Aardvark Café

Our little café in the middle of the Bookery welcomes you in 2023!

We are OPEN Tuesday - Sunday, 10am-4pm, CLOSED Mondays.

We serve Trumper's leaf teas, savourous ground coffees, melting Marimba hot chocolate, delicious homemade cakes AND light lunches

You can eat and drink inside, or in fine weather at our tables outside the bookshop.

November 2023: we are hiring! scroll to the bottom of the page for details

Front of Bookshop May 2021

For more information, and to book for group visits, call us on 01547 530744. Booking needed for large groups of more than ten or twelve.

Light lunches / snacks: We usually have a range of soups, served with Swifts Bakery bread, and we serve toasted sandwiches too, including gluten-free options. Look out for our NEW King Toastie for 2023!

Our cakes are made by Chelsea and her team at Kingsland Village Shop and Tea Room: the delicious gluten-free almond & fruit cake, coffee & walnut cake, Victoria sponge, chocolate cake and lemon drizzle loaf are all popular.

Our Aardvark Coffees

We serve quality ground coffees: why not enjoy a cafetière of medium roast, flavourful coffee.

At the moment we can offer you:
Colombian - mild, rounded, most enjoyable
Kenyan Blue Mountain - rounded, smooth, a delightful coffee

and a Featured Coffee:

Brazilian Honduras blend - a strong, full-bodied coffee, ideal to get you started on a cold day!

Marimba Melts Hot Chocolate

Smooth, creamy hot chocolate melts, made with real chocolate flakes: choose from Milk, Dark, White or Ruby chocolate. Can be served with cream and marshmallows if desired!

Trumpers Leaf Teas

We are delighted that Claire Trumper has continued to supply us with her delicately flavoured quality leaf teas. Try her English Breakfast blend, the subtle Earl Grey, the light Darjeeling or the special Green Tea and we think you'll agree!

We welcome everyone, and have disabled access to the cafe which is on the ground floor.

We are also dog-friendly! Dogs and their well-behaved owners welcome.

Any questions, or to book for a group, please call us 01547 530744.

Bookshop and Café opening hours 2023:

We are open 6 days a week:

Tuesday - Sunday

10am - 4pm

NB: We are usually CLOSED on Mondays, apart from Bank Holiday Mondays.

We will be CLOSED on:

Christmas Day, 25th December

Boxing Day, 26th December,

and New Year's Day , 1st January 2024.

A Big Thank You!

We wish to thank all our customers, regular and occasional, and the many groups who continue to visit us, whether walkers, cycling clubs from Leominster, Knighton, or Ludlow, motorcycle groups from all over the country or even from time to time, vintage motoring societies.

and

Introducing Byron, the newest (and youngest) member of the Aardvark Team!

We are looking for a

Café Assistant at Aardvark Books and Café!

The job is located at The Bookery in the village of Brampton Bryan, a large, mainly secondhand bookshop with a café at its centre. The role primarily involves serving customers and visitors to the café, but also assisting in the bookshop as needed.

Hours: Daytimes, 10am-4pm Tuesday - Friday, with willingness to work occasional weekend days, and during school holidays
Pay: at least National Minimum Wage, currently £10.50 / hour

Closing date for applications: Monday 27th November 2023

Start as soon as possible

Permanent contract may be offered following a probationary period of 6 months.

Responsibilities:

To serve in the café on weekdays during regular café hours (10am-4pm Tuesday - Friday) and during events at the bookshop as needed.

This includes:

attending to customers, taking orders, helping customers select food / drinks; serving orders and clearing tables afterwards;
taking payment and cash-handling
maintaining a clean and tidy environment in the café, maintaining good hygiene and food safety at all times
using cafe equipment safely; monitoring the functioning of kitchen equipment
dealing with customer complaints or problems with a positive attitude
operating cash register and being able to cash up if required
taking payments over the phone

To help in management of the café, by:

assessing stock levels in the café, drawing up lists of supplies needed, ordering supplies.
Checking maintenance of the café equipment, carrying out de-scaling and other regular maintenance as required
To help serve customers in the bookshop, which can include:

welcoming customers to the shop, helping customers locate books, answering customer queries, dealing with complaints in a patient and helpful manner
carrying out regular tidying of the bookshop, arranging merchandise, keeping displays current and creating an attractive environment in the bookshop

Successful candidates will have the following qualifications/experience:

An interest in cooking, food preparation and presentation, and an understanding of hygiene in a kitchen / catering environment
Hygiene training an advantage (but training can be given)
The ability to work fast, neatly and accurately under pressure, to adapt swiftly to different tasks, and a preparedness to work as part of a small team.
Professionalism and outgoing personality: a cheerful attitude and approachable demeanour, ability to maintain excellent customer service, being patient and comfortable dealing with complaints
Good physical endurance; presentable tidy appearance
Experience in cash- handling and in using cash registers preferred;
A knowledge of and interest in books, and a willingness to learn more in order to satisfy the needs of the position.
Education to A Level or above; to include GCSE English and Maths Grade 4 or above

To apply, please send a current CV and covering letter stating how you would fulfil the requirements of this post, to:
Sarah M Swinson, Aardvark Books & Café, The Bookery, Manor Farm,

Brampton Bryan, Bucknell, SY7 0DH

or by email to: ethelaardvark1@gmail.com