‘Come for the roads, stay for the cake’
The Penny Garth CafŽ Hawes, North Yorkshire, DL8 3RD
It’s said throughout the Dales that ‘all roads lead to Hawes’ and while that may be an exaggeration in real terms, it’s certainly true that the best ones do. So we took a ride over the Buttertubs Pass to visit the Penny Garth Café, and joined the regulars to find out if there’s more to this established hub than just a convenient place to meet for those exploring the local roads.
“I’d give it 10 out of 10,” says David Short, who rides in at least once a week with mate Neil Burnett on their Bonnevilles. “The food is superb and there’s always a friendly atmosphere, plus it’s a great riding area.” Charles Crowley and Peter Benbow offer up a perfect 10 too. “The reputation speaks for itself,” says Charles. “There’s good food, quick service and excellent facilities.” And our sausage bap lived up to the hype. However, the real treat was one of owner Christian Westen’s home-made brownies.
“We make everything fresh,” says Christian’s number two in the kitchen, local lad Ryan Iveson. “And that includes all of the cakes and pastries. We understand bikers, so do our best to cater for them; we’ll make sure groups are all served hot food at the same time, we provide visor cleaning facilities and a 24-hour webcam so that you can check on the weather before heading over.”
The Penny Garth could be in the running on location alone, but we spoke to a cross section of customers and it would appear that whilemany come for the roads, they all stay for the food. Especially the cake.