Copyright dailypost
A local motorbike café has just been voted best motorcycle café in the UK, following on from their previous best in Wales award by the UK Bikers Café. Quite a big deal as biker cafes not only provide a pit stop for weary riders; they also become a destination for thousands of bikers up and down the country. Family-owned, The Old Stores Motorbike Café in Pontblyddyn, near Mold, Flintshire, is visited by thousands of bikers each year. I was curious to see what all the fuss was about? Whilst I don’t have enough nerve to ride a motorcycle, I do love to cycle. Does that mean I qualify as a biker? Either way, I was too embarrassed to turn up in Lycra rather than leather, so we turn up in our car. We arrived to find two separate car parks, one strictly for motorcycles and another for all other vehicles. We crossed the busy road towards the “Old Stores”, which used to be a mining supply store for the local workers, providing essential goods to the nearby mines The niche café and museum are now owned by Jack Led, alongside mum and dad, David and Helen Ledward. The café first opened in 2019 but had to close for one-year until restrictions were lifted amid the pandemic. It closed for a second time earlier this year but to allow for a month-long refurbishment and finally reopened its doors on February 1. The building received an upgraded kitchen, new counters and a lick of paint. Not to mention, even more vintage memorabilia was put on display. The building is packed full of framed photographs, helmets, bikes, petrol pumps, vintage road signs, rider gear and collectables. The collection has grown over thirty years to create a really interesting display of motorcycle memorabilia. The exhibition is thoughtfully strewn throughout the indoor café and spills out to the large covered outside seating area. The food is proper truck-stop fry-ups, baps and sarnies. However, they do offer light bites, puddings and sweet treats as well. The menu has a variation of burgers, breakfasts, pies and chips, all priced at a very reasonable price. We ordered our food by a counter that was propped up by old vintage barrels of Castrol GTX. We were given a wooden spoon with a number on to take to our table. My wife went for an all-day breakfast, which had two of everything for £8. Two thick rashers of bacon were hidden below a sea of beans. She also encountered two juicy quality sausages, hash browns, a fried egg and a round of toast. She described it as one of the better breakfasts, she had experienced, despite the no nonsense presentation. I went for the old stores beef burger, which was also stacked with bacon, egg, cheese and a hash brown. The unstable stack was skewered with a stick to keep it all together with onion rings on the top. It was difficult to eat with any dignity so I had to revert back to a knife and fork, instead of using my hands. The cheese spilled out of the burger bap and I needed the use of a paper napkin to wipe it off my face. You had the option of adding some chips to the burger deal, but it was big enough on its own to satisfy the most ravenous of leather clad bikers. Puddings included cherry pie and custard or Belgium waffle and ice cream with chocolate sauce for £4 each as well as a counter full of cakes. However, we made do with a basic coffee for £2 and a hot chocolate for £2.80. I was surprised to see the place so full. A mixture of couples and biker groups filled the space, creating a friendly buzz and a welcoming atmosphere. Staff were on first name turns with a lot of the returning bikers, and riding conditions in the rain were being discussed at length. People were walking round looking at the display and discussing film set posters, such as Easy Rider. Even if you aren’t a biker, there is a lot of interesting things on display here. This triumph of a café ticks all the right boxes as to what a good biker’s cafe should be. It has fry ups with a friendly atmosphere and more importantly, a decent place to park your motorbike, car or pedal bike. The Old Stores Burger £6, All Day Breakfast £8, Hot Chocolate £2.80 and Coffee £2.00. Total £18.80. Opening Times: Monday - Tuesday: 9am – 5pm Wednesday: 9am – 9pm Thursday – Sunday: 9am – 5pm Atmosphere- Loved by petrol heads (and by folk too timid to ride a motorbike) Car Parking - Plenty of room for bikes and a separate car park for other vehicles Service - Order at the counter and you get given a wooden spoon to take to your table. Overall- The bikers café is a triumph for those on two wheels (and for those on four)
