I have been fortunate enough to be hosted not once, but twice in my friends home away from home, the town of Brandon. Bri and her husband live in an adorable “hobbit house” (Bris words, not mine haha) in this cute town along the Little Ouse river. Like most small towns in England, Brandon is an old town dating back to the middle ages, and was most famous for its production of flint. Many of the buildings and walls in the town are still made of said flint.
When Bri and I weren’t walking her dog Rockie around the riverside, we’d pop into the different dining establishments featured primarily on the main street and square of the town. Below are some of the places we visited.
Central Cafe
My friends favorite, we would stop by Central Cafe for a full English breakfasts. While Bri always went for the full monty (bacon, sausage, eggs, mushrooms, potatoes and baked beans) I usually stuck with some eggs and toast and a cup of milk tea. This place reminds me a lot of the greasy-spoon dinners in Oklahoma, only more British.
Tilly’s Tea Room
I think if left to my own devices, I would eat at Tilly’s every day. The ultimate British comfort food of a sandwich and cream tea (a pot of tea with a scone) became my go-to to start the day.
Tilly’s is closed on Mondays, so we starved to death. Just kidding, for breakfast we went to…
Hyams Bakery
One of the least expensive places in town, they have some pretty good doughnuts for breakfast. There is no where to eat inside, but during good weather its nice to sit outside in the main square.
Mondragon
The very first night I spent in Brandon, Bri took me here for a post international-travel dinner of fresh, hot cheesy Italian. It was raining (typical UK evening), but that wasn’t going to stop us from walking through town- the promise of pizza is always a strong motivator to get me to do anything.
Located in the heart of town on the main square, it’s a cozy restaurant that smells like bread. If you love cheese on everything, this is your kind of place. The pizza bread is addictive.
The Bell
The Bell Pub is a small pub on the main street that feels like the British version of Cheers- the local pub that the same people show up at every Friday. I went with two friends to sing some karaoke. We had some beer, sang “Scrubs” by TLC to an amused and welcoming audience, and had a great time laughing and singing with the locals.
The Elveden Inn
Ok, technically not in Brandon, the Elveden Inn is right outside of the town of Elveden, about a ten minute drive outside of Brandon. The Elveden has a nice interior and is a good place if you’re a fan of a full English breakfast. Not much variety, but makes for a nice, quite breakfast.
Best part of going to the Elveden Inn is the drive through the park from Brandon to Elveden. It’s a beautiful tree covered road that looks like its straight out of a fairy tail.
Bonus! Aldi 
Save money, shop at Aldi. Everything is nice a cheap!