St Peter’s church stands at the end of Marlborough High Street near to Marlborough College, this was also where Cardinal Thomas Wolsey was ordained on the 10th March 1948. Despite having lived in the Marlborough area since I was eight, I have only discovered it now at the age of 20. The cafe itself is contained within a portion of the church, with a separate area also dedicated to crafts and art produced by local artisans.
The traditional layout of the cafe lulls one into a false sense of security. What transpired soon outgrew what is to be expected. The food and hospitality which followed can be described only as exceptional. Cedric and I both opted for breakfast dishes which was apt for the time we’d arrived. Cedric had the full English breakfast, from which the sausages were the stand out (pictured below), but the hand cured bacon was equally as impressive.
I had the vegetarian alternative to a full English (pictured below), which was a perfect example of culinary coherence. Every aspect of the dish meshed successfully with one another. So much so that, unusually, I didn’t feel as though I was missing out on the meat before me.
A sign of a good cafe is their ability to make something as simple as a poached egg phenomenal. This was exactly what St Peter’s Cafe did. Pictured below are poached eggs on toast, which were divine. Oozing with yummy yolk, these gave me a cocky desire to vault the table and quite rub my face deeply within our guest’s plate. Did you notice the subtle chicken pun there? Overlooked it because chickens don’t lay eggs? Either way, this dish was a winner (and a chicken dinner). That was the last one, I promise.
I was mesmerised by the dessert selection. All are handmade, and from what we sampled, delicious. I had scones with clotted cream and lemon curd. What impressed me was the size of the scone, it was massive and is pictured below, I would highly recommend this.
However, Cedric ordered what was for me, the showstopper: (pictured below)the Belgian waffle. Alas this was the only item that wasn’t handmade. It was topped with warm cherry coulis and vanilla ice cream. The combination of all the flavours was quite astonishing, and the contrast between the ice cream and the warmth of the coulis elevated this dessert.
This was not only exceptional food, but the atmosphere in which we dined was unforgettable. If ever you find yourself in Marlborough, St Peter’s Church is the place to visit. It earned the title of number one place to eat in Marlborough on Trip Advisor. But, if you intend to visit around lunchtime be sure to call ahead and make a reservation, or you may not get a seat!