The Golden Sausage: Help us find Britain’s best biker café
US-style café brings superb rider refuelling destination to Cumbria
While these soaring summer temperatures are marvellous for those with time to bask, it can get a tad toasty out on the road, so with a drop of rain forecast for the Lake District we decided to seek a little respite from the heat by paying a visit to the folks at The Filling Station Café in Keswick. As its name suggests, the Filling Station was once just that, but these days it’s fuel for rider, rather than bike, that gets served up. It’s a cosy establishment, one of the smallest of our Golden Sausage contenders, but modern and clean with décor that firmly establishes it as a motorcycle-themed American-style diner. The menu features several transatlantic treats, such as pancakes and French toast, but we kept it simple with the Cumbrian Breakfast. As with all Filling Station meals it was freshly prepared and cooked to order using locally sourced produce and it was well worth the journey. Sitting at the head of Derwent Water, it’s surrounded by stunning scenery and some of the UK’s best riding roads.
James Bennett is a regular and told MCN: “You feel like the food has been specially cooked just for you. They use good quality bacon and the eggs are done to perfection.”
“The coffee is superb,” adds Darren Marshall. “It’s a lovely place and the staff are friendly.” The homely atmosphere is a big part of the vibe, as head barista Paige explains: “Even though it can get really hectic we treat every customer as if they’re our best friend. We get a lot of passing trade, but for most people we’re a destination and we can have over 300 bikes here on a busy Sunday.”