Carringtons – Graham Chastney

Graham’s Guidelines: * Rating (1 to 5)

Coffee: 5*
Food: 4*
Conversation: 5*
People Watching: 4*

The Experience

The Wolf Cafe is the latest incarnation of a much loved cafe on the outskirts of Silverdale in north Lancashire. It has previously been known as the Wolf House Cafe and Wolf and Us.

I mention these details because some of the previous iterations are still visible on social media and give the impression that the business is closed.

It must be a nightmare for small businesses these days to keep the details on each of the apps up to date. Even in my own household, different members of the family use different tools to get information on opening times, etc.. The challenge for those of us consuming the informations is knowing which one the business itself regards as definitive.

The area is still commonly known as Wolfhouse even though the cafe with that name isn’t called that, and Wolfhouse Gallery, next door, is no longer in operation either. You can, however, rent out the Wolf House Cottages.

Each of the various incarnations of the cafe have made changes but none of them have felt completely transformational and that’s a good thing.

There is a small amount of parking at the cafe itself, but there is normally plenty of parking on Lindeth Road near to the cafe or a short walk away.

For food the cafe has a wonderfully limited set of options. I’m not a fan of places with hundreds of choices, where each one tends to be mediocre. Last time we purchased food the menu consisted of a few fascinating breakfast/brunch options, a small selection of sandwiches on fresh focaccia, soup, and cakes. The soup was wonderful.

The cafe is operated by the same team as the Lone Wolf Bakery in nearby Lancaster. As you might imagine for a cafe owned by a bakery, the cakes are a delight, the scones being a particular favourite.

The coffee served comes from a roaster local to Silverdale – Carringtons Coffee Co. – who are based in Carnforth. The blend is bold, which I like.

The cafe is in a wonderful location with many walking options available. I’ve provided guides for a few, but they are just a taster of what’s available. Silverdale is an absolute family favourite. It’s a bit of a hidden secret, there are millions of people who fly past Silverdale on the M6 heading for the Lake District which makes this little corner of Lancashire feel all the more intimate.

As for people watching this is where Wolf excels. The indoors portion of the cafe is only small putting you close to others, the outdoors is more expansive but still a great place to watch the world. The clientele always feels a bit eccentric, which I mean as a huge positive; consisting of people with a story, people not necessarily following the status quo. This isn’t somewhere for the Apple clad influencer types and it’s the better for it. Please don’t tell too many people.