Each year I select a thing that can be purchased at most cafes and tea shops to find the best one during my cafe visit. In December I hold a thing off back at Crusader towers to decide the winner. This year Thing of the year is the Egg on Toast although a different format for deciding the winner will be used (Click here for details).
Previous things of the year are also on this page
Previous things of the year are also on this page
2020 thing of the year is Egg on Toast
Here are the EOT rules I will be following:
1. To qualify a cafe must be, or have been, visited by me by bike
2. Eggs can be poached, fried or scrambled. If more than one type is available, then that is my order of preference.
3. Each EoT will be marked out of 50
i. Quality of toast. Economy sliced bread popped in the toaster won't score as highly as homemade bread or sourdough etc that has been properly grilled. Out of 10
ii. Quality of Egg. Covering both taste of eggs and how well cooked. No slime or water in the white with a slightly runny yolk will score best. Out of 10
iii. Presentation. What it looks like on the plate. Out of 10.
iv. Overall enjoyment. How much I enjoyed the whole EoT experience & how the individual elements of the dish came together. Out of 20
4. If other cycling guests have also opted to have EoT then I will invite their input although my decision is final.
5. During December a finals week will take place where myself and team of EoT expert cycling guests will go on a series of rides to revisit the top 5 EoTs to crown the overall winner.
Every month I will announce the egg on toast of the month winner as well as publish the top 5 egg on toasts currently heading for finals week in December.
1. To qualify a cafe must be, or have been, visited by me by bike
2. Eggs can be poached, fried or scrambled. If more than one type is available, then that is my order of preference.
3. Each EoT will be marked out of 50
i. Quality of toast. Economy sliced bread popped in the toaster won't score as highly as homemade bread or sourdough etc that has been properly grilled. Out of 10
ii. Quality of Egg. Covering both taste of eggs and how well cooked. No slime or water in the white with a slightly runny yolk will score best. Out of 10
iii. Presentation. What it looks like on the plate. Out of 10.
iv. Overall enjoyment. How much I enjoyed the whole EoT experience & how the individual elements of the dish came together. Out of 20
4. If other cycling guests have also opted to have EoT then I will invite their input although my decision is final.
5. During December a finals week will take place where myself and team of EoT expert cycling guests will go on a series of rides to revisit the top 5 EoTs to crown the overall winner.
Every month I will announce the egg on toast of the month winner as well as publish the top 5 egg on toasts currently heading for finals week in December.
Current EoT finalists in order they were visited (from left to right): Eaton Park Cafe, Nourish, Art Cafe, The Good the Bad and the Hungry, Bircham Stores and Cafe
EoT of the Month winners
January: Eaton Park Cafe
February: Art Cafe, Glanford
March: Bircham Stores and Cafe
January: Eaton Park Cafe
February: Art Cafe, Glanford
March: Bircham Stores and Cafe
Previous things of the year
2019 Fruit Scone of the year
Congratulations to Aldis Farm Shop Cafe who won this year's competition. Click link to find out what happened on finals day.
Congratulations to Aldis Farm Shop Cafe who won this year's competition. Click link to find out what happened on finals day.
Finalists Fruit scones (left to right): Old Hall Farm, Orangery, Pennoyer centre, Aldis Farm shop cafe, all finalist, finals day voting. (Earsham Hall and Angel Cake cafe scones were also in the final)
2018 Brownie
Congratulations to Stiffkey Stores who won this year's competition. Click link to find out what happened in finals week.
Congratulations to Stiffkey Stores who won this year's competition. Click link to find out what happened in finals week.
Finalist Brownies (left to right): Cadence Cafe, Old Buckingham, Courtyard Tea Room, Attleborough. Hamptons at the Barn, Bawdswell. Jungle Cafe, Costessey. Piano Tea rooms Ketteringham. Stiffkey Stores, Stiffkey. Tabnabs, Mattilshall, Thornham Deli, Thornham.
2017 Sausage Roll of the year
Congratulations to Earsham Street Cafe who won this year's competition. Click link to find out what happened in finals week.
Congratulations to Earsham Street Cafe who won this year's competition. Click link to find out what happened in finals week.
Finalist SRoTY (left to right): Walsingham Cafe Sausage rolls, Little Pigs Sausage Rolls, The Owl Sausage Rolls, Collection from Earsham Street, Collection from Gardeners Kitchen, Finals Day Tasting team, SRoTY Final Four seasons v Earsham Street
2016 FlapJack of the year
Congratulations to The Funky Mackerel who won this year's competition. Click link to find out what happened in finals week.
Congratulations to The Funky Mackerel who won this year's competition. Click link to find out what happened in finals week.
Finalists Flapjack of the year (left to right): Pandora's Kitchen, Smallsticks cafe, Bridge Stores Potter Heigham, Itteringham village stores, Funky Mackerel, Art Cafe
2015 Cheese Scone of the year
Congratulations to Market Row Cafe, Beccles who won this year's competition. Click link to find out what happened in finals week.
Congratulations to Market Row Cafe, Beccles who won this year's competition. Click link to find out what happened in finals week.
Finalists Cheese Scone of the year (left to right): Market Row, Jesters, Earsham Hall, Cocoa Mamas, Pennoyer Centre, Pandoras, 1st Semi Finalists, Reepham Station, Walsingham Cafe, Byfords, 2nd Semi Finalists, Finalists