The New Hedgehog Bookshop

Penrith town centre was a little sleepy at lunchtime on Sunday. I pondered our chances of finding a pot of tea and a freshly baked scone or a warm bowl of homemade vegetarian soup. Then I spotted a sandwich board advertising the quaintly named sconery and café at the Hedgehog Bookshop.
The café is tucked away on the ground floor which houses a fabulous selection of children’s books and has only three tables to its name. It was everything I wanted it to be! On the limited menu there were two types of sweet scone (both vegan) and cheese scones (vegetarian). In fact everything on the menu with the exception of the cheese scone was vegan and the hot drinks were Fair Trade.
My lovely bowl of leek and potato soup with cheese scone cost £3.50 and arrived with some olives and salad leaves on the side. The lady who served us was warm and friendly and offered us a glass of tap water. How refreshing to see a note on the menu that they did not sell bottled water indicating they would rather give customers tap water at no extra cost. Its a small trail they are blazing but one that can only help the environment! I hope it catches on. I appreciate a business with a social conscience and am inclined to return when next in Penrith because of that.
Lovely wee café and an equally lovely well-​stocked bookshop. Recommended.