Contemporary cafe in a modern hotel near Thirlmere. They have plant milk and one flavour of vegan cake – plus good WiFi and charging points, making it a very useful place for vegan campers to spend some time planning their holiday activities.
Cuisine: Hot drinks, soft drinks and alcohol. One flavour of vegan cake and crisps.
Opening Hours: Most of the day, as it’s the hotel bar as well
Location: St John’s in the Vale, Back Ln, Thirlmere near Keswick CA12 4TQ
Date Visited: October 2020
Price Range: N/A
Contact: 01768 773331
Website: https://www.lakedistrictinns.co.uk/lodge-in-the-vale
WiFi: Yes
Charging: Yes
Just off the main road between Keswick and Ambleside, the Lodge in the Vale may not be the most exciting destination for vegans in the Lake District, but it is a very useful one.
It’s a hotel, so can look a little bit sleepy and closed out of season, particularly if the weather is bad. But if you go in the staff are friendly and helpful and happy to make you a coffee and get you some cake. They only had one option of vegan cake, but it was sufficiently tasty that we had it several times.
The real draw of the Lodge in the Vale is that it has good WiFi and charging points, and it doesn’t get too busy. That means it’s a great base for an hour or two of planning if you’re staying in a campsite or accommodation where the internet isn’t all that great – and let’s face it that’s fairly common in the Lake District.
The cafe is pleasant and comfortable. Unlike the hustle and bustle of the hectic town centre eateries, we felt able to relax and spend some time planning walks, activities and outings for our holiday, even getting the laptop out to map out routes. Also, being so close to the main road it’s very tempting to pop in on the way back to a cold campsite after a day out – something we did on more than one occasion.
So even if it’s not on our ‘must-visit’ list, it’s definitely on the ‘very useful to know about’ list. We have been there more times than some of our culinary favourites because of its convenience.