A little while ago a friend of mine told me about a new veggie / vegan cafe in Hertford called Mudlarks. We live about an hour away from Hertford and know the area well so I couldnt' wait to pay a visit and find out more about this new place for us to eat. Mudlarks is in fact the only plant based cafe in Hertford which is quite surprising as not only is Hertford full of restaurants and cafes, but it's also pretty close to London and has a quaint but cosmopolitan feel about it. It also happens to be where I met my husband so it's an area that has always held a place in my heart.
Mudlarks use only locally sourced seasonal ingredients and produce from their very own allotment. They also support people with learning disabilities and mental health issues by helping them to learn and work within the local community through volunteering opportunities at both the cafe and the gardens. So not only is this cafe providing a great option for local vegetarians and vegans, but they are also promoting conservation and helping to integrate their volunteers into the community. I think it's fair to say that even before visiting the cafe I love everything about the Mudlarks ethos.
Once we got inside the cafe I was pleased to see a variety of vegan and gluten free cakes and muffins on offer. They all looked delicious! Even though I am not gluten free myself I always think it's great when they are catered for as I imagine it can be as hard as eating out as a vegan.
As well as the cakes and sweet treats there is also a lunch time menu from which you can order a variety of vegetarian and vegan dishes. The menu is small but it changes regularly and everything looked really inviting. It's also worth pointing out that the Mudlarks cafe is a non profit establishment where all of the proceeds go towards supporting adults with learning disabilities. So by choosing to eat here you are also making a real difference!
I really love the style of this cafe especially the exposed brickwork and vintage furniture. It's really quirky and a beautiful mix of old and new. It was also really nice to see some photos on the wall of the volunteers working away at the allotment in order to bring us the produce we are consuming. It has such a lovely homely and welcoming feel, you actually feel as though you are in someones home.
We ordered some tea and cake and sat back and watched the volunteers hard at work and clearly enjoying themselves. I opted for the raspberry & almond crumble muffin which was really delicious. My husband said that his cherry bakewell slice was the best cake he'd tried in a long time, so good he decided to take another piece home with us!
I'm definitely going to be recommending this cafe to all of my friends & family, and of course all of you! In my opinion there really is no where else like it this side of the country. It's so original in its cause and character and I'm already looking forward to a return visit.
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