Help us work out the future of the Inglesport Café

[Loki]

A free brew token sounds great. Perhaps make it a takeaway brew unless they want something to eat so you don’t have tea drinkers occupying all the tables. It could be a brew machine at the till downstairs if occupying the staff upstairs with free brews makes food production slower!
Parking is erm cak in the village and thinking about it is probably a big factor. Could you come up with an alliance with the wheatsheaf for cavers to use thier parking in the morning when they’re shut anyway? That wouldn’t help passing trade though which is where your likely increased trade can be found, and I agree with signage comments.
Is there any sort of advertising for local establishments in the main car park?

 

[Loki]

I think rather than being tightwads, cavers ‘spend their money wisely’!

 

[Ian Ball]

What you need is a huge find of amazing caves round the corner ;-)

 

[Ian Ball]

More seriously, I discovered that going caving by myself is faster and simpler to organise and so with no need to arrange a meeting place, I've stopped going in before caving.

 

[tdobson]

Charge more. Do the job well.

I eat Veggie breakfasts and think of myself as a veggie breakfast connoisseur.
These are the sorts of places I get Veggie Breakfasts.

I've come to realise I don't massively care how much it costs, so long as I'm enjoying the result. Eg, I've had very low price veggie breakfasts recently where I've felt that a bit more love and care in ingredients and presentation would have improved my enjoyment, and I'd have been happy to pay for it. And I've also concluded if I want to have what I want, I'm happy to pay a bit more. I usually want more toast, so I just pay for it.

I tend to avoid curry in non-urban places on menus, because curry in urban locations is likely to be better. I only look at vegetarian items on menu, (or non-veggie, GF options for my partner).

I've been to Inglesport Cafe once in the last 10 years, but am not against returning. It usually doesn't fit in with how I eat, cave and visit Ingleton, but I do wish it did more.

 

[semiretiredcaver]

I tend to eat breakfast at home or at the caving hut, usually boiled eggs and toast, muesli or porridge and fruit. I just don't like the sort of greasy fry up food available in Inglesport, especially as I'm at the age where it causes awful acid reflux. Unlike most of the people on this thread, I'm also on a very tight budget and can't justify spending over £15 on a meal and a brew. I realise the latter isn't a helpful point as far as suggestions for changes go, but I'm sure there are more of us in the same financial boat than there were ten years ago and that will have affected cafe sales.

 

[mikem]

They don't just do grease nowadays:

https://www.inglesport.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/InglesportCafe_new-menu_2024.pdf

 

[Alex]

It's always a place I meet in the Dales, I really woulden't know what to do with myself in the morning if the cafe closes. I can't be expected to cook my own breakfast!

 

[mikem]

Even their website and chosen reviews acknowledge it's hidden:

Best Ingleton Cafe: Hidden Gem in the Dales - Inglesport

Discover why our cafe is everyone's favourite Ingleton cafe. Hearty breakfasts to afternoon teas, delicious food with Dales charm.

www.inglesport.com

AI tells me: "The average UK household spends about £11.25 per person per week on food and drink consumed outside the home, which equals roughly £27 per week for a typical household. However, depending on household size and location, typical monthly eating out bills range from £51 for an individual to £192 for a family of four." So you are looking for a share of a diminishing market (although number of outles is too).

Is eating out too expensive now? Families say higher prices put them off

The restaurant industry says it is facing a double whammy - rising costs and customers with less money.

www.bbc.co.uk

Inglesport have now moved into 10th place for "cafe in ingleton" on Google, replacing seasons bakery...

 

[ChrisB]

Inglesport have now moved into 10th place for "cafe in ingleton" on Google, replacing seasons bakery...

That will be down to people on this thread searching for reviews...

 

[Inglesport]

Firstly, thank you everyone for your feedback, well wishes, and support. It's really appreciated.

To respond to common themes and suggestions:

• Discoverability on Google Maps
  • We appreciate that this is an issue. In actuality, we did once have two separate Google Maps listings, one for the cafe and one for the shop. At some point, Google informed us that we were not allowed two businesses at the same location and threatened to remove both unless we merged them. So, we did.
• Opening times
  • We are toying with the idea of opening at 8am during our current open days, i.e. the weekend.
  • Opening again during the week is still not currently possible without the right staff or staffing levels.
  • Additionally, we want to be transparent that opening the cafe from 8am also means opening the shop at 8am, with all the consequential increase in staffing costs.
• Signage
  • Definitely acknowledge that signage and signposting could be better.
• Food offering
  
  • This is something we are currently looking in to, and feedback about it is definitely appreciated.

 

[DaveB]

If I can be blunt, while I think your food is good (I've certainly enjoyed it), I don't think it's particularly special or different to what I could buy anywhere else. I have no problem paying your prices or even significantly more if I want a decent fry-up, but other places - which are literally two minutes walk away - offer a greater choice. I certainly enjoyed this recently when I wanted a decent but healthier breakfast.

To give you an idea, I had some sort of delicious squash and pepper pesto with halloumi, and another time a salsa-based dish with labneh, tomatoes and feta. I'm certainly not vegetarian or vegan, bit I thoroughly enjoyed something a bit different.

In short, you do very good food, but so do lots of other places and they have greater variety. I think you're chasing a section of the market that is more saturated than others. How you solve this when staffing is difficult and it's challenging to maintain the status quo, let alone do something different, I'm not sure. But I hope the feedback is helpful, if a little uncomfortable to hear.

I do hope you come up with some solutions, because my experience of Inglesport is that everyone has been thoroughly helpful and knowledgeable. So I wish you all the best

 

[Steve Clark]

I hope you can find a way to make this work, it would be a great shame to see the cafe close.

My thoughts in no particular order :

Do you have enough customers? Could you handle more general public after the caving surge in the morning? If so, I think you could do a lot more with visibility in the village and online. I first used the cafe in 1995, when I was 15 and only then because a climber had told me it was there. It’s not super obvious, even if you’re already in the shop.

Outside in Hathersage is an example where it’s is more obvious and well known. Maybe take a look at that.

The point about speed of service made above is valid. Not a criticism or annoyance, but I reckon you could free up some seats at peak time by changing things a bit. Often the cafe is used as a meeting point so for a larger group of say 8-12 people who will all arrive at slightly staggered times and place their own orders. It’s seems that everything for trad breakfasts is cooked completely from fresh and lava hot. I’ve often waited for it to cool down to actually eat it. If you’re the last of the group to order and you’re still waiting for the minimum cook time for a hash brown or sausage (10mins?) then you could be holding a couple of tables for a long time. Maybe some stuff could be batch cooked and held warm. I’d be fine with this.

On the point of letting people know the shop exists, how about extending a free brew voucher to everyone buying something in the shop. Or making it obvious that there are toilets available upstairs. I really think that knowing it’s there is half the battle.

I guess the waterfalls walk people have their own catering, but a strategic sign somewhere on the route may help direct folks to the cafe.

On the food (it has been a few months), I’m not a fan of the ‘walls’-style sausages. I’d certainly pay more for better sausages. I’ve bought the veggie one because of this.

My other fave cafe - goat gap - seems to be really busy. Sometimes it’s not possible to get a table at breakfast. They seem to do really good / posher food at a similar price point. Not great for caving because they don’t open until 10am. May be worth a look at their menu. The eggs are very good. They do seem to capture more trade at lunch / afternoon. May just be location. I’ve seen a few cycling groups using it for big coffee stops. Is that a thing you could do / advertise? Is there any space to park bikes securely around the back?

After I leave inglesport cafe, I often go to the coop to grab some bits for the day - snickers bars, maybe some pop, sweets etc. you could maybe add a bit of turnover by stocking these. I appreciate this is often difficult to compete with margins at chain stores and it’s easy to appear expensive.

How about a tap to fill water bottles? Perhaps on the street, attached to a sign highlighting the cafe?

Do you waste time at busy periods hand delivering food to tables? Can you just ask people to come get their food by shouting a name/number?

I was intrigued by a viral video I saw on instagram recently of an outdoor shop where you had the option to climb a large rock to get in the front door. The cafe with the option to enter and exit through an artificial cave climb would be like a media magnet. Careful though, it’s pretty small for hundreds of visitors. A fireman’s pole would be cool too.

 

[Ian P]

Some really good feedback already given, but to try and add to it.

1. Never mind £15.00 for a breakfast, I have absolutely had numerous cups of coffee that have cost me into the £100’s. Not sure how you quantify “impulse” purchases but it definitely is a “thing”. A new bit of rope or something off the sale rail for Mrs P is definitely something that happens that wouldn’t if we weren’t visiting the cafe.
We also look to bring groups in where possible, which again certainly ends in “impulse purchases”.

2. Regarding the vast number of “waterfall walkers” who frequent the area. Publicity offering a “discount” on presentation of a waterfall walks receipt may prove fruitful??

3. A deal with the swimming pool for advertising and again some form of discount may be fruitful??

4. If there is ANYTHING practical that the caving community can do regarding “reviews” or sharing posts etc then just let us know and I have a good feeling that you will get a good response. I am also confident that the awesome PR machine of the CNCC would be willing to help/ share where possible (although not until well after the summer).

A business is NOT a charity but hopefully a way forward as a viable business is possible and anything the caving community can practically do to help then please just shout up.

Fingers crossed for you.

 

[Alex]

Yes that's a good point Ian, if I was not going in there for the cafe, I would probbably order my gear online and it might be from rival sites. Think of the cafe as bringing in bussiness to the shop. So often we go downstairs to browse and buy gear after breakfast, oh yeh I need X, I might as well buy it here rather than wait several days for delivery from Y.

 

[alanw]

Today I popped into G & Mo's: a little café in High Bentham, less than 5 miles south of Inglesport. I've also had breakfast here, I mentioned it here a few years ago. I thought it might be interesting to compare the two, even if it is apples to oranges.

G & Mo's on Tripadvisor. Strangely, TA thinks that "Bentham" is different to "High Bentham". "High" and Low" aren't far apart, and all the shops are in "High". G & Mo's only has 6 small tables, seating about 14 people, so not a place for a large gathering.

Bentham is very different to Ingleton. At lunchtime the café was full of locals, people know each other by name and chat to each other. There isn't much tourism, except for a golf club with lodges and "posh pods" to rent and a caravan park.

Full English breakfast at G&Mo's seems to be (from the latest photo I can find, Dec 2025) £10.00, veggie is £9.00.

They are open during the week, except Thursdays, from 09:30. Saturday, again from 09:30, Sunday from 10:00, so later than Inglesport.

As an aside, the Bentham Hub runs 3 charity shops, all large, the one selling books has more rooms full than you might expect. They are well worth a visit if you're passing through, e.g. from the M6 at Lancaster to Clapham.

 

[mikem]

G&Mo's is a family run business which produces home cooking, so lower costs

 

[undergroundHP]

I have been coming to the cafe for over 20 years and will hopefully be visiting for another 60.
Big breakfasts and big flapjacks for caving are a must on the menu.
I would be willing to pay 10 to 15 for a big breakfast.
Back in the college days we practically spent all our money in the cafe and shop.

 

[alastairgott]

Love it, keep it going, I try and visit shop and cafe every time I’m up there, not up that often as the mines of Castleton are always calling.

I need a trip up to Yorkshire soon - I’ll be there.

 

[Ian Ball]

I'm surprised people can't see there is a cafe upstairs, isn't the whole of the window an advert saying CAFE UPSTAIRS?

I've stopped going to the cafe really as I tend to go caving east of Ingleton and live further East and the cafe is shut midweek.

This thread is making me more likely to go though