The Firebox Cafe - Richmondshire

We arrived soaking wet during a heavy rainfall and after I enquired regarding the availability of a table was answered by a petite dark haired woman (a member of staff who needs customer focused training), who informed me in an extremely curt and abrupt manner...that, “if you notice I am about to clear and clean that table.” I hadn’t noticed and as she didn’t have any cleaning materials in her hand at the time was rather confused, up but we waited patiently whilst she eventually cleared and cleaned. Later the same member of staff came to take our order, again in a curt manner. When she returned with an incorrect order her reaction was that it was our fault that she had confused the order and she flounced off without a word of apology. Another member of staff delivered our tea cakes and then our coffees arrived and were again delivered by the original member of staff with what I can only describe as a reluctant and irritated manner. Maybe we were treated like this as the norm for that particular member of staff, maybe she had an ‘off day’ or was it because we were ignorant southerners who did not understand the ordering/paying system? Why the original member of staff bothers to work in the cafe is bizarre if she dislikes visitors and/or waiting at table? Maybe a job working behind the scenes would be more suitable for her? Whatever the reason for her manner it left a nasty taste in our mouths!

Stopped for cake and coffee on a bike ride sat outside with the company of 3 huge handsome chickens! The coffee walnut cake was good and the poppyseed orange very good.

We've eaten a couple of times a day. the experience is always excellent with delicious food, excellent coffee and friendly, efficient service.

Our experience was a hodgepodge of good and bad, therefore the average rating. it is a quirky little spot in a bike shop that has a lot of tour de yorkshire reminding of the walls that are beautiful. a fairly limited menu that again. a positive in my book is as if you're looking out, you don't need too much choice. the service was however not the yorkshire warm which I expected the quality of the ingredients was not excellent and the service was slow. for a place that is always busy when I went through the expectation, is to be expected for the crowds, and as a minimum of staff according to the number of available tables.

Was too early for lunch but they were serving breakfast still. Had a lovely breakfast full English. Was not busy as only customer