Former Darsham Nurseries chef opens exciting new café by the coast

She’s perhaps most notable in the region for her spell heading up the kitchen of the much-applauded Darsham Nurseries café (now closed), which made waves in national press for using prime, seasonal, largely plant-based ingredients in increasingly innovative ways.

And Nicola brings much of this ethos, celebrating humble veg, and Suffolk’s multitude of small producers, farmers and growers, to her latest venture, Canteen – a project that’s been several years in the planning, recently opening in Southwold at The Old Hospital hub on Field Stile Road.

She’s joined by former Pump Street Bakery manager Michelle Dean – with the duo saying the café is already getting great feedback from customers old and new.

“The Old Hospital project started in 2016,” says Nicola. “When the hospital site was first put up for sale, the community came together. They didn’t want it to be bought by a developer and to go to housing. They wanted to make something for local people, so had it classified as a community asset, going through all the legal processes. It can now solely be used for the benefit of the community.”

Only the Victorian façade of the cottage hospital remains. Inside, beyond the bricks, are a bright co-working space, a nursery, and, most recently Canteen, which has been in the works since just before Covid lockdowns began in 2020.

“Jessica Jeans, who really is the driving force behind it, got in touch with me and asked if I’d be interested in helping them design the café space,” Nicola explains of her initial involvement. “So I worked on a voluntary basis to design the kitchen, and come up with ideas for the café around community and sustainability, highlighting good farming, climate change and the climate crisis.

“We wanted to provide incredibly good quality food affordably – to all aspects of our community.”

What has been created is a beautiful eatery, with seating for just over 70 inside and out, and an open kitchen. “We have a lot of windows, and very high ceilings,” says Nicola. “So the light absolutely floods the room and creates a really calm atmosphere. But it’s also quite bustling as well. It’s a good balance.

“The outside is wonderful, with raised beds which have been planted with flowers and edibles – lots of insect-friendly things. And there are four long tables out there. Our chefs go out and gather herbs and flowers from the beds, and it’s nice to see customers are interested in what they’re picking, and starting those conversations.”

Growing some of the kitchen’s produce is one small way in which Canteen is seeking to be eco-friendly. Others range from having a fossil fuel-free cooking space, to working with farmers using regenerative practices, being mindful of traceability, and being organic wherever possible.

“We are going to a no-waste system. So, at the moment we have some, not a lot, but some things going to landfill. All our food waste is sent off for bio-digesting, and the only things that are non-recyclable tend to be the soft plastics. We’re trying to limit the use of clingfilm. We use very little, and hope to be using none at all soon.”

Canteen is open from 9am to 4pm, Wednesday to Saturday, serving breakfast until 11am, and lunch from 12noon to 2.30pm.

Pastries and cakes (many of the pastries sourced from Penny Bun Bakehouse) line the counter all day, to be enjoyed with Butterworth’s coffee and tea, or alongside one of the café's own seasonal cordials...perhaps a glass, or carafe, of wine.

Menu-wise Nicola says the style is very similar to Darsham in its approach. “It’s hyper seasonal. We’re looking at creating interesting dishes people might not be familiar with. Using lots of pulses and vegetables. It is a vegetable-dominated menu, but we do have meat, at the moment one meat dish a week.”

Producers used include Henrietta Inman’s YQ population bread from Wakelyn’s Farm, and Fen Farm in Bungay, which is supplying all the butter and cheese Canteen needs.

The day begins with mezze-style ‘picky’ plates, which are perfect to share, creating, says Nicola, a sense of occasion.

“At the moment we have foul madames – a North African bean stew made with fava beans from Hodmedod’s. There’s dukkah and olives, our pickled vegetables, hummus, cow’s curd with honey, and granola with yoghurt and fruit.

“Prices are quite low so you can bring together a lovely selection of dishes. It’s not like anything else you’ll find in Southwold. I really wanted us to create our own USP. Healthful dishes for grazing on.”

Lunch follows on in a similar theme. “The counter has filled brioches with cured meats, and that kind of thing, so you could have those. Otherwise we have Wakelyns bread with the most amazing organic olive oil from Portugal that’s been farmed and picked by a couple who live part-time just outside Southwold. We have our pickled eggs, a Syrian lentil dip made with Hodmedod’s lentils, a caponata-style plate with cauliflower, based on a certain dish everyone remembers from Darsham. I wanted to do something different with it and that’s been quite a hit.”

There’s a platter of carrots, courgettes and cow’s curd. Stuffed English tomatoes with basil mayonnaise. Hogget with runner beans, tomatoes and raw cream from ES Burrows. Artichokes vinaigrette.

While puds sound gentle and wholesome. “We’ve got St Jude’s cheese with honeycomb and cherries, Skyr yoghurt panna cotta with gooseberries, and blackcurrant summer pudding with raw cream,” Nicola reveals, adding that locals have been popping by donating their allotment surplus, which has given her and the team an even greater bounty to work with.

“It’s going very well at the moment. I’m really pleased with what we’re doing and hope more people come along to try us out.”

Find out more at theoldhospitalhub.co.uk including details of Canteen’s community lunch, held one Sunday a month, buffet-style on a ‘pay what you can afford’ basis.