THERE are quite a few eateries which could learn some valuable lessons from Bridport’s Oh Crumbs.

When it comes to a warm welcome, an absolute determination to make everyone happy and to leave feeling as though you’ve made new friends, this little gem of a cafe takes some beating.

And that’s before you tot up the bill – ours came to £12 for two enormous lunches. And the smiles on our faces as we left? Priceless.

Dorset Echo:

So it’s all the more worrying that the future of Oh Crumbs, tucked away off West Allington at West Rivers House, seems rather uncertain as the Foyer residential facility next door looks set to close.

A training cafe providing valuable opportunities to people with disabilities, Oh Crumbs is run by Dorset County Council’s Adult and Community Services.

When my friend and I went in on a freezing mid-week lunchtime, it was almost full and clearly many of the fellow lunchers were regulars.

I couldn’t resist our waiter ‘Tiny’ Tim’s persuasive charm in promoting one of the specials – pork steak with cider sauce, veg and roasties, but I also wanted to try the chips,which was no problem at all.

My friend picked cauliflower cheese, which was offered with crusty bread and salad, but she picked chips too.

Nothing was too much trouble and my veggie friend found she had plenty to choose from.

Our main courses came very quickly – piping hot and plates piled with food.

The chips were fantastic. Chunky, crispy and soft in the middle. My pork steak was tender, with a stuffing topping and a sweetish sauce with apple chunks.

The cauli-cheese looked and tasted home-made with a comforting cheesy sauce. However, she said the cauliflower could have been a bit firmer but that’s a matter of taste.

We really shouldn’t have, but we felt duty bound to try a pud, so shared a cherry crumble with custard. It was very much a cold weather nursery pud – custardy custard, sweet pie filling, but we can’t report on the crumble as it had drowned in its yellow sea, as indeed it should have done.

What a shame it would be if the best value, friendliest lunch-stop in town were to become homeless.