’t explore or look for anything new! Where do you recommend visiting in Suffolk?