Café bocboc.....the perfect place to meet and eat.....

Opened in 2010 and situated in Eccleston, St Helens Café bocboc's aim was to provide a European style coffeehouse with an enjoyable and relaxing atmosphere for their customers to enjoy, and boy have they succeeded!

  

Café bocboc is a unique business in itself and proving to be a destination venue to eat and meet. It's the first and original coffeehouse, ice cream parlour and patisserie to be established in St Helens and the surrounding area.

The image and décor is based on creating a modern cosmopolitan establishment, providing something exclusive, elegant, yet still achieving a friendly and relaxed atmosphere for their customers to enjoy.

Their concept is unique in this area as they combine specialty Italian coffees, fresh cuisine made from the finest fresh (locally sourced where possible) produce by two qualified Chefs, Luxury ‘Award Winning’ Ice Cream (the Rum 'n' Raisin is to die for) and irresistible desserts.

They use a selection of local suppliers to provide fresh produce and ingredients. They constantly search for other suppliers and give other business the chance to offer their produce, which in turn helps them to regularly change the menu and to provide excellence with 'elan.  That, combined with the qualified Chefs provides the perfect match to offer creative and delicious food, a selection of beverages, old fashioned drinks and the luxury desserts on offer.

Bocboc are confident that their great food and quality coffee, served by trained and friendly staff will make Café bocboc a special place to meet, eat, relax and socialise with family and friends.  Light breakfast, Seasonal salads, homemade soups, luxury sandwiches created from fresh, in-house baked bread served with hand carved meats are just some of the highlights from their menu. 

Not forgetting the kids, as they have a selection of meals dedicated to providing healthy, yet appealing choices.  Always looking to take advantage of seasonal produce, this is reflected in the menu and so as the seasons change, you’ll see the menu and specials board updated on a regular basis.

Their blend of coffee is unique as it's roasted to their specification and provided fresh on a regular basis to give that perfect elegant flavour to suit all. The result, a warm fresh flavoured espresso produced from high quality coffee beans and is the perfect selection to suit the wide range of coffees on offer.

They have a local award winning ice cream supplier – Cheshire Farm Ice Cream and the brand name speaks for itself as Cheshire farm take pride in producing fresh, high quality ice cream in a range of flavours to suit all.

In the café they offer an extensive range of Cheshire farm products. Traditional vanilla, strawberry and chocolate, sit alongside luxurious honeycomb, Maltese and toffee fudge – adult favourites include stem ginger, mango and Bailey’s.

So, you can complement your choice of coffee and keep the children happy with an excellent selection of ice cream!

The selection of patisseries are as exquisite to look at as they are to taste. They're elegant, delicious and comparable whith any found in a fine dining restaurant. Dressed to perfection with cream and seasonal fruits, they're a truly luxurious accompaniment to a coffee or the perfect way to end a meal.

If that's not enough they have luxury collection of ‘flowerpot’ muffins, rich fruit filled granola, sweet pastry chocolate twists and traditional scones served with cream and jam. This list goes on, but what you can be certain of is that they'll have an indulgent treat to satisfy everyone!

Cafe bocboc has launched Junior Masterchef 2012, open to Young People in senior school years 7 – 10 in the St Helens Area. They're working with What's on in St Helens to promote this great competition.

They'll be sending the information to all St Helens High Schools to get involved and encourage young children to produce a healthy dish that they would be proud of and a chance to include it on the menu.

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Apr 14, 2012 by Danielle Whitby

Bright, friendly and gorgeous food :-) perfectly located and very handy for a Saturday treat or catch up with friends after the school run!

My children love it .. Even my 2 year old asks to go! Love it and would tell anyone who would listen to me :-))

Response: thank you very much for your comments

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Superb

Nov 24, 2011 by clare

superb cafe and we like it so much that we will come back a again and again and agian

Response: thank you

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Fresh food on offer

Sep 06, 2011 by M Scott

Excellent choice of fresh, succulent meals, pleasant decor and friendly enagaging staff - well done. Provides a stylish and vibrant focal point which amalgamates good food and good conversation.

Response: Once again, its so rewarding to hear nice comments like this. Thank You

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Community Love this place

Aug 31, 2011 by A Stahler

Excellent, staff always helpful. Nice place to walk to and have lovely food. Regenerated the Eccleston community ...provided a heart to the village. Long awaited.

Response: We appreciate your kind words and our aim is to provide a place for the community to socialise. Thank You

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Excellent Place

Aug 09, 2011 by S Tabern

Lovely, lively place to enjoy lunch/snack, friendly staff, superb food, excellent choice and value for money. Provides the community with an upmarket venue which caters for all ages.

Response: Thank you for your valuable visit and see you again soon.

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Excellent Place to Eat

Aug 01, 2011 by I Swift

Excellent, good value/service, pleasant surroundings and a godsend....somewhere decent and child friendly for the people of Eccleston. Made the district more attractive and appealing to all ages - nice surroundings and good value and quality food.

Response: Really glad you enjoyed the visit to cafe bocboc. Thank you

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bocboc is the place to be

Jul 26, 2011 by H Miller

I really enjoy coming to Bocboc, its a welcoming place, lovely, clean and stylish. Food and service are excellent. A really nice meeting place giving Eccleston a 'village feel'. Easy to find from the A580..St Helens needs more quality cafes and restaurants.

Response: Glad you enjoyed it and hope to see you again. Thank You

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Really Nice Place

Jul 23, 2011 by J Beech

Wonderful, Staff and service are very good and friendly. The food is very good, the ambience is just right and the decor is bright , fresh and contemporary. Its a great meeting place to meet with friends and relax.

Response: Your comments mean a lot to us as a business.

thank you

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Cafe bocboc168 Kiln Lane St Helens, Merseyside, WA10 4RB UK enquiries@cafebocboc.com • 01744 24480

The Tapas Bar St Helens

The blog is fully interactive so please feel free to click on coloured text links or hover over the photo's to take you to related sites, enjoy.....

Now you might think that finding somewhere in 
St Helens to enjoy a relaxing evening in stylish surroundings, with a great choice of food that'll remind you of the night you spent in Quimet i Quimet tapas bar in Barcelona is out of the question.....well you'd be wrong! The recently opened Tapas Bar St Helens offers an authentic taste of Spanish tapas in stylish surroundings that will have you coming back for more.....and more!  

It's the ideal place to relax after work with a cold beer or a warming Rémy Martin.....and if you're celebrating that really special occasion why not splash out on a bottle of Dom Pérignon.





There's a selection of over 20 tapas dishes on offer plus a specials board, along with a wide range of wines, spirits, specialty coffees, cocktails and some of the best home-made sangria this side of the Mediterranean.


Beer on tap includes Mahou, a Spanish beer brewed in Madrid, medium gold in colour with a clean nose of orange, rich malt and a slightly nutty note and sipping it reminds you of sitting in a Spanish square in the early evening as the sun sets.



Tapas dishes available include....

Tuna & Patatas
Garlic Mushrooms
Patatas Bravas
Potato Salad 
Vegetarian Paella 
Pork Paprika
Peri Peri Chicken
Choritzo Stew
Spicy Black Pudding
Meatballs
Rabbit in Garlic
Chicken Kebabs
Chilli
Beef Stifado
Chicken in Tarragon
Seafood Cocktail
Prawns in Chilli and Garlic
Calamari
Spare Ribs
Choritzo in Red Wine & Paprika
Traditional Paella
Lamb Koftas
Boquerones








If you fancy a light bite then try the fresh bread with the best homemade Aioli I've tasted in a long time.  All the food is cooked fresh daily including the dishes on the specials board.

So if you're planning a special night, treating the family or just want to relax with a drink or a coffee and friendly chat then Tapas Bar St Helens is the place for you.....open from 12 - 12 every day.

Vicars Cafe Bistro.....Social Enterprise at it's best.....

Having looked at the Saltaire Festival last year one of the local eateries took my eye.  Vicars Cafe Bistro is a busy cafe in the very heart of the famous Saltaire World Heritage site which is run with a Christian outlook and a vision to serve the community, aiming to encourage people to look at Christianity in a different light and recently it achieved Social Enterprise status (businesses whose prime purpose is social, who operate ethically and are democratically owned and governed).





Alongside the busy Café they run an evening Bistro on Fridays and Saturdays. A selection of seasoned dishes (including meat, fish, and vegetarian options) are available, with a menu which changes on a monthly basis. From a table for one to a group of 24, they can cater to your needs so if you’re planning a celebratory meal out, why not choose Vicars?

If you're looking for a recommendation for any eatery then what more could you ask for than a visit from a Michelin Star chef.....Alan Murchison visited the cafe back in May and cooked up a storm.

He's executive chef of L'Ortolan, a restaurant in Shinfield near Reading with a Michelin star, three AA rosettes and 8/10 in The Good Food Guide.

As Managing Director of 10 in 8 Fine Dining Group, he's set himself a goal to open 10 Michelin star restaurants by 2018.  






They host several group events in the Red Room Lounge, such as the popular weekday Mum and Baby Groups, ‘Knitterati’ knitting sessions, and weekend Storytelling group 'Tell Me Another' . The Red Room is also available for local artists to exhibit their work, and the space is available to hire for events. They proudly continue to support the efforts of local events and groups such as the Arts Trail and Saltaire Festival.



They support the Red Fund a charity working to aid HIV and Aids in Zimbabwe.  As much as possible their goods are sourced locally or Fair Trade with cakes baked on site and food prepared fresh for each customer.  They are always keen to hear new ideas of how to create community within the area.

As a Cafe they are open Monday, Wednesday - Saturday between 10-5pm. And as a 5 course meal Bistro on Friday and Saturday nights from 7:30pm ..... (booking is essential for the evenings).  

So if you're local or just visiting, nip in for a cuppa and a chat, find out what they're about or even join in, they'll be more than pleased to see you.

Burgh Bakes.....Marshmallow Magic.....

If you're like me and have a bit of a sweet tooth then Burgh Bakes in Edinburgh is the place for you.  It's where they make and sell a wide range of delicious and innovative home-made Marshmallows, and the great news is you can buy them online from their website too.....result!  In fact she even does a range that reflects the seasons.....

Nicole Roberts who founded Burgh Bakes after leaving Uni only to encounter the misery of the current dearth of work commented, "The conventional ‘pink and white’ marshmallows taste sickly-sweet, bland and boring when you compare them to home-made Marshmallows."

  

"I couldn't believe the difference when I first made mine.  So much so, it inspired me to share the experience and Burgh Bakes was born.  I have a range of different flavours, ranging from the innovative ‘Key Lime Pie’ (with a biscuit base!) to ‘Raspberry’ Marshmallows which have just been awarded 2-stars from the Great Taste Awards."

So why not visit The Marshmallow Lady shop & cafe at 14 Rodney Street, EH7 4EA. Open Wednesday - Sunday 12 - 7 

They use Fair Trade sugar, Scottish butter & cream and Scottish berries in my Marshmallows. They also use recycled and recyclable packaging. The majority of the Marshmallows are not only delicious but gluten-free, dairy free and low-fat!

“Nicole Roberts’ hand-made, feather-light delights are examples of the fresh thinking and dedication to quality that creates more than just a passing fad. With recipes created with good Scottish ingredients such as butter, milk, eggs and soft fruit, as well as fairtrade sugar, Roberts has taken the term ‘handmade’ at its most literal. Everything is made from scratch” – The List

Needless to say you can 'Like' her on Facebook or 'Follow' her on Twitter so why not drop in virtually if you can't make it to the cafe, which is dog friendly Ralph is very pleased to be able to tell you!  

Her wares are available to buy from The Marshmallow Lady website and it boasts a range of flavours including the funky Beer Marshmallows made with 'Innes & Gunn' Rum cask Beer!  I'm hoping someone gets me some for Crimbo!

Cups Tearooms, Scrabster.....a long way to go for a cuppa but well worth it!

How far would you go for a nice cuppa?  Well there's one thing for sure you can't go much further North and find a better cafe than Cups in Scrabster.  It's a quirky little place on Scrabster harbour. Inspired by the tearooms of old, they offer a real taste treat with the very best homemade cakes, scones, sandwiches and soups washed down with speciality teas from Brewhaha and freshly ground coffee from Brodies.

They use time tested family recipes which have been handed down through generations, but like to add a modern twist. They love to talk 'cake' so if you're a keen baker be ready to share your thoughts and ideas!  Ralph's passing on his White Chocolate Torte recipe.  You'll find them nestled into the side of the cliff in the port of Scrabster in Caithness. 





They consider themselves to be so lucky to be able to offer you a warm welcome in the little old village chapel, a truly beautiful building.

Only a couple of minutes walk from the Orkney Ferry, it's worth a stop to whet your whistle before your trip to the Orkney Islands. They have a super selection of old fashioned boiled sweets, pop some in your pocked for the journey! Or take an ice-cream to eat whilst you stroll to the terminal.

How about this for a
wedding cake with
a difference.....

Ros trained in cake decorating at the Paul Bradford Sugarcraft School and has a talent for creating wonderfully unique celebration cakes. She has produced many birthday and wedding cakes, each to her customers' individual specifications. There really isn't much she can't do, just take a look at the photo!

So why not consider a custom-created cake from Cups for your next celebration? Pop in and see them for a quote and to discuss your ideas.

What do do around Scrabster.....many thanks to Northlink Ferries for the info.

Visit a Castle - Only 12 miles from Scrabster is the Castle of Mey - the summer residence of the Queen Mother. A beautiful building, the Castle of Mey has much to offer the visitor, including a two acre garden, a tearoom and an animal centre. There are also many spectacular castle ruins in Caithness, including Castle SinclairGirnigoe which rests precariously on crumbling cliff formations!

Go to the beach or enjoy the scenery - the road along the north coast has some fantastic beaches, tiny harbours and beautiful scenery at Melvich, Strathy, Bettyhill, Armadale, The Kyle of Tongue and Durness. Taking this road will also lead you to the most north westerly point on the British mainland, Cape Wrath.

Reach the end of the road - Though the most northerly point in mainland Britain is nearby Dunnet Head, John O' Groats is one end of the longest distance between two points on the British mainland. The other point, of course, is Land's End. Many charity cycle runs or walks begin and end here. The village takes its name from Jan de Groot, a Dutchman who obtained a grant to run a ferry between the Scottish mainland to Orkney.

Enjoy some Retail Therapy - There are many lovely shops to visit in Thurso and Wick, both a short drive from Scrabster. On the outskirts of Wick is a new Retail Park which has a Tesco, Homebase, Edinburgh Woollen Mill, Pets at Home, Argos, New Look, Superdrug, and a CarpetRight.

View or do some surfing - Caithness waters are famed for big, fast and powerful waves. Thurso Bay, Dunnet Bay, Sinclairs Bay, Freswick Bay, Murkle Bay, Brims Ness, Sandside Bay, Melvich Bay, Strathy Bay, Armadale Bay, Farr Bay and Torrisdale are all recommended spots for surfers.

Do some bird watching - Caithness has a stunning natural landscape perfect for birds. A wide range of bird species are attracted to the bog filled, peaty landscapes of Caithness and also to the wild sea cliffs. RSPB reserves such as those at the cliffs of Dunnet Head and in the blanket bog and lochan country of Forsinard are particularly recommended.

Visit a museum - In the centre of Thurso is an excellent new museum, Caithness Horizons, which is definitely worth a visit. With free admission, Caithness Horizons offers a fascinating insight into the history, pioneering industrial past, wildlife and ecology of Caithness. The story of Dounreay - which shaped the recent economy and history of Caithness – is also featured.

Catch a fish - Caithness has some of the best Trout and Salmon fishing lochs and rivers in Scotland, including Loch Watten, Loch Calder, St John's Loch, Loch Heilen, Loch Toftingall, Wick River and Thurso River. Sea Anglers will enjoy fishing in the Pentland Firth which is home to haddock, wrass, ling and pollock. Harbour walls and rocks in Thurso Bay, Dunnet head, Longberry, Broadhaven, Sandigoe and Helman Head are ideal spots.

Have a game of golf - Caithness has many Golf Courses - maintained with enthusiasm by local golfers. Although some courses are quiet short, all are considered quite challenging, due to the terrain and weather. In Caithness you will experience golf courses populated with wildlife and wild plants, in a wild and natural setting, which is retained and cherished. Try Reay Golf Club, Thurso Golf Club, Wick Golf Club, Lybster Golf Club for challenging and rewarding golf for all ages and abilities.

Go hill walking - Caithness and Sutherland have a stunning landscape which offers superb choice for walkers. Walks along the coast to see dramatic cliff scenery, or inland to see castles and broches, are recommended. For hill walkers, the most northerly of the Munros, Ben Hope is found in Caithness, and on the border of Caithness and Surtherland are the famous hills, Morven and Maiden Pap. Aside from stunning views, walkers can expect to see deer, buzzards and eagles.