Pod are a fairly new, but great little cafe in Stafford, run by passionate staff with know-how,…read morewith a health-food focussed shop attached next door.
Pod Espresso (technically the designation for the cafe side of things) is tiny, but so, so busy. They offer fast, handmade, fresh "takeaway" food such as sandwiches, wraps and other quick-to-grab convenience items. They also have a lovely array of cakes and desserts - both traditional, gluten-free, and vegan & gluten-free. It tends to rotate, so nothing is guaranteed. There is some seating outside on the sidewalk, but not a lot - they're much better at "grab and go". They've also started offering cold pressed coffee, which always grabs me - and they are also doing this on soy, for those interested. Sally and her staff are really friendly and great to visit.
Pod Wholefoods is the little health food shop attached, run by the lovely Tess, who is fast becoming a Thermomix expert (for those of you looking to figure out how to use those machines!). They've got a great, hand-picked selection of quirky and artisan products - and some of the best tofu I've bought in a long time, along with a few frozen vegan products, lots of dried bulk beans, and just delicious little curiosities. They also have a number of organic dairy products, and other products, such as protein shakes & the like. For gluten-free folk, this shop is a godsend. Tess is great to talk to, and passionate (without being at all in your face), and I appreciate the care taken to select the products.
Win, win!