Marchants of Hereford review: New cafe in Broad Street

Marchants of Hereford is in the former First Light Trust Cafe premises opposite Hereford Cathedral, and opened on Tuesday, May 6.

I paid a visit to the cafe after a morning of shopping in the city centre. It was a lovely sunny day, so I ordered an iced coffee, which is my usual drink of choice in the summer months.

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The cafe was busy when I arrived at around 11.30am, with lots of people enjoying drinks and light lunches, but there were still a few tables available. 

There is even a bar near the front of the cafe with electric sockets, suitable for remote workers needing a spot in the city centre to recharge their devices and refuel with some freshly made food and drink.

There is a bar near the front of the cafe for those wanting a space to work (Image: Bridie Adams) The staff were very friendly and service was quick. I had a chat with the manager, Dawn, and two staff members, while I was waiting for my drink.

Dawn said things had been going really well since opening, with lots of old customers from the former First Light Trust Cafe returning, as well as lots of new ones.

Dawn had worked at the cafe before it was taken over by the current owners, who she explained had owned the building for over 20 years. When the former cafe closed, they decided to take it on themselves.

"We've had some lovely new staff join us," she said. "It's been really good to be open again and it looks great in here with all the pictures of Hereford on the walls."

Before it was a cafe, the building at 41 to 43 Broad Street, was home to the Sony Centre, which closed in 2017 after 30 years of trading.

Hutchinsons HiFi and Vision ran the shop which sold Sony electronics.

Rebecca, one of the Marchants staff members, said that the cafe had been named after Brian Marchant, who was a manager at the Sony Centre.

When my iced coffee was ready, I sat near the window to enjoy it.

I tried an iced coffee (Image: Bridie Adams) The coffee tasted of high quality, with a good ratio of espresso to milk.

I sometimes find that iced coffees can be too milky, but at Marchants the balance was just right, with also a good amount of ice that made the drink perfectly cold without being too full of ice cubes.

It was very refreshing on what was a very warm day, and cooled me down nicely after my morning spent traipsing around High Town and Broad Street in search of new summer clothes.

The coffee cost £3.60 which I thought was a good price, comparable to other independent cafes in the city centre.

Also on the menu were all the hot coffees you'd expect like Americanos, cappuccinos, lattes, flat whites and mochas, as well as a selection of teas.

You can also get hot chocolate complete with cream and marshmallows.

There are cold drinks in the fridge, including Cawston Press cans and cartons, fizzy drinks and water.

I didn't try food during my visit, but I saw the staff plating up some meals and they looked delicious.

The menu featured paninis with fillings including tuna, cheese and tomato, cheese and ham, and cheese and onion.

There were also cold sandwiches available like tuna mayonnaise, chicken salad, ham, cheese and pickle and roasted vegetable and hummus.

A range of cakes and bakes are also on offer.

Again, the food prices are all reasonable, with paninis and sandwiches costing £6.95 and baked goods ranging from £2.50 to £3.75.

I had a great experience at Marchants and would highly recommend it to anyone looking to find a new spot to enjoy a coffee. It is also in a lovely location near Hereford landmarks like the cathedral and the Green Dragon Hotel.

The cafe is open 9am to 3pm, Tuesday to Saturday. It is also dog-friendly, so customers are welcome to bring their furry friends into the cafe with them.