Archers Rest

My son and my three grandchildren decided to treat me to a surprise Lunch at Archers Rest Cafe for my 74th birthday. We had done the same in 2024 and it was a great success. My son pre booked a table and brought a Colin Caterpillar birthday cake, which was a cake of long standing memories and amusement between us. When he was placing our five lunch and five drinks order, he approached the staff and said it was my birthday and this was a special cake. He was told categorically that no food was allowed to be brought in and the cake was not allowed to be served to me. He was surprised and taken aback and knew the children would be disappointed, but rather than cause a scene, accepted and bought your plain muffins as a substitute cake. (He apologised to me as he knew they weren’t my thing.) Personally, I have NEVER had any issues in bringing a birthday cake to any kind of eaterie. In fact the staff love it and with gusto, bring out my offerings complete with a rendition of the Happy Birthday song. I have regarded Archers Rest as always being great tasty food with a family friendly atmosphere. My whole experience has now, sadly, been tarnished. I messaged Archers with my disappointment and they replied that “they do not allow any food to be brought in and it had always been the same” (despite me showing them my 2024 photo confirming that last year they DID allow my special birthday cake to be brought in) So if you are planning a celebration then maybe Archers might not be the place to be, especially if you want the traditional cutting and sharing of happiness and good fortune with a special cake.

Still no free customers WiFi, after all these years opening! Management needs to correct this ASAP! Most, if not all cafes now have Free Public WiFi…..! Just a thought! However …. I have called in at The Archers several times - excellent coffee, good selection of fresh cakes. For lunch, their ‘Stone-baked’ Pizza (toppings of your choice) with Salad is one of the best I’ve tasted in Bedford. Good value for money! Although, no WiFi … this place is worthy of a visit! Cafe is Dog Friendly! Good walking at Denham Park and River Ouse.

I visited Archers Rest yesterday for Sunday Lunch with my daughter. The roast dinner was so delicious. We both had the Beef and it came with all the trimmings. We had a side of mashed potato and cauliflower cheese, which were both so yummy. The staff were lovely and I would highly recommend trying the roast dinners if you haven’t before. I shall definitely be back again.

Booked for a large family table for a Sunday roast! Was absolutely delicious, so kind to the children! The cauliflower cheese was to die for, everything was just so yummy. Staff so friendly and helpful and made you feel very at home. Will deffo be back!

Great neighbourhood coffee shop

The food & drinks were decent but overpriced. Unfortunately, the staff were quite rude and did not seem to prioritize customer service. When I mentioned my allergy, I was not given any reassurance that proper precautions would be taken, which was concerning. Additionally, after placing my order and sitting with my family, I was repeatedly asked to move my chair so staff could pass through, despite there being ample space on the other side of the café. This made me feel uncomfortable and unable to fully enjoy my time or conversation. Overall, it was a disappointing experience. I believe the staff could do with more training in regards to customer service.

I took my kids there after playing at the playground for some ice cream-- 4 Smarties Pop Ups cost me £15 (outrageous), they certainly weren't made out of gold!!! How is that even reasonable or acceptable to charge such an excruciating amount for something so cheap?! I would think for a cafe by a busy playground full of parents and children you would want to attract customers instead of overcharging them an arm and a leg! Maybe take the time to reconsider your pricing structure and not by ripping your customers off.