Full steam ahead for new cafe at Melton Mowbray Railway Station
There is quite a buzz around a new cafe at Melton Mowbray Railway Station and as a regular train passenger I went along to check it out for myself.
It’s literally full steam ahead for ‘Steam & Bean’ at Melton station as we welcome a new family business into the town.
Picture this: you’re on a train from Melton to Birmingham and, somewhere along the journey, inspiration strikes.
Well, that’s exactly what Meltonians – mother-and-son duo Robbie and Caroline Stephens – did.
As a family of train enthusiasts, they came up with the idea of opening up a new cafe at the town station whilst on the train to Birmingham to watch the recordings of ITV talent show, Britain’s Got Talent.
As a regular passenger on trains from Melton station, I’m pleased to see it’s going to be open Monday to Friday, 6am to 6pm, and Saturdays 9am to 6pm and that it will be open on bank holidays as well.
When I dropped in at Steam and Bean, I was impressed with their attention to detail.
For example, their main colour scheme and signage are dark red/maroon, a nod to the colour of our railway station.
Business-wise, Steam and Bean currently has 50 per cent of its customers being train passengers while the other half are members of the public.
When it comes to coffee and food, I found their prices to be extremely reasonable, with coffee ranging from £2.80 to £4.90 and all sandwiches, paninis and baguettes being made on the premises and costing less than a fiver.
As a new business, they are working closely with other businesses based in the Melton area, with their cakes coming from the Scalford-based company Allez! Bakes.
Steam and Bean is dog-friendly, and pooches even get a complimentary treat, and waiting to get permission to have outside seating.
In the café they have a board for train enthusiasts with a list of all the special trains that are due to go past on that day.
They are also offering a loyalty card scheme where you buy 10 barista-made drinks and get one free.
The new cafe is certainly a very welcome addition to your experience of visiting the station, whether you are travelling on a train or waiting for someone.