Peterborough: an A1 location for food lovers
Desi breakfasts, indulgent Egyptian sandwiches and fish so good that diners drive in from hours away
Peterborough has probably never featured on a single Sunday supplement list of must-visit weekend destinations. Overshadowed by the stately university buildings of neighbouring Cambridge and the charm of its nearby market towns, the cathedral city’s location — just off the A1 and a 45-minute train ride from London — has instead established it as a transport and warehousing hub vital to the booming online shopping industry.
Employment opportunities in logistics and food packaging, affordable housing and proximity to the capital have attracted new arrivals from across the globe. Compared to the 17% average for England and Wales, more than a quarter of Peterborough’s population is foreign-born.
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As my in-laws live there, I have been a regular visitor for 15 years and can confidently say that nowhere are those demographics better reflected than around Lincoln Road, a diverse thoroughfare that cuts through the east of the city. There you will find restaurants from many of the communities that have made Peterborough their home: Lithuanian, Ukrainian, Kurdish, Afghan, Portuguese and more.
Many of these restaurants were established to serve growing diaspora communities in the area, favouring functionality and authenticity over style and kerbside appeal. Over time, however, they have grown in popularity among a wide range of customers who have found common ground through each other’s cuisines. Here are a few that are definitely worth the drive up the A1.
Cafe Yu
Visiting Peterborough and not having a hearty Pakistani breakfast to kick-start the day would be seriously remiss, as far as I’m concerned. Cafe Yu is located one road over from Lincoln Road, in the middle of a residential area. Upon entering, you really do feel like you’re stepping into someone’s living room, with the kitchen visible behind the till and a group of matriarchs making steaming cups of chai and heating aloo parathas and rotis in butter-slicked tawas.
The desi-style breakfast (£9) is served with homemade paratha, a two-egg masala omelette and a choice of daal or channa (I’d recommend the latter), pickle and chai. The food tastes like real home cooking, made by a beloved auntie but with a professional level of consistency. The parathas are my personal highlight — so much so that it’s difficult to have just one. Adding an extra aloo or keema version (both £4.50) makes for an enjoyable and extremely filling meal.
Tee Fee
If you’re up for something a little lighter, head to Tee Fee and order what is, in my humble opinion, the best toastie you’re ever likely to eat. Also just off Lincoln Road, this homely cafe sits at the start of a street of Victorian terraced houses and is run by an Egyptian family. The brightly painted yellow building has two large bay windows, which make for cosy nooks to sit in, and is decorated with an array of bric-a-brac. The halal full English is so good that large groups of Polish and British workmen can be routinely spotted happily forgoing bacon and tucking in. For me, though, every visit results in the same order: the chicken tandoori cheese toastie.
For this masterpiece of a sandwich a tender chicken breast is slathered in a rich homemade tikka masala sauce, topped with a mix of cheddar and mozzarella cheese, and placed in between two thick slices of tiger bread. So far so good, but trust me, there’s more. It is then topped with crushed salted crisps, an additional helping of cheese and Italian herbs, and grilled to the point of perfect melty harmony. The heat of the sauce is complemented by the punch of oregano, while the crisps add genuine textural excitement to the gloriously gooey cheese. I tend to devour mine with a generous glass of freshly squeezed orange juice (£4.99), but there is also a range of milkshakes, soft drinks, Spanish lattes and karak chai to choose from.
Elhoot
For lunch or dinner, Elhoot is a truly unique culinary experience. This Egyptian-owned fishmonger’s-cum-restaurant occupies a corner plot on a dense residential street a short walk from the city centre. Alexandria, an ancient city on the northern coast of Egypt, is famed for its flair with seafood, and this place does an excellent job of replicating it.
Diners make their selections directly from the fishmonger’s display and are encouraged to consult the helpful staff before choosing. The menu is more of a starting point than a prescriptive list. Do you want your fish fried, grilled or “oven”? With or without masala sauce? Sea bream, sea bass, tilapia, black and red mullet, mackerel or pomfret? Elhoot serves whole fish as default, but is also happy to prepare fillets for the entry-level visitors.
All meals (£12-20, depending on your choice of fish) come with rice, chips and salad, tahina sauce and bread. Portions are generous and beautifully plated. My whole grilled masala seabass (£12) arrived butterflied with a crisp char from the open grill. It was generously seasoned, with chilli, cumin and coriander, then drizzled with some pomegranate molasses for a tangy twist. Slivers of lemon sat on top, adding a refreshing citrus burst. The addition of grated carrot and grilled tomatoes adds freshness, smoke and sweetness. No wonder you can often end up sitting next to visitors who have driven for hours to eat here.
Azadi Charcoal Grill
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For carnivores, the Kurdish-owned Azadi Charcoal Grill on Lincoln Road offers incredible value meaty treats. Attached to the Azadi Supermarket, this small takeaway houses a makeshift bakery area churning out Kurdish kolera (layered flatbread) and samoon (a diamond-shaped bread traditionally used across Iraq for sandwiches), three shawarma spits and a large grill area for chicken wings, kebabs, liver, tikka and lamb chops.
The lamb and chicken shawarma (£3.50), served in either samoon or flatbread, are my top choices. Both are juicy and beautifully seasoned, with a moreishly crisp char, and the grilled tomatoes at the bottom of the spit, enriched with meat drippings, are a terrific addition.
Customers can choose their fillings from the extensive salad bar, with the usual staples of red and white cabbage, cucumber and tomato salad, and lettuce, then select from an array of sauces. All the usual kebab shop mainstays are available, along with Iraqi-sourced bottles of amba — a tangy, slightly spicy pickled mango condiment. Another, simply named “sauce”, is a much-loved homemade staple in Iraq, combining dates, date molasses and vinegar to produce something reminiscent of Worcestershire sauce.
It’s easy to think that the UK’s best food tends to be found in its metropolitan centres, but one bite of these pitch-perfect sandwiches is enough to make you realise that, if you dig a little deeper, there are some real gems just a short drive away.
