Dining Out – The Little Kitchen, Little Eaton
Over my very long and undistinguished working lifetime I’ve done many and varied jobs. One, was working with my father. The work was physically demanding and required, what I would call, an early start; with no time to eat before leaving home. So, after the first of the day’s deliveries had been loaded onto the lorry, we would stop en-route to the first drop for a proper breakfast. It was the early 1970s and there was a cafe at every major road junction; family run with wholesome food and the place alive with the buzz of conversation.
We’d be out on the road all day, knowing that when the time came for the mid-day break it would be our busiest time with just a few minutes to snatch a greasy sausage roll for lunch. That’s why I put great store on a good breakfast – the most important meal of the day. There are places where you can get a flat, under seasoned, circular sausage, one dry rasher of bacon and a homogenised egg in a split bun eaten ‘on the hoof’; along with coffee in a cardboard mug. But is that a breakfast? If I’m out for breakfast I want pleasant surroundings, table service and a menu that reflects the variety that the first meal of the day can offer.
Only a few minutes drive from the centre of Derby and on a busy bus route, the family run Little Kitchen in Little Eaton is a breakfast lovers dream. Voted number four on Tripadvisor’s list of top restaurants in Derby, it’s a popular destination not only for breakfast, but also lunch and afternoon tea. It’s a magnate for cyclists, walkers and groups meeting up for a cup of tea and a scone. Susan and myself arrived in time for a late breakfast or was it brunch! There was outside seating available but we chose a table for two inside.
The attractive contemporary decor, both inside and out, gives the cafe a warm and welcoming appearance. There’s a buzz about the atmosphere in The Little Kitchen. Its village location and proximity to a junction on the A38 attracts a variety of customers from mums with children meeting up for a chat, dog walkers enjoying the out-door seating and, in my imagination, a father and son taking a break from their busy deliveries.
We placed our order for drinks with Emily: two Americano with milk on the side. The coffee was generous; served in large cups branded with the Little Kitchen logo. The coffee was smooth and fragrant. Had a rich flavour with a hint of dark chocolate.
Breakfast at The Little Kitchen is served from eight o’clock in the morning and the choice is wide and tempting. From the full English – large, small, vegan or vegetarian to the classics – eggs Benedict, Florentine and Royal. There’s also a very trendy posh toast: a slice from a granary loaf smothered in cream cheese and topped with avocado and smoked salmon.
I chose the bagel stack. A fresh split, bagel spread with cream cheese. The bagel was crispy on the outside and slightly chewy in the middle as it should be. My towering breakfast was also filled with a meaty sausage from a local butcher – Maycock and Sons, a thick rasher of back bacon and a hand full of refreshing and vibrant green spinach. It was topped with half a grilled fresh tomato and a pile of mushrooms. A ‘balanced’ combination of meat, vegetables, dairy and a very tasty carbohydrate! You can make additions, such as haloumi, to the stack.
Susan chose the eggs royal and our breakfasts could not have been further apart in terms of style. While mine was a tower of full English, Susan’s was a platter of elegance. A slice of wholegrain toast was topped with thin slices of melt-in-the-mouth smoked salmon. The delicate and distinctive flavour of the fish was enhanced by two perfectly poached eggs. All served covered with a plain hollandaise sauce. Toast, egg and smoked fish: a perfect combination of textures and flavours.
The kitchen in the cafe is not hidden from view. From our table we could see the cook, Sara, at work in the open plan cooking space where everything is cooked fresh to order. Many of the cakes and pastries, such as the cinnamon swirls and scones, are baked on the premises. And we couldn’t leave without taking away a slice each of one of the delicious looking, butter-cream filled, sponge cakes. This was the perfect way to start the day.
The Little Kitchen, 156 Alfreton Road, Little Eaton, Derby DE21 5DE
