Cinnamon Square - the "best cup of coffee in Rickmansworth"

It is nice when you see a local business doing well and break the cartel of chains that often dominant our high street and that is something which Cinnamon Square offers to the residents and local businesses of Rickmansworth. In a time where you cannot move for a Starbucks, Costa Coffee or Cafe Nero, Cinnamon square offers the best cup if coffee in Rickmansworth. A good way to score a coffee house is it's latte and Cinnamon square ticks all the boxes here, although I must say the recent prize rise of 10p on the large cup to £2.05 is a little annoying for the pockets full of change.

However Cinnamon square is not just a coffee house, but a bakery and an exceptional one at that, with the signature patisserie being that which the venue name is modelled upon. The 'cinnamon square' us a delight and a perfect accompaniment to the morning cup of coffee. Favourites of mine are also the cherry and the apricot filled pastries which are delicious. Cinnamon square also offers sandwiches and wraps, but you have to be quick at lunchtime as these tend to run out very quickly.

Cinnamon square is the brainchild of Paul and Tricia Barker. The Rickmansworth couple already had a mail order business selling baking kits and gifts, but chose to open a store in their home town. They have over 20 years of baking experience and have received awards including a gold award at the Great Taste Awards for the cinnamon square itsself.

Cinnamon Square itself is in a listed building, which can trace its history back to the 16th Century and is a single bay building, in other words it is one room wide. It was part of an early 16th Century or earlier timber-framed three-bay hall house and a surviving part of one of the very early houses that lined the way to St Mary's Church. The building, which is opposite the old vicarage, was originally open from floor to ceiling. In about 1600, a chimney, floor, and dormer window were added.

The "theatre of baking" is also very community-based with cooking courses on offer for both adults and for children, teaching about the art of baking and also more specialist courses such as 'Chocolate for beginners'.

I hope you have had the chance to sample the fabulous goodies on offer or the coffee from Cinnamon square, if you haven't I suggest you should!

Address: 9 Church Street, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, WD3 1BX,

Phone: (0)1923 778353 Web: www.cinnamonsquare.com