The Trawl – Bridlington

5-7 Cliff Street Town Centre Bridlington YO15 2NJ

The best chippy in Bridlington

I first bowled up in 2011 – walking the wild streets of East Yorkshire – eager to eat.

I was instantly enchanted by your fragrant fish and chips, peg board menu and marvellous tiles.

It would have been rude not to walk right in, sit right down and order a Haddock Special with tea – so I did.

Delightful.

Fast forward to 2014 and here we are again, some minor adjustments to prices and layout, but essentially business as usual.

One more time please – a Haddock Special with tea.

2020 and this time it’s serious I’m going in, armed with an insatiable curiosity, a Panasonic Lumix TZ70 and a healthy appetite – in that order.

I ordered a Haddock Special with tea.

The food was as ever superb, served with winning smile and cooked to perfection by the same owner who had dealt a winning hand nine years ago.

Whilst I awaited my food, I sat patiently taking in my surroundings and a few snaps.

Noting the notice my host observed that she loved children but couldn’t eat a whole one.

For the very first time I noticed the illustrative pictorial panels adorning the range counter.

And the menu above the entrance.

Replete, enough is as good as a feast – I complimented the chef, thanked all and sundry, exited stage right.

Once out on the streets once more, I surveyed the fascia, its tiles and newish fascia.

One thing is for sure I will return, if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creeks don’t rise.

So a big Bird goodbye from the old fish.

And hello to the new.

Minerva Café – Doncaster

A Doncaster town centre cafe, once used by former pop star Louis Tomlinson to film a pop video, has closed after trading for more nearly 50 years near the market. The Minerva Cafe has closed down after trading sine the 1970s offering breakfasts and lunches to shoppers.

The shutters are now down on the shop, which has not now been used for two weeks, say neighbouring businesses. Minerva was well known for its big breakfasts which often earned rave reviews on the internet. It also had a celebrity link, having been used by the former One Direction star Louis Tomlinson for the shooting of his Back to You video, last year. Doncaster Council town center bosses confirmed they understood the cafe had closed down, but did not know the reason. Long serving Doncaster market trader Nigel Berrysaid he had seen no sign of activity at the cafe for two weeks. He said: It has been here in the market for such a long time. It’s been there since I first started on the market in 1971. People have commented to me it feels like it has been there forever. 

“It is a shame to see it closed. It has been a bit of an institution round here.”

Doncaster Free Press

I came here on the 8th of February 2016, hungry but no alone – unaware of the Minerva’s popular cultural significance.

I just wanted a pie.

It came with chips peas and gravy – proper chips, proper tinned peas and an authentic plate pie pastry top and bottom, meaty minced meat filling.

My partner in crime had the full breakfast

We drank hot tea, chatted sporadically and ate the lot.

Table 16 aka table 22 – was more than satisfied.

The table was more than satisfactory a pale leatherette seated booth, with erratic homespun wood grain effects.

This was a place with hidden depths receding back from the entrance into deeper and deeper space.

And a proper regard for tea service etiquette – with no room for poor pouring stainless steel pragmatism.

But where are we now?

I returned on February 9th 2019 and the M was missing the Minerva was missing the shutters were down – ain’t nobody home.

No more pie, peas, chips and gravy no more full up upon full breakfasts.

No more Minerva, no more.

The Tudor Café – Stockport

On Lower Hillgate, almost next door to where it used to be, there stands The Tudor Café.

Almost where it has almost always stood.

Other businesses have come and gone, happily it prevails.

The cheapest tastiest grub in town.

An interior festooned with tea towels.

Tables polka dotted, teas hot.

Signs inside and out, some of them inside out.

Greetings from Gdansk.

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