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Lunch at quirky café hidden behind village Co-op hits the spot
With the summer sunshine looking like it’s here to stay (well, for the next few days at least) you’re probably fancying something fresh and light to eat. Something like a tasty salad or a freshly-prepared buddha box, perhaps?
Well, a newly opened Enderby café could provide something that is right up your street. Leicestershire’s BOx KITCHEN launched its second branch last month, following the success of its original café in Mountsorrel.
The duo behind the business are husband and wife Ainsley and Anne-Marie Neckles, who are the owners of boutique boxing studio BOx. Avid boxing fan Ainsley and former fashion buyer Anne-Marie started the business in Loughborough in 2017, and opened their second studio, in Enderby, in 2018.
READ MORE: Familiar faces behind new Enderby coffee shop with a difference
Being passionate about fitness and healthy eating, the couple decided to expand the business and opened their first BOx KITCHEN coffee shop in Mountsorrel in October 2021. Now, the second BOx KITCHEN coffee shop has opened its doors, and, as with the Mountsorrel branch, it gives customers the chance to enjoy healthy food in a cool space.
The difference is, this coffee shop has opened alongside the BOx studio, which is tucked away behind the village Co-op store. The studio offers a variety of classes and there is also a personal training space and a boxing ring.
I popped along to the new Enderby cafe when it first opened last month, and was impressed by the funky look of the place. In keeping with the coffee shop’s eco-friendly credentials, much of the furniture has been upcycled, with tables created from doors that would otherwise have been thrown away, decorative displays above the counter created from old ladders and even tables made from metal bins.
What also looked impressive, I reckoned, was the selection of dishes on the menu. Having just had a cappuccino during my initial visit, I decided to head back one day for lunch.
What’s on the menu?
An array of healthy food and drink is available, along with a few treats. The food menu features dishes including smashed avocado on sourdough, aka ‘Avo It’, Korean kimchi on eggy sourdough, aka ‘Kimchi It’ and ‘Gone Potty’ which is coconut yoghurt topped with berries, granola acai berry compote and chia seeds.
Buddha boxes are also available, as are protein pancakes, with varieties including ‘The Cheek’ with banana, Nutella and honey and ‘Strong Game’ with lemon, maple syrup, cinnamon and coconut yoghurt.
Smoothies on the menu include ‘Wake Me Up’ with chocolate protein, almond milk, coffee, peanut butter, banana, cacao and honey and ‘The Green Life’ with vanilla protein, almond milk, spinach, banana, pear and honey. Other drinks available include coffee, made with beans from 200 Degrees Coffee Roasters, and Clippers tea.
With the exception of coffee and tea, everything on the menu has the protein, carbohydrate and calorie count provided. It’s handy for those on a strict diet, and for those of us who don’t want to know, the writing is small enough to ignore!
I was there at lunchtime and quickly decided I wanted to try a buddha box (which are served from 12pm). I’ve had buddha bowls elsewhere and always enjoy the fresh, colourful and healthy combinations they offer.
At BOx, the buddha box includes spinach, tomatoes, avocado, edamame beans, red cabbage, beetroot, rice, carrot, cashew nuts, a boiled egg and sesame seeds. It is usually served with satay sauce and sweet chilli sauce, but I was told when ordering that there wasn’t any satay sauce available that day, which wasn’t a problem as far as I was concerned. Luckily I’m a big fan of sweet chilli sauce.
The starting price for the box is £9 and you can add on extras such as free range chicken (£2.50), flaked salmon (£3.00) or mature Cheddar (£1.50). I plumped for the salmon.
I was also keen to try one of the smoothies, and went for the ‘Wake Me Up’ (£6) which according to Ainsley is the most popular one. Having ordered at the counter, I took a seat on one of the bright yellow benches.
After about 15 minutes, I had my freshly-made smoothie and buddha box in front of me, and both looked very appealing. I began with the colourful buddha box, which offered a tasty selection of ingredients, including sweet juicy tomato halves, grated carrot, creamy avocado, crunchy cashew nuts and the rich-tasting salmon, topped with black sesame seeds.
I really like edamame beans, so was pleased these were included in the mix. The only thing that appeared to be missing (other than the satay sauce, which I already knew about) was the beetroot. Nevertheless, it was a very enjoyable meal, that was also filling and due to it being a healthy dish, made me feel good eating it.
The smoothie was also really good, and I can see why it’s so popular, with a thick, smooth texture and a lovely taste, with the chocolate and banana really coming through. It was also rather filling, so I don’t think I really needed the smoothie and the buddha box in the same sitting!
Verdict
This is a funky-looking cafe with a welcoming atmosphere. I think it’s a great addition to the village, bringing a unique selection of healthy dishes and drinks. You can simply pop in for a coffee, or enjoy a leisurely lunch.
I enjoyed the food and drink I tried, and would certainly have both again. The price is a little bit above what many of us would regularly spend on lunch, but if you want to treat yourself at the end of the week, it’s a great place to do so.
Food hygiene rating: Awaiting inspection
Our rating: 4/5
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