The Little Shed in is such a cute, quirky little café. There are venues at Allestree and Ashbourne, and although each has their own unique character, the vibe, food and service is very similar at each so I’ve covered both here. Both venues are fabulous for coffee and cake, breakfast or lunch.

The Little Shed Allestree
On the outskirts of Derby, Allestree is a really lovely village, and this was the location of the original ‘shed’! The interiors are instagrammable – currently there’s gorgeous dried floral installations both inside and out – but these do change with the seasons. It’s always fabulous at The Little Shed!


The Little Shed Ashbourne
I haven’t visited the Ashbourne branch for a while, but the general vibe is very similar. Tasteful, muted shades, pretty flowers and attention to detail!

Food at The Little Shed
The food is café style, but done really nicely. Breakfast options include waffles, brioche French toast, avocado on sourdough and their newly relaunched Little Shed’s English breakfast featuring sausage from local butchers.
Lunch options are equally tempting: loaded flatbreads, crusty baguettes and a range of sandwiches. On a previous visit to Ashbourne I enjoyed a really delicious quiche.

And most recently I enjoyed a wonderful salad in Allestree. This consisted of goats cheese, roasted beetroot, thin slices of pear and walnuts on top of leaves and dressed with honey and chia seeds.

The cakes always look beautiful (but somehow I don’t think I’ve ever sampled the cake here?!). Both venues would be a lovely place to enjoy a leisurely afternoon tea (booking in advance required).
Go for:
Delicious food and drink in a pretty, stylish environment.
Details:
The Little Shed, 1 King Edward Street, Ashbourne, DE6 1BW
The Little Shed, 3a Park Lane, Allestree, DE22 2DR
Note that there are no on-site toilets at the Allestree branch – there is an agreement with the hairdressers round the corner (literally steps away), but they are up a couple of steps – unsuitable for wheelchairs/buggies etc.
There is easy on-street parking for the Allestree branch. For Ashbourne I would park in one of the town car parks.
Both venues have outside seating where dogs are welcome (water bowls and treats available). Click here for my guide to dog friendly places to eat.