Bill's Produce Store

Three of us had our first Bill's expierience yesterday and we can't wait for our next! We loved it! Bill please please open in Macclesfield Cheshire!
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Angela Bucknell
Thursday, July 27, 2006

Having just moved to Brighton from London, and read nothing but great things about Bill's, I couldn't wait to check it out. So, one weekday afternoon, I headed down there when I presumed it'd be a little quieter than weekends and I'd be lucky enough to grab a table. The sun was blazing and the scrubbed wooden tables at the entrance basked invitingly in its gorgeous warmth, while abundant displays of the most beautiful, plump and fragrant fruit and veg beckoned passers-by into its cooler depths. Bills is bigger than you'd first think, a stunning open-plan building with high ceilings, walls flanked by wonderful produce, wooden tables and chairs positioned haphazardly around the floor and various counters selling takeaway salads and sandwiches, smoothies, coffees and warm, eat-in dishes. The place was packed to the rafters, but I headed upstairs to the mezzanine and bagged a table overlooking the people below.

You can either order from the standard menu, or from the day's specials (blackboards listing these are positioned all over the cafe). Everything looked and sounded amazing and I found myself in a bit of a quandary - should I go for a simple brunch classic, for which Bill's is somewhat famous (a sausage or fishfinger sandwich, eggs benedict with smoked salmon, buttermilk pancakes with maple syrup or grilled portobello mushrooms on toast) or try one of the mouthwatering specials, all of which come with a choice of two salads? I finally opted for a small, homemade pizza of prosciutto, fresh fig, spinach, mozzarella and pine nuts, with herb and lentil salads on the side. The pizza was warm, an enormous helping, but a little doughy, though the combination of crispy fried prosciutto, sweet fig and pesto was a marvel. But the side salads were the real stars - a mound of tender leaves including rocket and mint, and the most surprising lentil salad I've ever tasted ... the pulses had been mashed with what I'm sure was fresh coconut and various spices (could I taste cinnamon?) and topped with dill, fresh green peas, various sprouting beans and fresh, raw beetroot. It was crunchy, earthy and totally moreish. Every mouthful sparked off a different attempt to identify the individual flavours within. A complete revelation. I would go again for a plateful of the lentil salad alone. The homemade cakes looked, as you can imagine, very lovely, but all I could manage was a latte, which I sipped on as I subtley checked out the food on the neighbouring table (judging by their commentary, the full veggie breakfast and steak sandwich were a sexual experience). I can't recommend Bill's strongly enough, though despite being the perfect place for brunch, is a little too full at weekends with a few too many kids about. My advice: pull a sickie and head down there during the week! And don't forget to buy a jar of the Manjira tomato pachadi before you leave.
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Marin
Thursday, June 29, 2006

I've been here twice now and each time the food has been brilliant. The eggs benedict had perfectly poached eggs, nice fresh ham and thick fresh hollandaise over it. There is a large range of lovely fresh juices to compliment the food too. My only gripes

are that on the weekends it gets extremely busy and customers waiting for tables wait inside the eating area, hovering around and watching you eat, which is very off putting. Also the service was very slow. My fist visit was a quiet Thursday morning and I returned on a busy Sunday lunchtime and on both occasions the service was very slow indeed. Still,highly recommended, though.
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Dan, Brighton
Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Well - what can I say! Delighted a friend mentioned this creative, inspiring foodie treasure. A remarkable entrance only leads you to want to sample everything savoury and sweet.

A simple rustic cafe where even the staff seem to be inspired and respect the whole concept. Ideal for real food lovers and to those who enjoy simple foods put together with love and innnovation that works really well. Sample this cafe for breakfast, brunch, lunch or an early tea and you will not be disappointed. An absoloute must when visiting Brighton.
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Yvonne
Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Any time someone mentions the name of this place to me it puts a smile on my face. Finally somewhere where you can buy simple food that is so high quality it blows your mind. To sum it up, simple ideas made 'the bills way'. Cheers!
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James Clarke
Wednesday, May 24, 2006