THIS venue is at the beginning of Bootham, almost directly opposite Gillygate.

Bootham Bites opens at 8am and combines a sit-in with a take-away service. Tables have individual menus but food is ordered at a counter. By means of a hoist (or dumb waiter) requests for food are conveyed upstairs and plated orders come to the ground floor the same way.

Drinks are prepared and delivered to the tables. When a cappuccino was being prepared a thermometer was inserted into the milk to ensure it was at the correct temperature.

Great play was made of the word homemade. We were also told that ‘butter means butter’ and ‘beans means Heinz’. Chips are hand cut. The homemade soup cost £2.75 while the tomato variety was priced at £2.50.

As to be expected, jacket potatoes and sandwiches (hot and cold) were available. Salami and cream cheese (£3.75) was one combination we couldn’t remember having encountered before.

We observed substantial looking helpings, especially the giant chip bap (£3), and even a fish finger sandwich at the same price.

The café appears to specialise in cheese, with English, American, Mexican, French and Welsh appearing on toast at prices between £2.75 and £4.50. We were informed that the most expensive slice of cheese on toast was sold on ebay for £14,000 after the American woman who made it claimed it showed the face of the Virgin Mary.

Other options included ploughman’s (£5.95) and Yorkshire puddings with pork or beef and mashed potato (£5.75).

Ann chose whole tail Whitby scampi with chips, peas and tartar sauce (£6.45), which was thoroughly enjoyed. I elected to have the mini breakfast (£4.25) consisting of egg, very tasty bacon and sausage, tinned tomatoes with baked beans in a separate bowl. It was sizzling when it arrived with two slices of toast and butter.

Our pot of tea cost £3 which came with more fresh milk than we could possibly use.

This was an excellent snack; there is just one snag – the toilets are in the basement.