Connect Café

The 2013 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

This review is taken from the current (2013) edition.

Co-owned by celebrity foodie Nell Nelson, this cafe-cum-gift shop is tucked away just out of reach of Stockbridge’s main drag. As you’d expect from The Woman Who Ate Scotland, quality and locality are key when it comes to the sourcing. Cheddar from Mull, balsamic vinegar from Dumfries and farm-pressed juices from Fife are about as exotic as it gets, with much obtained from even closer to home, like rapeseed oil from East Lothian and meat from Shaw’s, the butcher next door (who themselves use free-range Borders pork). Contributions from artisan bakers like Our Piece Bakery and Au Gourmand are supplemented by a number of treats produced especially for the cafe, like an organic sourdough from Henderson’s and crumbly, buttery scones made daily by a local mum. All that perfect provenance does limit menu options a little, but what’s there is simple, wholesome and tasty. The ‘seriously good’ cheese toastie for instance, stuffed with a leek and onion mix and big on flavour, lives up to its billing.

• High point: Knowing you’ve probably travelled further to get here than the food on your plate has
• Low point: Tables close to the gift shop lack privacy