What we thought of vibrant Peaches Coffee House in Thirsk

At the weekend, I did my best to include the fullest range of eating out experiences possible.

Saturday morning took me to Newcastle University for a game of hockey. The post-match refreshments were tomato soup and a Greggs sandwich platter. Verdict: Soup perfectly acceptable, sandwiches okay, but I was hungry again half an hour later.

Saturday afternoon, and it was back down the A1 for nine holes of golf followed by a buffet tea at Masham Golf Club. Verdict: Absolutely splendid, with masses of different hot and cold options, salads, meats and fish, including a lovely salmon dish that melted in the mouth.

Onto Sunday, and it was a roast chicken dinner courtesy of my mam. Verdict: excellent, as always. Fluffy Yorkshire puds, tasty sage and onion stuffing, and masses of gravy.

Monday morning found me at Caffe Nero in Northallerton for coffee and a pastry (and to make use of the free Wi-Fi while my car was getting its MoT). Verdict: good service and I appreciated the offer to warm up my pain au chocolat.

MoT done, was I ready to retreat home and do some eating in? Not a bit of it. It was onwards to Thirsk to try out a relatively new café which a friend had mentioned was worth a visit.

Peaches Coffee House has been up and running on Millgate, almost in the corner of the Market Place, since February.

Peaches Coffee House, on Millgate, in Thirsk, North Yorkshire (Image: Hannah Chapman)

Millgate is choc-a-block with cafés, but has it reached saturation point? Not if Monday was anything to go by—all were busy with customers, many enjoying the September sunshine on a bustling market day.

Peaches certainly has kerb appeal, because it is so, well, peach, the vibrant colour-scheme standing out from the crowd.

Inside, I got a friendly greeting and sat myself down at the only free table.

At the time I called in (just after 11am) the menu offered various breakfast bowl options, with a plethora of different add-ins, plus flatbreads, bagels, sourdough and croissants, all with choices of a base (avocado, hummus, pesto, chutney, mustard, mayo or butter) and two toppings (five different cheeses, meats, spinach, roasted veg, red onions, sun dried tomatoes etc).

The main counter, meanwhile, offered up a mouth-watering selection of cakes, pastries and bagels.

Cakes and pastries at Peaches Coffee House, on Millgate, in Thirsk, North Yorkshire (Image: Hannah Chapman)

After a run of meals with limited decision-making being required on my part, I was a bit overwhelmed by the choice. Would a pesto base work with pastrami? Would avocado sit well with feta and gherkins?

My powers of reason deserted me, so pretty much at random, I ordered a flatbread with hummus, mozzarella and roasted vegetables (£10.50) to be served hot, and a coffee. Perhaps not traditional late-morning fare but I reasoned that after an early start, it was near enough lunchtime.

The flatbread arrived after a short wait and, piping hot, it was served with fresh spinach and coleslaw. My random topping choices turned out okay—the melted mozzarella combined well with the roasted peppers, onions and courgette, while the generous covering of nutty hummus stopped the whole thing from becoming too dry.

A flatbread with hummus, mozzarella and roasted vegetables at Peaches Coffee House, on Millgate, in Thirsk, North Yorkshire (Image: Hannah Chapman)

Filling, but also quite light, it was truly delicious.

The cake counter called to me as I was leaving, and after a thorough examination of the various traybakes, I decided to stick with the theme of the place and got a peach muffin to take away.

Enjoyed later with a cuppa, the chunks of fruit added a lovely flavour to the plain sponge, while the drizzled icing managed not to detract from the sweetness of the peach.

A peach muffin from Peaches Coffee House, on Millgate, in Thirsk, North Yorkshire (Image: Hannah Chapman)

The total bill came to £19, good value I thought, and the service was spot-on. Everyone got a friendly greeting as they arrived, and many people seemed to be on first name terms with the servers.

I hadn’t noticed a couple of crumbs on my table, but between my coffee arriving and my meal being delivered, the chap looking after me came over to give it an extra wipe clean. Many places might not have bothered.

Back out into busy market place, and it was time for the verdict: Peaches is most certainly bearing fruit for Thirsk‘s thriving café culture.

Peaches Coffee House,

2 Millgate, Thirsk YO7 1AA

Open Monday-Friday, 8am to 4pm, 7.30am to 4pm Saturdays and 8am to 2pm on Sundays.

https://www.facebook.com/p/Peaches-Coffee-House-61584980821099/

Ratings (out of ten): Surroundings 9 Value for money 8 Service 8 Food quality 8