We visit a Shropshire village cafe with two Good Food Awards located at a vibrant craft centre
Once home to the world’s largest tile manufacturer, visitors to the former Maw & Co factory buildings will not only find a vibrant hub of art, craft and design, but also an award-winning cafe.
The Maws Craft Centre in Jackfield attracts people from far and wide who enjoy soaking up the peaceful atmosphere and historic surroundings.
Nicki Grant has been managing the centre for seven years and took over the reins of the Tile Press Cafe/Bar six years ago.
She describes the award-winning venue, which often hosts events during the year such as parties and wedding receptions, as the centre’s “lifeblood”.
The team have been celebrating after Tile Press was awarded the highly-coveted accolade Blue Ribbon at the Good Food Awards for 2025/26 for the second year running.
“The Good Food is an accredited industry award, and is the one to win,” says Nicki. “We never thought we would do it again, but we did and we were all so proud as it’s a team effort with the whole team as passionate as I am about producing good quality food and service.” Nicki took over the cafe when its former owners were looking to sell and since then has made the business her own.
“It made sense and I have the experience, I kept some of the essence of it because it’s a traditional cafe but I made some changes to the decor, for instance. We’ve got more of a Mediterranean feel to the decor now and it’s made it a destination place,” she explains.
Tile Press specialises in seasonal, local and inclusive food. “We offer a massive menu for everyone with a wide choice of vegan, veggie, gluten-free food. “When people come out with their friends and they’ve got a food allergy, everyone is looking at this wonderful menu and your friend sits there and says ‘roast for me again’ or ‘nothing for me, I can’t eat here’.
