Tucked away in Bridgwater, Sl-ate is one of those places that immediately felt a little different. By day it was a welcoming café serving up thoughtfully made food and quality coffee, but it also doubled as a creative workshop space where you’d find everything from pottery painting to wreath making taking place around you. The result were a relaxed, community-driven spot where creativity and comfort food sit side by side — and where lingering a little longer felt almost encouraged.
Review: We visited Sl-ate almost by accident. We were simply on the hunt for a decent coffee in our own town, keen to avoid the usual high-street chains like Costa, when I happened to stumble across Sl-ate on Google Maps. On a whim, we decided to give it a go — and I’m so glad we did.
At first glance, Sl-ate can feel a little… chaotic. It looks almost as though it’s halfway through being decorated, but the longer you sit with it, the more its charm reveals itself. You start to notice the handmade details, the clever upcycling, and the clear craftsmanship that’s gone into shaping the space. It isn’t just a café — it’s a fully functioning creative workshop too, and that dual purpose gives the place a unique, lived-in character that feels refreshingly authentic.
Our initial visits were purely for drinks, and that’s where Sl-ate truly won my heart. I ordered the Mars Bar hot chocolate — and let me tell you now, it was not my last. Hands down, it’s the best hot chocolate I have ever had. Thick, rich, and indulgently creamy, it arrived with a generous dollop of caramel clinging to the side of the mug and a full Mars Bar balanced across the top. It was pure decadence. I later tried the Twix hot chocolate, which somehow managed to be just as good. My husband usually stuck to a latte, which he rated highly every time… but honestly, that hot chocolate stole the show.
Eventually, we couldn’t resist trying the food — which comes in three tempting forms: croissants, pancakes, and toast. Our first choice was the festive croissant: turkey and stuffing tucked into flaky pastry, cranberry sauce, pigs in blankets, and a small side salad. Comfort food done right. Next came the Biscoff croissant, featuring Biscoff spread, Biscoff sauce, and Biscoff crumb — an unapologetic Biscoff overload. Finally, I tried the Biscoff pancakes, which delivered the same indulgent flavours, this time paired with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream. Absolute bliss.
Service was always friendly and welcoming, and Sl-ate quickly became, for both me and my husband, the perfect spot for a relaxed coffee and a slower pace. Sadly, things took a turn when Bridgwater Council introduced changes to the town centre — altered road layouts, new parking restrictions — and gradually, fewer people were willing to go out of their way to visit. Eventually, Sl-ate announced its closure, with their final day being January 31st.
It was absolutely gutting. Those hot chocolates will live on in my memory, and Sl-ate will always hold a special place in The Taste Trekker history — firmly etched into our Gourmet Gauge scoresheet. If they were still open, I’d recommend them without hesitation.
Gourmet Gauge: Everything was presented elegantly, and the taste matched. Service was always above and beyond what was expected and the place felt alive, cosy and industrial all at the same time.
Taste: 9/10 🥄
Presentation: 10/10 🍽️
Ambience: 8/10 🕯️
Service: 9/10 👨🍳
Value for Money: 9/10 💰
Total: 44/50 Highly Recommend!
Click here to see where they land on our Gourmet Gauge Scoresheet!
You can find this “Sl-ate” at the following location:
You can find them on social media and on their website here:
🌍 Over to You, Fellow Taste Trekkers!
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On my phone I have a checklist of what I want to do tidying wise around the house and it includes lists named daily, weekly, fortnightly and monthly. Daily tasks are things like washing up, laundry. Weekly includes hoovering, dusting etc. Fortnightly is cleaning down the hob, sink etc and monthly are tasks like cleaning the oven, fully sorting certain rooms, organising cupboards etc. There has been one item on this list that has never been ticked off at all….cleaning the oven. At some point I’ll get round to it, but for now it’ll remain unticked.
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