Badger and Bean is the newly-crowned best café in East Yorkshire
‘You need to try the chorizo eggs ben-neh’, she said as I strolled through the doors of Badger and Bean with my disgruntled toddler (she wanted ice cream). Chorizo and an eggs benedict are two things that I would never had put together in my wildest breakfast dreams, but here I was, in the historic market town of Howden, about to taste the chorizo eggs benny for myself.
Over the last three decades cafes have really changed. They are no longer smoke-filled greasy spoons but more sophisticated, ‘coffee and cake’ establishments. The setting for Badger and Bean is truly wonderful with little tables-for-two outside against the backdrop of the towering Howden Minster.
The humble and welcoming coffee shop and café uses locally-sourced produce and has a loyal customer base loving its coffee, breakfasts – the £10 chorizo eggs benny being a highlight – and its “brunch-focussed” Instagrammable following.
The business, owned by Keith and Sarah Moulton, who left Swiss corporate jobs over two years ago to go on this venture, bagged the regional best café regional title in England’s July Business Awards. It will now go up for the national title in November.
It was my first visit since the award was issued so I wanted to know if they’d made any changes since. But it was just the award perched on the counter that was new and caught my eye.
With schools now back open, I had just one little tasting accomplice with me, who was pretty raucous and her usual fidgety self until the food arrived. She went for a toasted teacake which kept her quiet-ish while I wolfed down the highly-unusual breakfast dish.
I have heard of the different takes on it, particularly during a trip to the US and seeing the Mexican-style adaptation of the eggs benedict with smashed avocado and jalapenos, so I thought to get it served in little ol’ Howden was quite a niche take, but one I am absolutely here for.
So, let’s get stuck into the breakdown. Off the bat, the sriracha sauce really does do justice to those little chunks of chorizo and really does compliment the Hollandaise and the perfectly runny egg yolks. The poached eggs must have been on a chef’s timer because they landed on that ‘sweet spot’ area between the rubbery and chewy eggy outcomes.
You know it’s good because I wanted to savour every mouthful, but thanks to the battle with my accomplice tester trying to edge out of her highchair before trying to feed her biscuit sidearm to a passing pug, I knew I couldn’t let anything get cold and the plate was clear within two minutes. Disgusting to watch, but the pleasure, of course, all mine.
This is a great light bite and no better place for a coffee – probably one of the best flat whites I have had to date. Just enough steamed froth to taste the powerful coffee. Perfection.
Quick light bite in Howden? Look no further than BB. Toasted teacake – 10/10.
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This review originally appeared on Yorkshire Live.