You have less than a week before it says farewell forever
‘Moving mountain’ or ‘modest mound’?(Image: Phoebe Hobbs)
The Bay on Weston-super-Mare’s seafront is doomed. Not through any fault of their own: it’s gotten good reviews and when I visited on a Monday morning the café seemed well-attended.
No, the The Bay is closing to make way for the revival of The Tropicana, a seaside events venue that is part of a huge scale regeneration project for the town. While there seems to be a huge diversity of opinion on the venue throughout town, that’s another topic for another article. Unfortunately, The Bay is collateral damage.
A poster on their window read: “To all our wonderful customers, in early 2022, The Good Hub (Passion and Soul Food) was selected by North Somerset Council to operate The Bay Café as a concession, in preparation for the exciting See Monster project [sic]. Initially planned as a six-month venture, our time here has been extended to three wonderful years.
“We’ve truly made The Bay Café our home and part of the community, it has become a welcoming spot in our vibrant town. As the Tropicana building now undergoes renovation, we will be stepping down to make way for a new operator for the site. We eagerly anticipate the transformation of this cherished and much-loved landmark into a hub for arts, culture, and entertainment, it will become a true beacon for our fantastic town and community [sic].”
The open-letter went on to thank staff, customers and the council for their support. The letter then continued: “Our final day of trading will be Easter Bank Holiday Monday, April 21st, 2025. So, a hand on heart thanks to you all for some amazing times and memories”.
The Bay at Weston-super-Mare is closing soon to make way for the new Tropicana.(Image: Phoebe Hobbs)
It struck me as a touching and graceful farewell. Then, It suddenly occurred to me that if we didn’t review this place today we would never get the chance again.
I went inside and ordered a luxury hot chocolate for £5.75. Sitting by the window, I was a little tickled by how The Bay didn’t face the bay but rather the promenade.
The café is a clean, airy canteen-style café with plastic flowers on the tables. The staff are friendly, caring and seem to take real pride in their work. I told the lady at the till I was sorry to hear they were closing. She sighed sadly: “Yes, but unfortunately it’s not our decision”.
The kitchen is laid out so you can see your food being prepared, and I watched with interest as my hot chocolate was constructed. From what I could tell, the ‘luxury’ part of the order comes from the sheer size of it rather than using any different ingredients.
The hot chocolate came in three layers- the velvety brew itself, followed by the mini marshmallows, and finally a very generous deluge of whipped cream and cinnamon.
I’m used to the marshmallows going on top, so having them as a middle layer was a novel and refreshing idea. However, I might recommend ordering the regular hot chocolate instead. I couldn’t quite finish the jumbo-version!
Looking at their lunch menu, I was immediately intrigued by the ‘vegan moving mountain burger’ going for £11. A moving mountain, eh? I imagined layers and layers of ingredients pilling high as Ben Nevis.
When it arrived, I was a little disappointed and perplexed. I could see the ‘vegan’ and ‘burger’ influences, but didn’t see how it satisfied the ‘moving’ or ‘mountain’ criteria. Looking at it, it was a very standard burger with a side of chips and coleslaw.
‘Mountainous’ would not be the word I’d use to describe my lunch. Perhaps ‘modest mound’ or ‘gentle incline’ would have fit better. Taking a bite, I’m afraid I wasn’t too fond of the taste either.
The bun tasted pretty cheap. The cheese reminded me a little of plastic melting on a stove, though to be fair I’ve never known a vegan cheese that doesn’t taste at least a little artificial. The chips were nicer- generously portioned, thickly cut, and with some of the potato skins still on for extra texture.
‘Moving mountain’ or ‘modest mound’?(Image: Phoebe Hobbs)
Overall, it was hard to fight the feeling that I could have made something of this quality myself at home- and for less than £11. It gives me no pleasure to write that, as the staff were lovely and took so much pride in their café. Meanwhile, everyone around me seemed to be having a great time.
It looks like most people disagree with my assessment of The Bay: on Google, the café has an average rating of 4.5/5 stars out of 671 reviews at time of writing. Most recent ratings are four or five stars. Clearly I am in the minority, a curmudgeonly food critic who does represent the average diner.
Would I recommend The Bay? If you’re just going for a drink, maybe. For food, probably not. In any case, perhaps you should pop your head in just for posterity. After all, you have less than a week before it’s gone forever.
The Bay is open from 9am to 5pm, except on Saturday when it is open until 7pm. Its last day of trading is Monday, April 21.
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