EDitorial ± 30-Jan-2015

Ipswich Lunches: Truly Scrumptious

Strikes me that there are similarities between Eco Andy and Caractacus Potts. Wife and two children: check. A tad eccentric and prone to dressing up: check. Drivers of phantasmagorical machines: check again. This Friday there's insufficient joules in the Zoe tank for the planned long lunch outing so off we glide to admire the vernacular architecture of the 'Swich.

Near, far, in our motor car, it's up and over the bridge, Klammer down past the ski slope then a hard right at Papa's Piri Piri, formerly the Mega Byte Cafe. P-p-park on P-P-Purplett Street -- mauve that vehicle! -- and we've arrived, toot sweet, outside Truly Scrumptious. Sign above the door says "Hot And Cold Food To Take Away". Now, we don't do takeaways. However, a Action Man Eagle Eye sighting of a seat inside was sufficient for inclusion on The List. As luck would have it, the single interior table is occupied by a father and toddler. Counter lady sensibly suggests that we lug an exterior table in. That stash of napkins depletes as we act like The Beta Band and dry the rain.

Sadly they're all out of the "potato dog" pictured on the poster. Numerous warmed other savoury goodies are on display. Sausage roll starter, madam, followed by an egg sandwich. Brown bread, brown sauce, if you'd be so kind. Bit of a run on the bacon, apparently, and that pressure doesn't let up with a uniformly sized queue of folks awaiting breakfast baps and salad boxes. Glad to see the solo lady being helped out by a couple of stray passing pedestrians. This grub won't win many awards -- you most likely wouldn't mention it in passing on a postcard to your parents -- but it's as reliable as a Terry Butcher clearing header.

Shop space is cut in half by a large shelving unit on which reside pots of jam, choccy bars, and countless snacks. Haven't seen Nando's crisps before. Truly pleasing to spot two or three homemade cakes up for grabs. I show no shame in copying Andy's order for carrot cake -- posh! -- and not only is it a bountiful slice (nearly but not quite up to The Diner), it tastes darn fine too with the supplied spork. Coffee is push button: hot and wet. Far from spectacular, this corner joint, but on Truly Scrumptious you can depend.

If it was a car -- GEN 11.
If they were passing by -- Sally Ann Howes.