Busy Teapot cafe Penarth hailed as having best breakfast

It took neighbours Andrew Mathison, 62, and Craig Walton, 65, four years – and a lot of breakfasts - to compile their results which saw the Busy Teapot recognised as having the best breakfasts of all the cafes rated.

Mr Mathison and Mr Walton explained they were focussing on meat eating and vegetarian full breakfasts and the “strict” criteria included ‘consistency’, ‘quality’, and ‘atmosphere’ – Busy Teapot excelled in all categories.

On completing their studies, Mr Mathison and Mr Walton presented Busy Teapot owners, brothers Martin and Adrian Shaw with a plaque to commemorate their superb morning offerings.

“We came up with the idea before lockdown,” explained Mr Walton. “We live on the same block and had a few breakfasts together and we thought well let’s find out and went to try see which is the best.

“We have been to nearly every café in Cardiff and Penarth, and it took a long time.”

Andrew Mathison and Craig Walton tried nearly every café in Cardiff and Penarth over a four year period (Image: Newsquest)

Mr Mathison and Mr Walton would go to the same cafs multiple times to check that consistency level and pay for it out their own pocket - there was no funding support in this breakfast quest for the nation.

Busy Teapot’s ‘accessible prices’ probably helped in the task – a full English at the Teapot costs between £7.50 and £9.50. Mr Mathison and Mr Walton went to some places that would charge £27 for two breakfasts...

“This is the most consistent place we have ever been to,” said Mr Mathieson on their findings. “No matter when we came in, no matter how busy, it is always consistent.”

They visited 40 to 50 food outlets as friends try to find ultimate caf breakfast (which they found at a Penarth cafe!)

Andrew Mathieson explained the extent him and neighbour Craig Walton went to to find the ultimate full English.

"We did this by areas throughout Cardiff starting with the well known cafes like Ramones, then the supermarkets, the market and town cafes in the arcade and shopping centres, coffee shops, student places, industrial sites.

"We checked online using Google.

"We tried the burger bars like the ones outside the likes of B&Q and as you hit the road entering the docks etc.

"Pubs, harvesters, hotels, hospitals.

"We spoke to numerous people who were able to point us directions of cafes we didn’t know about from Google.

"The list goes on that’s why it took over four years."

So what’s the secret to the Busy Teapot’s success?

The caf, on the corner of Glebe Street and Salop Street, has been there 40 years and the brothers took it over 14 years ago.

Busy Teapot was celebrated for its 'outstanding' consistency (Image: Newsquest)

Busy Teapot owners, brothers Martin and Adrian Shaw with the plaque they were presented with (Image: Newsquest)

They start early. Martin is there for 6am, and they cook everything in house, even their superb pies.

Martin explained why he thinks the brothers are so good at what they do.

“We work as a team and bounce off each other,” he said. “We can both work front or back of house and we bring a bit of personality. We have good banter with the customers.”

This was something Mr Mathison and Mr Walton could also attest to in their findings.

“People are always happy in here enjoying their food, and the boys are friendly.”

Got a story in Penarth? Email harry.jamshidian@newsquest.co.uk.