Urban Shed - review

As if I wasn't excited enough that Afternoon Tease opened up not long ago it seems that King Street really is becoming a place to be.  While wandering to buy some wool the other day I noticed that a new coffee house/sandwich bar had opened up and decided to try it out.

The place is called The Urban Shed and prides itself on its Fairtrade Arabica coffees and wide range of sandwiches served in a variety of ways from panis and ciabatas to baguettes and rolls, they even offer a salad option if you fancy something gluten free.  Everything can either be enjoyed in their retro-style cafe or as a take-away.

As it was my first visit I decided to eat in.  I found myself a seat in a nice comfy armchair at a wooden table in the adjoining room and took a look around while waiting for my coffee.  They've gone for a retro atmosphere with upcycled furniture, all of which is for sale, from the cases full of LPs to the record player itself.  Not only does the record player work you can choose the music from their selection of records!

On the wall there's a nice tribute to Cambridge and the colleges which I liked - it's always nice when a place welcomes students, especially in a town like Cambridge where a lot of places cater more for tourists.

It didn't take long for my latte and panini to arrive.  Although they do have some more traditional options I decided to try the BBQ aubergine, swiss cheese & cashew nut butter panini - it was delicious!  The combination worked really well especially as it was toasted meaning the cheese and butter had melted into the aubergine.

Update: I went back to Urban Shed again the other day and have decided to update this part of my post as a result.  I was able to try their updated Black Forest Brownie and I have to say it was a huge improvement!  They had gotten rid of the over-sweet icing, added some more cherries to the mixture and even the texture of the brownie seemed better - it made all the difference.  It's great to see that the guys at Urban Shed are willing to review and improve their food.

The new and improved Black Forest Brownie!

I also had a chance to try their pork and caramelised onion sausage roll which was amazing!  The pastry wasn't too thick, the meat inside was moist and you could really taste the onion - if you haven't tried one already you should definitely go for it next time you're visiting!

One final note regarding takeaways.  I didn't find this out until the other day but if you're short on time then you can ring ahead so that they can prepare your order before you pop in to pick it up!

The Urban Shed was lovely, with a relaxed atmosphere.  It's great whether you want to grab a sandwich on-the-go, sit down with friends for a chat or chill out with a good book for a while.  I will definitely be taking some exam-term revision next time I go.

If you want to find out more about The Urban Shed you can:
Go to their website
Follow them on Twitter
Like them on Facebook

Or pop in to see them!  They can be found at 62-64 King Street, Cambridge, CB1 1LN