A delightful new addition to the Leamington food scene has landed in the form of 44 Café Bar and Bistro.
Opened by two best friends, Gavin Leach and Rob Singleton who also own the nearby Windmill Hill Brewing Company which they founded together in 2017.
It's a brand that is close to my heart. Rob is a former personal trainer who following a horror car crash 12 years ago, became a wheelchair user. As I am disabled and a business owner, it's great to support other disabled-owned brands.
Photo: Light and Lace Photography
The café and restaurant is their most significant venture to date (they also own The Barge and Quarterdeck, a popular 60-foot floating bar and pizza kitchen in Stratford-Upon-Avon's canal basin) and they're hoping this will truly establish their brand in the local area.
It's very much a menu based on the food they like to eat and drink, tapas and small plates, pizzas, and burgers.
My friend and I both enjoyed a drink, a small plate and a burger and definitely left with full and happy bellies.
Photo: Alice Hargreaves
On the recommendation of the staff, I went for an IPA, which is everything you would expect an IPA to be. Really refreshing and perfect on a hot late spring day. Meanwhile, my friend opted for a fun sparkling wine which she really enjoyed.
To start, I opted for the crispy squid and my friend the hummus. We both enjoyed the roast veggies accompaniment to the hummus which really elevated the dish. The squid was lovely and seasoned, and the portion was really generous.
Photo: Kasia Bluy
Next, we both enjoyed a burger. I chose the southern fried chicken burger which came with slaw and salad with a side of fries and my friend opted for the Moving Mountains vegan cheeseburger. Both burgers were really lovely, and very tasty, and came with a generous side of fries and slaw.
They were presented on a wooden board and I felt that my fried chicken burger went really well with my IPA.
I must say, the service was the real highlight. From the bar staff to the front of house everyone was really friendly. With so many hospitality businesses really struggling to find employees post-pandemic, it's clearly a testament to this business that they had such a lovely team.
All in all a great experience, and one I'll be adding to my roster of Leamington eats.
Visit: www.44leamington.co.uk/
Items in this article may have been gifted to Chatting Food. No financial payment has been made to feature in this article, and entries to the feature are made independently by members of the Editorial Team.
Chatting Food Contributor: Alice Hargreaves
For Alice, the thrill isn’t just in the eating but also in the creating, cooking, baking, pickling, and preparing of food. Having lived in Sydney, Australia and London, UK for a number of years, Alice is now based in the West Midlands.
Follow Alice @alice_ate_here