Cambridge Edition March 2020

INDEPENDENT OF THE MONTH

ABOVE Bicicletta serves a range of coffees and teas

own menu, there are nights when local food trucks set up outside and the cafe’s kitchen has a night off. “The street food scene is really thriving at the moment,” says Mandy. “One of our ambitions is to have pop-up kitchens with guest chefs. The way the space is set up now – there’s so much scope to do different things, it’s very exciting.” One thing that hasn’t changed at Bicicletta is its popularity with cycling teams and clubs. You might not see the appeal of long bike rides in winter, but perhaps you’d be more keen if there was excellent coffee and cake waiting for you. For most of January, Mandy and the team were taking calls and emails from enthusiasts keen to know when their favourite cafe was reopening. The bike theme is a big part of Bicicletta – there’s a major clue to that in the name. “The layout still nods to all loyal clubs that come and ride to us, and we’ve made an area down one end of the cafe where the cycling groups can go and relax together. We have groups that come from Essex, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and London. We’re very much on the cycling road map, but in the last year or so we’ve become a hub for other groups – runners, walkers, groups of mums and dads, families. As a result, we’ve stepped back a little bit from selling all the cycling gear we used to, so it’s welcoming to everyone while still being an homage to bikes and everyone that loves them.” It’s been a brilliant start for Bicicletta, and the new part of the building has the advantage of opening out on to the alleyway off Market Walk, so there’s plenty of potential for outdoor seating when winter ends. “We’re excited about the future and all the things that we can do now we have so much more space; being a part of the town’s community is really important to us,” says Mandy. “The lovely welcome we’ve had since we reopened has made it clear to us that Saffron Walden has really taken us to its heart.” 1-2 Market Walk, Saffron Walden CB10 1JZ 01799 522814, biciclettavelo.com

IMAGE The striking yellow, white and black interior of Bicicletta, which has recently been refurbished

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