Lincoln Lunch

The High Street Food Bar from the street. Photo: Adam Walker

“High Street Food Bar”, while not a particularly imaginative name, its pleasantly retro exterior was pretty eye-catching. It reminded me of those old Past Times stores, purveyors of vintage knick- knacks that eventually became a victim of the recession, like so many high street chains before it. Given how much this newly opened sandwich bar stands out in an area of the town mainly dominated with cheap kebab shops and chippies, I decided to give the place a go to see if the food was as bold as the décor.

The retro aesthetic carries over to the interior with shelves lined with artfully arranged reproduction products from yesteryear, all of which are for sale. I checked the price on a jar of jam and one of the tea towels, £5.00 for the jam and £6.00 for the tea towel. That seems a little high to me and this really isn’t the kind of area you’re likely to find a market for these kinds of extravagances. Still this combination of colourful retro paraphernalia and the café’s rather modern minimalist furnishings creates a rather pleasant mix of the old and the new that gives the place a good atmosphere. Honestly it feels more like a trendy coffee house than any sandwich bar I’ve ever been in.

The attractively decorated interior of Food Bar. Photo: Adam Walker

The food, however, was nothing special. The High Street Food Bar offers baked potatoes, home- made soup as well as a choice of paninis, baps, rolls, baguettes or sandwiches with a variety of toppings served hot or cold that can be eaten in or taken away.

I ordered a roll with Lincolnshire sausage, sage and onion stuffing and apple sauce costing £2.90. The menu claims everything is homemade and locally sourced, I’ll take their word for it, it was all rather bland and certainly nothing I couldn’t have simply bought from Sainsbury’s or made myself.

Ultimately, I’m not sure that I was expecting from The High Street Food Bar, but with all the strong presentation, I was certainly looking forward to the food more than I should have been.

I actually already attempted to have lunch at The Cheese Society a few days ago, arriving at 1:30 however, I found the place packed and myself at the end of a long queue for a table. Considering its location, an inconspicuous backstreet it shares with only a skating shop and a vet that specialises in reptiles, it certainly doesn’t seem to be having trouble attracting customers.

The Cheese Society’s packed dining area. Photo: Adam Walker

I was advised the best times to get a seat were 12:00 and 2:30pm, but even arriving dead on 12 noon, I was lucky to snatch one of the last two tables, the other being taken minutes later with the waiting area filling soon after.
The Cheese Society can best be described as hectic but welcoming. It was packed the whole time I was there but I never felt rushed to finish my food. The staff are constantly on the go but still found the time to be friendly. The design is open and airy making the place feel much larger than it is, the walls are decorated with photos of Lincoln landmarks and posters advertising upcoming local events. Despite its out- of- the- way location it feels like the centre of the community.

The café also features a small deli that sells a wide variety of cheeses as well as crackers, pâté and mustard. This, coupled with the open kitchens right next to the dining area ensure a constant scent of cheese wafting through the building.

My piping hot Macaroni Cheese, I had to wait several minutes before it was cool enough to eat. Photo: Adam Walker

The menu is modest, featuring about eight cheese themed dishes with a selection of starters and desserts to boot. I ordered a Macaroni Cheese Au Gratin for a reasonable £8.99 and considering how busy the place was, service was impressively fast.

It emerged from the kitchen bubbling, the cheese almost molten in a dish with what looked like burn marks around the rim. Did they cook this in a blast furnace? A few degrees hotter and I’m sure the side salad would have caught alight.  Once it had cooled down I found the meal to be quite delicious with just enough macaroni mixed in with a perfectly rich cheese sauce. The whole mixture lay beneath a topping of admittedly rather tough melted cheese but it left me satisfied.

When I left, the waiting area was full to overflowing and new customers were already being seated at my vacant table. The Cheese Society is certainly well worth a visit, a must if you have even a passing passion for cheese. The café does not take bookings so make sure to arrive early if you want to avoid a long cheese scented wait.

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