Review of reopened café at Queenswood Country Park

Whether you have dogs or children, or just want to go on a gentle stroll with friends, the park off Dinmore Hill, near Leominster, can be the perfect choice.

I too have visited the park on many occasions over the years, both as child and an adult. However, I've only really had food and drink from the hut, and not had lunch in the café.

Due to Herefordshire Wildlife Trust (HWT) recently taking over the park, I was intrigued to see what it was like. 

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Therefore when I was in the area on Bank Holiday Monday (May 6), myself and my daughter decided to pop along.

We arrived at Queenswood just after midday and already the car park was busy. Just to note, in case you're unaware, there are parking charges.

These range from £2 for up to two hours to £12 for over 10 hours and overnight. On the day I visited, my parking was paid for.

The car park was busy on Bank Holiday Monday (Image: Paul Rogers/Hereford Times)

There were also people queuing at the cafe's hut - getting either a takeaway drink or an ice cream to enjoy in the lovely weather. 

The ice cream available at Queenswood (Image: Paul Rogers/Hereford Times)

We went inside and the café was full of people enjoying a bite to eat. Luckily, there was a table for two and we browsed the menu.

There is a breakfast menu that is served from 9am to midday, with a lunch one from midday to 4pm. 

There is a range of food available (Image: Paul Rogers/Hereford Times)

The prices for the former range from 2.50 for toast, butter and preserves, to £8.50 for 'the badger breakfast', while for lunch, you can have anything from soup to a ploughman's, with paninis, sandwiches, wraps and jacket potatoes also available.

Kids menus are also on offer, with plenty of side options. 

I went for a tuna mayo panini, while my daughter went for a ploughman's. The total amount I paid was £12.70 (including drinks) because I had 50 per cent off my bill.

The ploughman's, for example, is £11 but I think is good value for money. It comes with a large pork pie, two slices of ham, a boiled egg, pickled onion, cheese, chutney and a bread roll.

The lunch reporter Paul Rogers and his daughter had (Image: Paul Rogers/Hereford Times)

My daughter struggled to finish it, so I helped her. The pork pie was especially nice, as was the ham, while the chutney was just divine. 

I also had no complaints about the panini, which went down well with a mug of latte coffee.

It was lovely to see so many families out and about, with plenty of outside seating if the weather was nice. 

I spoke to Sophie Marriott, the cafe's manager. She explained how the team wanted to have plenty of family-friendly options, including vegan and gluten-free, and ensure they use as many local suppliers as possible.

Overall, she said they have received a lot of support, but are also open to constructive criticism.

To burn off our calories, we went for a swift walk. There are several trails you can do which offer lovely views of the woods, and is easily accessible. 

The trees and flowers shone (Image: Paul Rogers/Hereford Times)

We chose the Gruffalo trail, which is always popular with families. If you haven't done it before and have got young ones, I highly recommend it - you can also stop and see the stunning countryside from the viewing point.  

You can see the Gruffalo and the Gruffalo child at Queenswood (Image: Paul Rogers/Hereford Times)

There are also regular activities that take place at Queenswood. This includes children's art sessions on the first Sunday of every month, while you can hire the venue for various meetings and workshops. 

Weekend volunteers are also wanted - enquire at the visitors centre for more information. Overall, I enjoyed my lunch and will definitely go back.