The Cowshed
From city hustle to countryside charm: discover the story of The Cowshed in Lytchett Minster and its exciting plans for the future. In conversation with owners Hazel and Charlie.
Hi Hazel and Charlie! Can you give us a short introduction to The Cowshed?
Hello! Yes, so The Cowshed Dorset is our lovely cafe in Lytchett Minster and we have been open just shy of a year now. We left our busy London lives in April ‘22 to pursue The Cowshed and we haven’t looked back since! Our aim was to create a warm and welcoming space that serves yummy and fresh food, Dorset roasted coffee and homemade cakes all at an affordable price. It is an absolute labour of love and between us we are constantly looking at ways we can improve our business. Reflecting on the last year and seeing how far The Cowshed has come is quite overwhelming at times! The support we receive from our customers is second to none and hearing why people love our cafe makes all the hard work so worth it.
Why did you choose Lytchett Minster to be the home for your business?
It is a beautiful, rural area that naturally provides a calm and peaceful environment - one that aligned exactly with how we wanted The Cowshed to feel. It is situated in a Courtyard Craft Centre which has multiple independent craft shops nestled around the cafe, making it the perfect day out to visit.
What would you recommend off the menu?
Ohh good question! From the brunch menu Hazel recommends the triple stacked pancakes with homemade berry compote, chantilly cream and maple syrup - chef's kiss! Charlie recommends going all out and getting the signature Cowshed breakfast. Fun fact: we had a sausage tasting day before we opened the cafe as Charlie feels strongly about a good quality sausage on a cooked breakfast! From the lunch menu we can both agree the posh fish finger sarnie is a must try.
What is the future of The Cowshed?
We are currently renovating our large barn area, which is attached to the cafe, and this will be predominantly used as an events space for weddings and party hire. It’s very exciting and is really starting to take shape. You can expect a beautiful wooden bar (beer taps, wine and cocktails galore!) with tall arched mirrors, trestle tables and cane backed chairs and lots of character! Keep an eye out on our socials and website for updates on when this space will be open to hire. We’ll also be looking at opening some evenings over the coming summer months where customers can enjoy drinks, nibbles and live music in our sunny courtyard! And to top it off we have our first baby on the way - baby calf pending!
Website → thecowsheddorset.co.uk
Instagram → @thecowsheddorset
