The Brunch Co — Restaurant in England

Today, not even an hour ago we stopped in this coffee shop to get some take away coffees and food. We are not from this little town, this is our anniversary, so we decided to visit this lovely town and check the area. The place looked busy, so we decided to queue expecting to be a nice place and food. The service was really nice and lovely, but the food is more than disappointing! The worst thing is that we were the last customers to receive their food, so they had enough time, about 25 min. First of all, I am vegan and pregnant. My 'vegan bagel' came with fried egg on the top with some halloumi, I couldn't even remove the egg, because it was all over in the bagel the egg's yolk. Before I ordered I asked if there is possibility to get vegan option instead of vegetarian, and they said yes, giving me ideas how I can make it nice. Second.. For my toddler I took vegan sausages with some sweet potatoes and some fresh tomatoes. The sweet potatoes been burnt, that there is just a bit left to eat from what was not burnt. Sausages was raw, mushy, and 4 cherry tomatoes cut in half. For my husband I took smoked salmon and avocado toast with loads of other things on it. On the menu sounded so nice, but we received just a normal salads with some white bread from tesco. To be honest that was the best from what we ordered, but even that I got extra halloumi for my husband, and there was nothing. So I paid extra £2 for nothing. I gave him mine from my 'vegan beigal'. And the fries we ordered extra with garlic and parsley weren't even fresh, and had some old parsley on the top and no garlic. And the worst thing we were super hungry and we walked all the way down to the chalkwell park (it is about 15-20min) from the cafe, and we noticed only when we came here. So we ate what was possible to eat. The mood was destroyed. Tesco vegan wrap for £2 was better than almost £40 spend in this coffee shop. Dissapointing. Advice - check your order...

Alright hear me now, it is said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and I had been told one of the best places that do it in Essex is the brunch co. It’s an cosy establishment and due to this can get quite busy at times but even if you have to wait outside for a bit I consider it to be worth the wait. I got a full English breakfast with fried eggs, sourdough toast and grilled halloumi. I’ve never tried halloumi with an English breakfast but what intrigued to see if it could elevate it from what I heard was already brilliant.

The way the food was presented on the plate had a certain elegance that I haven’t seen from an English breakfast before everything was cooked to perfection from the sausage which bursted with flavour, the bacon oh so crispy and aesthetically pleasing. The sourdough bread was harder than I expected but with the butter melted on it became a dream. Even the mushroom that I have always liked but I have never tried mushrooms that tasted that good and I don’t even know why they did. Everything worked in the beautiful harmony of flavours in my mouth. Some black pepper could have made it even better but really and truly I can’t fault it. I never thought halloumi could work well in combination with tho other items of food it definitely added an aspect of saltiness that is needed especially if you finish your bacon quickly. Which you can easily run the risk of as it’s truly beautiful. I think if I go there again I will try it with the seasoned potatoes instead of the halloumi to see if that makes the whole culinary experience better as different flavours besides saltiness can enter the mix. 8.5/10

Overall experience 8/10, only because the seating was a bit uncomfortable.

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I’d say this place was pretty average overall. The atmosphere is definitely nice cozy interior with a relaxed vibe, and it seems like a popular spot for weekend brunch. The menu had a good range of choices, and the food was decent, but nothing really wowed me. My dish was cooked fine, but it lacked a little flavor and creativity compared to other brunch places I’ve tried.

I ordered a beef burger with sweet potatoes fries and my friend ordered Honey Harissa Chicken Skewers. The beef burger was alright however it was very hard. I had to use a knife and fork to cut it and it took be a good 4-5 saws before I cut a piece off. The chicken skewers did not have a nice taste to it but everything else on the plate was lovely.

Service was friendly, which I appreciated, though things did move a bit slowly. Our server seemed attentive, but it took longer than expected for drinks and food to come out. Not a deal-breaker, but noticeable. Prices felt a little high for what we got. The portions were fair, but for the quality and taste, I expected a bit more. It’s not that the food was bad just not memorable.

Overall, it’s an okay option if you’re nearby and want a casual brunch, but I don’t think it’s somewhere I’d go out of my way to return to. With a few improvements in flavor and efficiency, this place could...