31st January 2019

WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE

Something’s stirring in the quaint little market town of Ashburton with the recent arrival of Rust and the Wolf – a lifestyle shop which also houses the Spray Shop Café. Blink and you might miss the doorway which is next door to the Post Office but step inside and you feel like you’ve entered a different world. The style is very definitely urban industrial but with a quirky twist. Think exposed pipes, corrugated iron ceilings, polished concrete and chatty neon signs.

I arrived on a wet and windy mid-week morning and the place was buzzing. I loved the mixture of wooden and zinc topped tables, old school chairs, leather seats and poser stools made from old tractor seats (although the latter are not easy for a curvacious 50 year old to get into or out of elegantly!). The moody colour pallet is brightened up by pops of colour from cushions, exotic plants and large enamel signs which all add to the sense of fun.

The eclectic menu has something for everyone. From your crowd-pleasing bacon & egg butty to multigrain pancakes with maple syrup and bacon and the uber trendy smashed avocado on toast. I plumped for the Chilaquiles Eggs : a hearty brunch dish consisting of spicy tortilla chips topped with scrambled eggs and a tangy salsa sauce scattered with salty nuggets of feta cheese. I declined the Spray Shop Bloody Mary they suggested as an accompaniment – mainly because I was driving and it was only 11’o’clock in the morning!

They are currently open Tuesday – Saturday from 9-5 but do open later on Friday & Saturday evenings with a different but equally interesting menu – including tofu fritters, fish tacos, salmon & coconut laska and Dartmoor-bred beef burgers – which just means I’ll have to go back with hubby.