Penketh coffee shop has the perfect recipe for awards success

The Warrington Road café – which is rumoured to be the smallest in the town – serves Warrington’s best breakfasts and is the perfect place to start your day.

In April, we launched our Best of 2024 competition.

This year’s search for Warrington’s best in a whole host of categories started with hair and Kate Lucy Hair Studio was crowned our first winner quickly followed by Tomlins Bakehouse and their pies.

Next up were picture perfect nails with By Maisie Beck taking the title, The Blue Bell is officially Best for Roast Dinners and we toasted Dead Eyes for their cocktails.

Then we moved onto breakfast with customers and readers sending their nominations and votes for their favourite venues to get the day off to the perfect start.

Voting for Warrington’s Best for Fish and Chips is currently taking place and we’re also looking for nominations in our latest search - Best Beer Garden.

Vote for Warrington’s Best for Fish and Chips 2024

Nominate your favourite for Warrington’s Best Beer Garden 2024

Eleven brilliant breakfasts in Warrington made the shortlist with CJ’s Coffee House taking this year’s coveted crown making it three wins in three years.

Ben and Alison Ashwin opened the hidden gem in 2018, naming the Warrington Road business after their daughter Chloe Jaine, who is now eight.

Alison and Ben Ashwin with their daughter Chloe

Ben, who is 39 and was born and raised in Warrington, said: “We’re a small customer-focused café and coffee shop selling typical breakfast and lunch items.

“We have full English breakfasts and breakfast sandwiches as well as sandwiches, toasties and omelettes.”

Alison, who is 40, moved to Warrington from Hull when she was eight and her dad became the minister of a church in Bewsey.

She said: “We wanted to have our own business where we can make sure all our customers feel welcome.

“We can really get to know our customers and it’s personal - almost everything we offer is made by us for them.

“We don’t look to emulate anyone else and do things in our own way.

“This is CJ’s – it’s who we are and what we do.”

The popular breakfast sandwich

Ben and Alison started doing breakfasts following customers’ feedback requests and they started with simple bacon and sausage barms.

Ben said: “As trade increased, so did our menu.

“We do vegetarian breakfasts, full and small breakfasts, poached eggs, breakfast sandwiches, which can all be customised.

“We are always looking to increase what we offer, however we have learnt not to over-reach and focus on what we can do.”

CJ's Coffee House opened on Warrington Road in Penketh six years ago

CJ’s Coffee House took last year’s Best Café or Coffee Shop in Warrington and the town’s Best for Afternoon Tea award in 2022.

What do customers think of the multi award-winning venue? Why did they think CJ’s deserved to win our latest Best of 2024 award?

One review on their Facebook page said: “The breakfast is always spot on.”

Scrambled eggs on toast is on the menu for customers with smaller appetites

Ben said: “We get to know our customers and with the cost-of-living crisis, we fully understand that eating and drinking out is more of a luxury than it used to be.

“We really appreciate every single customer and I think they all know that.

“The people of Penketh really do support all the local businesses and that makes a great atmosphere in our little part of Warrington.

“Knowing what our customers like and how they like it helps to build relationships - some have been coming week in week out since we opened whereas some have only recently started to visit but are here almost every week.

“It’s the biggest compliment you can get when a customer chooses to come back.

“We were surprised to hear that we’d made the shortlist for this year’s Best for Breakfast award and we were over the moon to win!

“We genuinely didn’t think we stood a chance but our customers really came through for us and that means a lot.

“I hope every one of our customers knows how much all three of us appreciate them and the positive impact they have on our lives.”

How about poached eggs, bacon and tomatoes?