The cafe looks warm and inviting, with a community noticeboard- wooden bar, and eclectic decoration. Some of the staff are helpful, and friendly. The menu shows prices which indicate high quality food, freshly prepared, in a friendly environment, and the last time I visited Mooch- this was what I got.
I returned to Mooch after two years, to find it under new management. The owner, stood behind the bar, cast dissaproving looks at her staff, customers, and the children sat with their parents-dampening the atmosphere which had been so vibrant last time I visited.
We ordered breakfast, after being made to feel as if the staff were doing us a service by providing this meal half an hour before the time their sign said they would switch to the afternoon menu.
I looked forward to the well cooked breakfast I had received last time I was there, and my friend looked forward to the exceptional vegetarian breakfast.
When my breakfast arrived, the ingredients were poor. Instead of the lightly cooked baby plum tomatoes received last time, we received bland tasteless undercooked cheap tomatoes. The bacon was still good quality, but burnt. Toast made from the cheapest white sliced bread, soggy from the margarine that had been used. Overcooked poached eggs that left water streaming round the plate and onto the toast. The coffee was good, but hardly enough to compensate for a price tag which should guarantee a decent meal, well cooked ,with decent ingredients.
I looked at the cakes on offer- and instead of the freshly prepared cakes that had finished our meal last time- we found the type of muffins offered in plastic wrappers elsewhere, with a price tag that indicated one was getting freshly baked goods. All in all, very expensive way of eating very very poor quality food.
The owner of Mooch really needs to change the chef, and the suppliers, or the prices-because quite frankly I wouldn't dream of serving up what we had for my family-never mind for customers paying a premium price.