Frequently asked questions

DRINKS

Is your chai sweet?
Moderately. It does have sugar added to it, but it’s nowhere near as sweet as some of them.

Does the chai contain caffeine?
No, unlike traditional chai, ours is just the spices and not the tea.

Is your hot chocolate vegan?
Yes – it’s simply cocoa and unrefined sugar.

What make of [alternative milk] do you use?
Minor Figures barista oat milk, Glebe Farm almond milk (contains oats, no added sugar but naturally sweet), Alpro soy milk (the soy is grown in France), Koko coconut milk (contains soy). Sometimes those brands will be out of stock so we will have to buy something else.

Why is there an extra charge for alternative milks?
Because they cost us more to buy compared with dairy milk (despite our dairy milk being organic and local and so not cheap). Not charging extra would be the equivalent to us just giving out hundreds of pounds a month for free. As a small business, we don’t have that kind of money floating around.

Why don’t you have lactose-free milk / some other milk?
Not enough demand. Also, if we did introduce a new option we would have to stop another one, because of fridge space.

Does [alternative milk] have sugar added?
Almond milk contains maltodexin (rice) and 4.7% sugars.
Coconut milk has grape juice and 1.7% sugars.
Oat milk has 5.1% naturally occurring.
Soy milk contains apple and 2.5g sugars.
Dairy milk contains around 4.7% sugars, skimmed 5% (both naturally occurring)



CAKES

What type of sugar do you use?
Generally, it’s an organic, unrefined cane sugar. The croissants use British-grown icing sugar or granulated sugar as the baker’s family used to grow sugar beet and likes to support the industry.

Do you use other sugars like maple syrup, agave etc. / why don’t you use only these?
In certain cakes, yes, we do. However, they cost a fortune and we find that although many people like the idea of the supposedly healthier sugars (a debatable subject), not so many people are willing to pay for them.

Is there potato in your gluten-free flour?
Yes.


FOOD

Why is there an extra charge for the gluten free bread?
Because the supplier charges us more – when you take the smaller size into account, the cost is triple. The world is built on wheat production, the fancy ingredients used in gluten free bread are far more costly.

Why do you stop food at 2.45?
It’s partly to allow the chef to get a train home without waiting another hour, and partly because the number of people wanting lunch after this time is fairly low and therefore not worth the cost of employing a chef to work longer hours.

Why do you have some meat when you didn’t used to?
It’s due to customer demand and not enough vegans and vegetarians in the small town of Stroud. At time of writing, several places in Stroud, Gloucester, Worcester, and Cheltenham have had to either close or widen their menu due to unviable sales. Our position on the High Street attracts many visitors who expect us to have all the things you’d see in any café. In addition, our focus is on healthy food and meat and fish are an excellent source of complete protein. The best way to increase vegan choice is continued support.

Why does x cost that much, it’s not that expensive in the shop?
Sometimes we get these sorts of questions. Remember that the price of an item to you see on a menu includes not just the cost of the ingredients but also the cost of staff to serve you, to make what you want, to wash up, to clear tables etc. It includes the cost of food or drink wastage due to mistakes (staff or customer’s fault), all the energy bills, banking charges, waste disposal (£150/month), internet and software, accountant, cleaning, machine servicing, printing of menus. The need for plumbers and tradespeople to fix things. Buying new crockery and other equipment which frequently breaks. Basics like takeaway cups and bin bags. Insurance, rent. Laundrette (£80/month). Then 20% of the price on the menu goes to HMRC as VAT.

What oil do you use?
Extra-virgin olive oil from a small organic Greek farmer. Margarine/vegan “butter” and additions like mayonnaise will contain other oils.

Do your eggs have the British Lion Mark?
The British Lion is a food safety scheme to minimise the risk of salmonella in eggs. This scheme does not apply to our supplier Cacklebean because they hatch and rear their own birds. Nonetheless, their flocks are tested for salmonella every 15 weeks  to maintain the same safety. The farm also carries out its own welfare checks, with surprise audits from Laid in Britain.



GETTING A TABLE

Does it get busy / do I need to book?
It’s really variable – so if you’re visiting from afar, we suggest booking to be on the safe side. The best way to book is by email: info@woodruffsorganiccafe.co.uk. (You could try phoning but we usually find it impossible to answer in time!)

As a general guide, there is usually space during weekdays though Monday or Fridays at 1pm might become full especially on days when everybody wants to sit indoors. The peak time on Saturdays is 10.30–2pm. Sundays are generally fine.

Can you accommodate large groups?
Yes. We can easy accommodate say groups of 8–10 upstairs and can fit in around 22 upstairs if you’re happy to sit at separate tables. We may ask for food to be pre-ordered so we can get ahead with prep and make your food as quickly as possible.

Do you have highchairs?
Yes – and optionally a separate children’s room suitable for toddlers.

Are dogs allowed?
Yes, but keeping them downstairs is preferable because not all customers like to eat out with dogs. We can provide water for your dog and there are some biscuits by the front door.


CHARITY

Can you support xx charity/fundraiser?
We have an annual quota of free drink/cake vouchers specifically for these events. If a voucher is available and you are local, you can have one.

Do you have a “pay it forward” scheme / way of donating drinks to people in need?
Not yet, but it’s on a list of ideas. In the meantime we do give drinks to various homeless people.


JOBS

How do I contact you if I want to work?
Best to email us. See also the jobs page for some information on the sort of roles available and where we advertise.


OTHER

How do I get my artwork on the wall?
Artwork is currently being organised by Stroud Artists Cooperative so you will need to be a member of them in order to get a chance of displaying your artwork.


If you have any other questions, please send us a message through contact@woodruffscafe.co.uk or social media.