Café
The first thing you’ll notice when you open the door to The Mainstreet Trading Company, apart from beautiful books everywhere, is the delicious smell of fresh coffee. We pride ourselves on the quality of our coffee which is fair-trade from Costa Rica, Peru & Ethiopia, 100% Arabica organic beans (inc. Bourbon, Caturra, Typica & Pache). Our tea is by a variety of suppliers including Brewhaha, Hampstead, Equal Exchange (organic fair trade) and Clipper organic herbal teas.
We keep the food simple using the best quality local produce. Soup (usually a choice of two) is made daily in our kitchens along with the ingredients of our sandwiches, most of which are cooked from scratch (pesto, humus, honey roast ham, cucumber relish and many other treats).
Many of our beautiful, and dangerously tempting, cakes are made in house, while others are concocted by Julia Bruce, a very talented local cook. The selection varies, but firm favourites are coffee and walnut cake, chocolate/fig/almond, gingerbread men biscuits and orange drizzle cake, not forgetting the prettiest cupcakes in the Borders (we have these in small as well as regular, for those children who tend to stop eating after the icing).
See above for a sample menu and more information about our suppliers
N.B. our Deli is now open - more infor to follow, but here's a taste of what's on offer...
The Deli has a strong local focus, combined with international flavour from Spain and the middle east, plus showcasing West Country cheeses (owner, Bill, grew up in Somerset).
Bill and Rosamund are passionate about books and good food. The cafe has always been a key part of the business, so a deli is the logical next step, allowing space to expand the offering. Bill and his team are working closely with local suppliers such as Julia Bruce (who makes many of the cafe’s mouth-watering cakes), Peelham Farm and Hardiesmill, to create a broad range of specialist foods with a particular focus on cheeses, cured and smoked meats, plus a range of food cooked on the premises. Nationally, we will sourcing a delicious range of cheeses from suppliers such as Anthony Rowcliffe & Sons and I J Mellis, while internationally, Bill will be indulging a love of all things Spanish, working with Brindisa (www.brindisa.com). The Deli also offers a take away service to include anything from our signature Darlington’s coffee to everything you could need for a day at the river or the perfect birthday cake. For those customers enjoying a more leisurely browse, the wood burning stove will ensure a warm welcome.