We visit the hidden gem Bristol cafe where people book weeks in advance for afternoon teas and baby showers

If you are planning a baby shower at Magnolia Mews Bakehouse later this year, you may need to get the booking sorted as soon as possible as the diary is looking rather full already.

This family-run cafe in Frampton Cotterell has built up quite a reputation for its special events including birthday parties and hen parties and it’s currently booked up until April for baby showers.

Nestled among a cluster of other small independent businesses on Church Road, Magnolia Mews Bakehouse is run by sisters Brianna Franklin and Dana Williams.

The building is on the site of a Roman settlement and has been used for various purposes over the years from grocery stores to cafes. They are all now a collection of shops all owned by women.

Brianna, who had a cake business before this, took it on in June 2022 and gave the place a complete revamp, which included knocking through into what used to be the old butchers. In June 2023, sister Dana bought into the business and they now run it together. 

The cafe is open for breakfast and lunch menu as well as coffee (from local roasters Triple Co Roast) and they make all the cakes on the premises - many of them destined for the popular afternoon teas served Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The afternoon teas cost £23.95 and the winter version includes Victoria sponge tower, lemon drizzle cake, brownie bites, Viennese swirl as well as homemade scones with cream and jam.

Visit for breakfast or brunch and the choice includes a full English (£9.95 small or £11.95 large), eggs Benedict (£8.95); pancakes (from £7.95) and even a ‘hangover bun’ (bacon, sausage, hash brown, fried egg and cheese in a bun - £8.50).

At lunchtime, there are made-to-order sandwiches (from £6.95), toasties (£6.95), jacket potatoes (£7.95) and specials such as new potato, spinach and goats’ cheese frittata (£8.95).

The sisters also use as many local suppliers as possible. The meat is from nearby Buxton Butchers, bread comes from The Cottage Bakery and the free-range eggs come from Chestnut Farm opposite.

The cafe now has an alcohol licence so the plan is to run a few evening events such as ‘Tipsy Tapas’ and the owners are also working with chefs who want to collaborate on pop-up restaurant nights.

But it’s the cakes that really stand out on the counter facing you on arrival. On the day Bristol World visited, they included three types of cupcakes (Biscoff, carrot or vanilla), caramel brownies and lemon and raspberry cake.

Best of all, there was a nostalgic ‘School Cake’ (£3.25) - generous and deep slices of sponge covered with thick white icing and rainbow sprinkles that will bring back sweet memories for those of us old enough to remember when kids were fed cake rather than fruit and health bars on the walk home from school.

At a time when small independent businesses are struggling, it was good to see Magnolia Mews Bakehouse busy and planning for the year ahead. The more people who track down this hidden gem the better.

Scroll through to see a gallery of photos of Magnolia Mews Bakehouse.

Magnolia Mews Bakehouse, Church Road, Frampton Cotterell, Bristol, BS36 2JX.