Chale Green Stores, Deli & Cafe,

Day 6 on the Isle of Wight and the weather is grey and wet (again).  We had planned to go for a long energetic walk today followed by lunch however one look at those rain clouds and we changed our plans to lunch only.

Chale Green is on West Wight which is one of my favourite parts of the island in terms of scenery.  Here you will find the military road which runs along the coast and has some amazing views especially on a sunny day (not today then).  You can get to Chale without going on the military road however we chose to have a drive along it first.

When I lived on the Island I don’t know if this venue existed and if it did I didn’t know about it.  I discovered it through reading the various holiday leaflets and other publications I pick up on the ferry on the trip over.  It’s been on my list of places to try for a couple of years and this is the first time we have got round to it.

Once you have parked your car at the front of the building, or locked up your bike in the bike rack you enter through the front door and find yourself in a well stocked shop.  If you are a local or are on holiday and happen to be self catering or camping in the area you would find everything you need from beer to newspapers to bread.  Walk through the shop towards the back and there you will find a lovely little cafe.

As we were here for lunch we headed straight there and were greeted by a friendly member of staff who showed us to a table.  The cafe is light and bright and has huge patio doors which give a lovely view over the beautiful gardens and the hills beyond.  On a dry day you can sit out in the garden amongst the flowers.

We already knew that we wanted something hot and on having a look at the menu there were several choices.  We could have had the soup of the day (leek & potato), pasta bake, sandwiches, salads or just cakes.  Had we wanted the cakes there was a wide choice which were locally made and looked delicious and the scones looked especially good. 

We both decided to have the Croque Monsieur.  This turned out to be an excellent choice.  I took a huge risk having this due to the dairy content however it was worth it.  Two very thick slices of crusty bread were filled with cheese and bacon and topped with a béchamel cheese sauce and grilled until golden and bubbling then served up with a salad of cucumber ribbons, mixed leaves, baby gherkins and dressed with a light vinaigrette.  The flavour of the cheese and sauce was tangy and sharp without being too strong.  The bread remained crusty and the salad was actually a salad and not just a garnish.  All in all it was absolutely perfect.

While we were eating I was looking around and noticed how clean the place was.  I could even see through to the kitchen which I was pleased to see it was extremely organised and well run.  Even the gardens looked like they had been manicured.

Also worth mentioning is the deli area.  Various local and not so local cheeses, cold meats, chutneys and pates were on show in the cold cabinet.  Alongside this were several shelves of speciality foods and local products such as IOW Biltong. This would be a great place to pick up a gift for a foodie.

Our verdict, if you live on the island or are visiting for a holiday make time to pop in for tea & cake or a light lunch.  You will not be disappointed. We are really looking forward to a return visit to Chale Green Stores next time we visit.

Chale Green Stores

Sharon x