Fleet River Bakery didn't disappoint. I was literally spoiled for cakey choice. Numerous options caught my eye - peanut butter oreos, the chocolate brownie, a decadently huge scone with jam and cream, an apple and salted butterscotch cake, the chocolate cake... basically absolutely everything on display. Which is made on site and fresh. Which is totally amazing. And I have to say - they had a stunning looking lunch display of frittatas and bulgar wheat salads, all looked just scrummy.
I ended up asking for a recommendation from the staff: one went chocolate cake, the other carrot cake. If I were to make a sponge at home, I would 90% of the time go chocolate, so I opted for the carrot cake. And I'm so pleased I did. Moist, with the warmth of the spicing and the texture of walnuts throughout, with just the right ratio of a sweet cream cheese frosting. Don't get me wrong, I like frosting. I sometimes pipe frosting into my mouth from the piping bag. But it can be too sweet, but this was BANG ON. Mmm.
To go with, I got a skinny latte. I knew it would be ace because the coffee was served in a glass cup. I know that sounds stupid but proper coffee in a glass tumbler is always going to be spot on. It was deep and smooth as anything. I'm not even a coffee expert, I drink instant all the time. But this...this was another level.
Unfortunately, Fleet River does have "another level" price. £6 for a slice of coffee and cake. The latte was £2.50 and the slice of cake £3.50 - much more than I would normally consider paying. However, I would much rather spend the extra two quid and support a local independent turning out the highest quality produce than pop into Starbucks (bloody tax evading scum with their shit burnt coffee) and pay a fiver for something infinitely disappointing.
Will definitely go back, but might be around payday as opposed to scraping shrapnel out of the bottom of my bag at the end of the month...