Pear Tree Cafe, Battersea Park

Tucked away in a corner of Battersea Park right next to the Boating Lake is a cafe I am so happy to have discovered.  The Pear Tree Cafe serves a delightful menu of beautiful dishes all made from simple, fresh and locally sourced produce.This wonderful cafe, with it's inviting art deco interior, is open for breakfast and lunch everyday, and dinner on Wednesdays, the menu changing with the seasons.Their food is absolutely delicious, but what I love most is the sense that this is a place full of regulars (and their dogs) having a quick cup of tea and home baked treat, and that is it also peppered with destination foodies seeking out the very best London has to offer.The Pear Tree Cafe works with independent brands both front and back of house, so you can enjoy a fresh juice from Press London, tuck into some Savoursmiths crisps, order a Jude's Black Coconut Ice Cream (or if you are vegan some Pana chocolate), and settle down in the evening with a glass of Chapel Down wine or Orchard Pig cider. AND you can eat delicious dishes prepared with Clarence Court eggs, Seven Seeded artisan bread, fish from Pinney's of Orford and fruit from Chegworth Valley.They are open all day and their Smashed Avocado with Watermelon Radish is a must for brunch. For the more adventurous (those who dare to branch out from avocado of the smashed variety), their Buttermilk Pancakes are quite delectable. And do try the coffee, it comes from Volcano Coffee Works, a local roastery in Brixton. Wednesday evenings are Live Jazz evenings, so come along and enjoy the music and ensure you try the Burrata with fresh figs, and a glass of AIX rosé.The Pear Tree Cafe is the mastermind of Annabel Partridge and Will Burrett, who met whilst working at Petersham Nurseries.After Petersham Nurseries, Annabel helped set up Spring at Somerset House with Head Chef Skye Gyngell. She has worked for over 30 kitchens and restaurants all over the world, including  Tartine Bakery & Cafe, in San Francisco, and time spent cooking in Italy.Her love and interest for creating beautiful dishes stems from cooking at home when she was growing up.  Dinner was at always 8pm sharp and there was a rota, with each member of the family taking their turn to cook dinner that evening.  And then at university she lived in a house with boys, and they would all take it in turn to cook, which became very competitive. Often the boys would arrive back home after weekend with some game, so the freezer was always full of useful ingredients.After university she spent some time in Australia and, on returning home, shunned a grad scheme in favour of a two week placement at Petersham Nurseries.  It wasn't all plain sailing, and there was a huge amount to be learned very fast, however she stuck it out and went on to work full time for Petersham.  Having always wanted to set up a restaurant of her own, she spent a year looking for a site and settled on the space in Battersea Park, opening in October 2016.The Pear Tree Cafe is really beautiful, Annabel drew the layout for the interior herself and decided on the colours, and I love that every detail has been thought of.  It is just as enjoyable sitting indoors in the conservatory, as it is sitting on the picnic benches nestled by the Boating Lake.  The cafe has a lovely friendly honest atmosphere, and you know that the food you will be eating will not only be delicious, it will also be fresh.  They buy British as much as possible, work with independent brands and follow the seasons, buying from local markets.They often host events at the cafe, recently Sri Lankan cuisine Weligama did a kitchen 'take-over', and DJ Mani played a number of nights over the summer.  I also love the support of other local businesses, JamJar flowers installed a stunning floral arrangement for the Chelsea Flower Show week.They are also happy to arrange private events (I think it would be an excellent place for a 30th birthday party 😘) drinks and dancing are encouraged.Annabel's favourite part is the pleasure of working with her team, and also creating new menus and dishes each month. She said that setting up her own business has been both exhausting and incredibly satisfying, and I have to say the results are really wonderful, I am big big fan.If you haven't yet been, you must pop down to this hidden gem, tucked away in the corner of Battersea Park for a smashed avocado, it really is a treat.Alice xxxThe Pear Tree Cafe