Kith and Kin – Whitley Bay’s Newest Cafe Opens Its Doors

As I have mentioned previously, there seems to be a real foodie buzz around Whitley Bay at the moment. With great places to eat like Omni, The Roxburgh and award winning Elder & Wolf, the locals are really spoilt for choice. A Papa Ganoush restaurant is in the pipeline and recently opened Kith & Kin demonstrates there’s no slowing down on this front either.

I’d heard about Kith & Kin through a work colleague of mine. She was full of praise for what Eve – Head Chef and co-owner – was planning and I was looking forward to popping in. Eve had previously worked at Omni. I had to miss out on the special launch event last weekend but had promised to pop along when I was feeling better to have a look round and sample the menu.

Specialising in brunch and lunch, the philosophy of Kith & Kin is to provide wholesome food in a relaxed environment. Judging by how busy they were when we turned up it has definitely won over the residents. The ‘coffee and kitchen’ style café is located on Park View and is very ‘of the moment’ in terms of its décor. Kith has two areas to have a coffee or try out the menu – one at the front and at the rear – so it is larger than it first appears. Dog friendly and with high chairs available, it feels welcoming to all the family, and with its name (meaning ‘one’s friends and relations’) that was definitely what Eve and her father Allen wanted to achieve. There’s also a Kids Menu on offer, but they also state that smaller portions of the standard menu are also available to Dinky Diners. It was great to see a vegan option on this menu too.

The Teen was set on trying out the Triple Grilled Cheese Sandwich (£6.95), which featured three different cheeses as its filling. Not one to skimp on the calories, he also asked for a portion of fries (£2) as well.

I ordered The Buddah Bowl, which is one of the vegan dishes on offer at Kith & Kin. I’m not usually that keen on salad but felt this was both healthy and satisfying. The fried chickpeas it was served with were nice and spicy, while the puy lentils had been cooked perfectly so they still had some bite.

It was a little disappointing there were no vegan cakes on offer, although those who are gluten free had alternatives to choose from. The Teen persuaded me to buy a Caramel Slice ‘for later’, which is code for him eating in the car as he wanted to get back to play FIFA or something. They are made locally by Sweet Love Cakes.

With a selection of teas on offer from locals EasyTeasy – I had the White Pomegranate which was lovely – coffee from Pink Lane and meat from Nicholson’s, Eve is showing her commitment to sourcing ingredients from the area. We think Kith & Kin is a great addition to the food scene of Whitley Bay and we wish the team continued success.

Thanks for reading,

Pip x

We have more food photos over on our Instagram, with a few family snaps thrown in for good measure!