We visit the hidden gem vintage Bristol cafe where there is always a queue for tables

There was a queue when we arrived and there was still an even longer queue for tables when we left after lunch. 

The Vintage Birdcage Cakery may be tucked away off the beaten track but it certainly has a large and dedicated following.

This hugely popular business started out when local mum Nicole Jones started making cakes for her children’s school fairs. Her cupcakes and traybakes soon got a following of their own in Yate so she decided to start a wholesale cake business supplying local cafes, pubs and delicatessens, as well as teaching cake decorating.

She then started selling takeaway cakes and coffees to people using the nearby park - and the three local schools - but so many of the regulars wanted to stay in the warm that she eventually opened a cafe in 2016 in what had been a derelict building close to the Stanshawes Court pub and restaurant.

Over the past eight years, the Vintage Birdcage Cakery has become one of the best-kept secrets in the area.

Although you can book a table for the afternoon teas served after lunch, all other tables inside and outside are on a first come first served basis.

But it doesn’t put people off and despite the drizzle, there were around 20 people patiently waiting for tables when we arrived.

The queue moved pretty quickly and within 15 minutes we were being taken through the pretty courtyard with its stone arches, floral displays, heaters and vintage teapots to one of the indoor seating areas.

Breakfast is served from 9am-12pm and includes the Birdcage Breakfast (£8.95 for sausage, bacon, fried egg, baked beans, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, hash browns and a slice of toast) and Eggs Benedict (£7.95 for two poached eggs, wilted spinach, cherry tomatoes, hollandaise sauce on a toasted muffin).

Lunch is served from 12pm through to 3.30pm (2.30pm on Sundays) and includes sandwiches, paninis, salads, homemade soup and quiche. Prices are kind on the wallet - sandwiches start at £4.95, paninis from £5.85 and a mature Cheddar salad with leaves, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red peppers, boiled egg, homemade coleslaw, radish, spring onions and a balsamic glaze will set you back £7.95.

We ordered two of the jacket potatoes - the prawn mayonnaise (£6.25) and the homemade chilli con carne (£6.95), which both came with a salad garnish.

They were both excellent and generous. The creamy prawn filling was mildly spiced and there were plenty of firm prawns in the mix. The chilli con carne one was spicier, rich and meaty. Both jacket potatoes were soft and fluffy inside their crisp and charred skins.

Of course, no visit to the Vintage Birdcage Cakery would be complete without one of the legendary cakes, all of which are displayed on the counter and adjacent fridge.

I went for the cherry Bakewell (£3.25) which was as good as any I’ve had, with crisp and buttery pastry on the bottom, a rich and almondy centre and a topping of crunchy icing with a glacé cherry. 

I washed it down with an Americano coffee (£2.65) made from Bristol-roasted Extract Coffee beans, while my sweet-toothed daughter went for the Biscoff luxury milkshake (£3.50 small or £4 large).

Nicole Jones and her team have created something quite special here and although it’s a local gem for lucky Yate residents, it’s also worth travelling a distance for. Just be prepared to wait for the experience.

Vintage Birdcage Cakery, Stanshawes Court Drive, Yate, BS37 4DZ.

Scroll through for more photos from our visit to Vintage Birdcage Cakery: