Talkington Bates Ltd

Positive: Professionalism, Quality
Mar 9th, 2022

Great company highly recommended
Jan 2nd, 2021

Tuesday 19 April 2016 Talkington Bates is an established, business to business, contract catering firm which provides bespoke, in-house, catering solutions to a wide range of commercial clients. It was set up as a private limited company in 1997 by Janice Talkington and Paul Bates, who are both still firmly in control as joint Managing Directors. Now headquartered in Oxfordshire, it operates throughout London, South East England and the Midlands. This review is about a section of one of Talkington Bates' current catering contracts - Cafe Boutique, the Cafe at Pancras Square Library in King's Cross, London - which is part of a larger contract to provide Staff Dining for Camden Council employees based in the new(ish) Council offices in Pancras Square. Open seven days a week, Talking Bates' Cafe Boutique is a little known, little gem of a coffee bar in the heart of Central London: a stone's throw away from Tottenham Court Road, Oxford Street and Bloomsbury. The Cafe Boutique staff are unfailingly polite, patient and professional. They remain calm and approachable at all times; even when faced with the occasional rude, demanding, overbearing customer; or 'terrible twos' toddlers throwing tantrums and running amok! All the freshly ground coffee served is sourced from 'Fair Trade' suppliers: and it's superb! Reasonably and attractively priced, with customized, non-standard, versions available on request, the quality of their coffee offerings is an experience which merits a visit in its own right. But, chocolate junkie that I am, it's the temptingly delicious, wickedly addictive hot chocolate, made from high quality coco powder and served topped off with marshmallows and whipped cream, that keeps me coming back for more. Try the cinnamon or hazlenut, flavoured variations. As well as the magnificent coffee and hot chocolate, there is an assortment of cakes; pastries; baguettes; paninis; toasties; fresh fruit, teas; tisanes; soft drinks; other hot and cold beverages and light snacks on offer. The range of food and drink available is constantly under review, with new products being regularly introduced to refresh the menu. An interesting observation is that practically nowhere in the Cafe will you see a sign with the name Talking Bates; or their logo, which resembles a schematic representation of a seed or a nut of some sort. Despite this low profile marketing approach the Cafe Boutique atmosphere and culture are definitively Talkington Bates, and definitely worth a visit. Opening times are Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm . Saturday and Sunday 11am to 3pm. Last orders for coffee are 15 minutes before closing time - 5.45pm Monday to Friday and 2.45pm Saturday and Sunday. Address: Cafe Boutique, The Cafe at Pancras Square Library, 5 Pancras Square, London, N1C 4AG. Nearest tube: King's Cross Station. Try it. Enjoy it!
Apr 16th, 2017