‘IT’S THE ACE CAFE OF THE SOUTH WEST’

Great food and facilities make this gem stand out as a unique biker café

The south west is blessed with its fair share of fantastic roads so we decided to take a blast across Bodmin Moor to drop in on the fine folk at Cornwall’s Chequered Flag Café. This unique pit stop lies on the northbound carriageway of the A38 just short of Liskeard and is easy to spot from the road. To say the Chequered Flag is a biker-themed café does it a disservice – it’s more a multipurpose facility designed with motorcyclists in mind. There’s a helmet park inside each door, somewhere to hang your kit, USB points for phone charging, free-to-use library with stacks of Haynes manuals, a TV and even a fully kitted workshop! “We’re all about the people,” says Rob Partington who co-owns the Chequered Flag with his wife, Karen. “If you’ve got wet gloves you can dry them out and if you want to borrow spanners you can. If someone wants to do a specific job, they can even rent a workbench.” The attention to detail runs through to the menu. Breakfasts range from Cruiser to Mini Moto depending on size, while burgers have names such as Street Triple and Gold Wing. We had a yardstick sausage sandwich and were more than impressed. Overall the Chequered Flag offers good, honest food in an environment that’s completely reflects the world of biking. We’ve not seen another roadside café like it. “It’s the Ace Cafe of the south west,” says regular Spike Hughes. “There’s ample parking, great food, and you can even have a brew while your bike’s being serviced!”