Norwich Road
Mulbarton
Norwich
NR14 8DE
Opening hours
Tuesday to Friday - 8.00am to 3.00pm
Saturday - 9.00am to 3.00pm
Jan's Country Kitchen can be easily seen from Norwich Road between Mulbarton and Swardeston so you shouldn't miss it. I forgot to take an exterior shot whilst there, this photo is from their facebook page.
Next to the catering trailer where the food is prepared sits a rather nice wooden cafe building, I really liked it in here!
A large group had left just as I arrived so I had the place to myself, this was perfect for taking photos.
The radio played in the background and there was a selection of newspapers available to read.
The ordering process was made clear on the front of the menu but I encountered full table service. I happily returned my mug and plate at the end when I went to pay though.
The menu featured a good selection of reasonably priced breakfasts including vegetarian options, all at a great price!
No corners were cut when it came to sauces, all top brands.
A large mug of coffee was included in the price of the breakfast.
As was a nice thick slice of toast served with real butter, I was given the choice of bread or toast and white or brown bread.
The Works breakfast looked impressive when it arrived, all this for just £6!
The bacon and sausages were excellent, both came from the nearby Paddocks Butchery.
These pork sausages are a generous size and an excellent choice on a full English breakfast.
Really firm and meaty with a great taste.
A slice of Bury black pudding was a welcome sight.
A pair of free range eggs.
Both eggs had nice runny yolks.
You are given the option of fresh or tinned tomatoes, I chose tinned as they are a rare find served on breakfasts these days.
Beautifully cooked mushrooms.
I'd been talking about buying another bike for some time now, I'd cycled to work for 18 years and thoroughly enjoyed it. Since learning to drive back in 2006 though my cycling days seemed well and truly over. That was until I finally made the effort to buy a bike on ebay, it was just a case of collecting it from Fundenhall. I looked at the route to Fundenhall from Norwich thinking there must be a cafe stop on the way for breakfast. After researching it for a while the most tempting option appeared to be Jan's Country Kitchen near Mulbarton. I noticed on their facebook page that they were closing down in the near future so decided I'd stop for breakfast but not write a full review because of this. That was until I arrived at Jan's Country Kitchen, I liked what I saw and started taking photos right away!
Upon entering - As you pull off the main Norwich Road just outside Mulbarton there's a catering trailer and a large wooden cafe building which is Jan's Country Kitchen. There's plenty of space to park just behind the trailer next to a large greenhouse. The trailer is where everything is cooked and where you pay at the end, a delicious looking selection of pies and cakes are displayed on the counter. The wooden cafe building is a decent size with large windows allowing lots of natural light to flood in. There are different sized tables to chose from, each has a good selection of sauces, condiments and a menu in the centre. If you prefer sitting outside in the warmer weather then this is an option too. Bunting hangs from the walls, music plays in the background and there's a bundle of newspapers to choose from if you fancy a read. The menu offers a good choice of breakfast options and informs you to order at the counter, collect your food when your order is called out and return your mugs/plates when leaving. This all sounded perfectly reasonable to me although I was served at the table on this visit, more on that in the next section though. As a place to dine in I found the cafe building relaxing and comfortable. A large group left shortly after I arrived so I had the place to myself which made taking photographs much easier than usual. 8/10
Service - The two staff I encountered (I'm assuming one was Jan) were both really friendly and helpful. I asked if they were still serving breakfast and was told to take a seat in the cafe and decide what I wanted from the menu, somebody would come along shortly and take my order. The Works looked like the best option so I decided I'd order that, a bargain at just £6! Whilst placing my order I was given the choice of tea or coffee, tinned or fresh tomatoes and brown or white bread or toast. I didn't have to wait very long before the coffee arrived, shortly after that the toast arrived with some cutlery and a serviette. I'd just finished buttering my toast when the breakfast arrived, the timing here was spot on! Halfway through my breakfast somebody popped into the cafe to check everything was ok and once I'd finished I returned my plates and mug to the counter and settled my bill. 9/10
Contents - 2 sausages, 2 bacon, 1 slice of black pudding, 2 fried eggs, mushrooms, beans, fresh or tinned tomatoes, 1 slice of white or brown bread and butter or toast and tea, coffee or juice. 9/10
Presentation - It was served on a large round plate with the meats on one side and the wetter items the other side. The eggs laid on top looking fairly tidy with intact yolks and the toast was served on a side plate with two chunks of real butter. 7/10
The food - The Paddocks Butchery meats used on this breakfast were an excellent choice. Really big pork sausages with a firm juicy texture and nice thick slices of bacon, both were nicely browned and tasted superb. The Bury black pudding was cooked until crispy and the mushrooms were golden and juicy. The free range fried eggs were served with intact runny yolks and tasted delicious over the thick slice of toast covered in real butter. The beans were Heinz and the tomatoes tinned, I do love tinned tomatoes and loved having the option of choosing them over fresh tomatoes here. I thoroughly enjoyed this breakfast, it was certainly the most impressive I'd ever been served from a catering trailer. 8/10
Value for money - £6 for a breakfast this good using quality ingredients which also includes toast and a hot drink is a real bargain and was worth every penny! 9/10
Veggie option - Yes although I'm not sure what it consisted of.
Overall - Jan's Country Kitchen is an impressive set up that's well worth visiting, you'd need to be quick though as the catering trailer is up for sale and it could close anytime. Great service, a really nice environment and an excellent full English breakfast at an incredible price made me so glad I finally made the trip out there. Jan told me that she plans to expand her homemade pie business once the cafe has closed, I'm sure this will be a huge success as the pies look delicious! 8.5/10
