THE last time we visited this venue it was not smoke free. On this occasion we were confronted with a notice stating the establishment would become completely non-smoking in January. Why wait?

The ground floor combines the servery and closely positioned tables. Further seating is available upstairs. There is a step up from the pavement and the toilets are downstairs, so not quite wheelchair friendly.

All drinks are listed on a wallboard. They are dual priced, as many customers are part of the take-away trade. As far as the food is concerned, what you see on display is what you get.

Everything is wrapped.

There are sandwiches (Ann selected tuna) while I inspected the wraps and paninis (ham with mozzarella and turkey with cranberry at £3.60 were examples).

Cartons of tomato or mushroom soup, brunch pots and prepacked salads were on offer. There was a range of cakes, organic slices, crisps, dried fruit and nuts.

There were probably as many take-away customers as those seeking to sit in. Ann had luckily secured a table at the window by the time I had reached the front of the queue at the servery.

The selected food was taken from me. Ann's sandwich was returned on a plate. A regular hot chocolate (£1.95) also appeared.

My choices would be brought to the table.

Ann had nearly finished her sandwich, which was nice and moist, and enjoyed the drink by the time my snack appeared.

Steaming mushroom soup with a hot and very soft brown roll was an excellent start.

I chose a butter squash and cream cheese panini (£3.60) because it was different! It had been heated. Separating the panini to inspect the contents, the heat was evident. It was the same when I bit into it. It was not to my taste, not because there was something wrong with it, but perhaps because butter squash doesn't lend itself to being a sandwich filling.

Having said that, the panini remained hot to the last mouthful.

Staff was cheerful and hard working in quite cramped conditions. Tables were cleared regularly. Our snack cost £10.70 and proved to be satisfying midday refreshment.