Finding a café which serves great homemade food is one thing, but one where they make the mugs and plates you eat and drink from too, well that’s another level.

Welcome to Nature's Goods at The Nuttery in Ryarsh, where the coffee’s excellent, the cake choice mouth-watering and you can try your hand at pottery and more.

Throw in some beautiful countryside views and you’ll feel the weight of the world coming off your shoulders with every breath you take.

The café is owned by Michelle Hübchen, a learning technologist who has swapped her globe-trotting job to turn what started as a hobby into her full-time work.

Michelle’s normal working day used to be filled with digital learning but come the weekend she could be found either teaching people to get to grips with clay in her studio or serving customers with a flat white, a sandwich and a slice of lemon drizzle all served on plates and cups made on site.

But she’s now quit her job to devote herself to her new passion and the place is open five days a week.

She has expanded the pottery - selling her handcrafted treasures and teaching others the skill - alongside the café which also hosts a number of other workshops.

After tucking into some tasty treats, customers can browse around the shop where Michelle sells her growing range of ceramics along with her own natural skincare, plus items from other creatives such as greetings cards, textiles and artwork.

She’d first taken up ceramics in 2019 while living in Switzerland, and honed her skills under the guidance of the renowned Christina Hartmann in Basel. When she moved to Kent, she developed her skills further at Aylesford Pottery Studios.

She set up her own studio and started throwing mugs, plates and candle holders, filling them with her own scented waxes, and as lockdown eased, would occasionally open up the studio to sell a few of the items she’d made accompanied by cakes made by friends.

Pals also learned of her homemade skincare and she started selling that too, all under the name Nature’s Goods.

Over several months, word of her work spread and her range grew wider.

In 2023, she took the next big step to open Nature’s Goods at The Nuttery Café in Chapel Street, Ryarsh.

As well as the day-to-day coffee shop, other events so far include yoga and clay retreats, private parties, seasonal fairs showcasing other artisans’ work including jewellery, original paintings and bespoke textiles, cheese and wine evenings along with an art exhibition, and there’s workshops for children too.

She has a degree in industrial psychology and a Masters in leadership coaching and mentoring with more than 20 years in the field of learning and development. Her expertise has contributed to the success of award-winning projects across Europe collaborating with well-known blue-chip companies.

It’s these work skills which she brings to her pottery workshops, teaching people not only the mechanics of producing a piece but empowering people to discover something different about themselves through the medium of clay. It’s also great for team bonding.

But back to the food.

The shop and café are now open Wednesday to Friday 9.30am-4pm, Saturdays 9.30am-4.30pm and Sundays 11am-4.30pm.

The menu is short, simple but packs a delicious punch with offerings such as pistachio and blackberry with buttermilk cake and grilled aubergine, mushroom and blue cheese quiche.

Regulars include everything from a simple croissant through to a couscous salad loaded with cucumber, tomatoes, paprika, olives, sun-dried tomatoes and blue cheese.

I also kept seeing praise for the courgette cake popping up on my social media.

And the coffee. Well, it’s worth a visit for that alone.

We headed there for lunch on a sunny Friday. By 12.30pm, the place was already gently buzzing with customers, the last of those who were there for morning coffee and cake and the first of those looking for something more substantial.

We mixed it up a a bit, starting with a flat white for me (it had been a tough morning) and a smoothie of mixed berries, apple, banana and apple juice for hubby who was feeling more virtuous than I was.

The flat white (£3.20) arrived in a mug made by Michelle. Hot, strong and intense without being too overpowering, it is one of the best I’ve ever had.

The smoothie (£5) was huge - almost a meal in itself - and wonderfully tart and thick.

To eat, hubby ordered the toasted cheese and ham croissant (£5) and I had the quiche of the day (£7.50), which happened to be the grilled aubergine and mushroom.

The croissant was a good size, with an equally good helping of ham and Swiss cheese filling, not greasy and perfectly light for lunch.

The quiche was deep, packed with vegetables and the right amount of blue cheese to season it rather than overwhelm everything. A good quiche is a thing of beauty, and this allowed the vegetables to sing with good chunks rather than everything chopped up small.

Both came with a salad of leaves that were so fresh, you would have thought they’d been picked just a few minutes earlier. An addition of sliced plums, a balsamic dressing and a generous sprinkling of nuts and seeds added an extra dimension.

Then it was onto the cake. I’ll be honest, I couldn’t fit it in but was determined not to miss out. Thankfully, they do takeaway too.

So away with us came a slice of the pistachio and berry cake. OK, a slice of the plum cake too.

Both were light, moist and celebrating fresh, seasonal fruits and in a bizarre kind of way, almost convince you they are healthy. Even with a frosting on the berry cake, nothing was overly sweet - just enough to make it feel like a treat but not so sickly and gooey it made you feel bloated for the rest of the day.

But then that’s what the Nuttery is all about - from the food to the drink, the setting, the pottery, the yoga and the crafts. It’s about connecting with the nature around you and feeling good about it all.

After a busy week of hitting deadlines, it was the perfect place for a relaxing lunch.

It would be hard to find a better view. The café is right next to a field looking out over the rolling North Downs. Right on a public footpath, the place is rapidly becoming a regular stop-off for walkers, dog walkers and horse riders. Muddy boots are welcome.

Quite simply it is a place to stop and breathe. It’s peaceful, calm and the moment you sit down, you feel your blood pressure slow.

Add in delicious food, done well, and served by friendly, attentive staff and you’ll realise it’s a difficult place to leave.

It may have started as a sideline but the ideas have kept coming, and continue to do so. A large grassed meadow is already home to bee hives and they may be joined by a vegetable garden to serve the café.

And as there was no courgette cake on the menu this time, I’ll just have to go back and check it out.

Scores:

Food: Fresh, seasonal ingredients which feel like a healthier treat. The menu may be short, but you’ll still feel spoilt for choice ****

Drink: Fantastic coffee with several different options, a good range of teas plus juices and soft drinks. There’s even a puppuccino for your pooch ****

Decor: The café inside is small but smart; outside there’s plenty of space in the garden and tables looking towards the North Downs *****

Staff: Super friendly, they make you feel at home with a smile and a chat. There’s always bowls of water and a pat for dogs and horses *****

Price: Competitively priced for similar independent venues. Just be prepared to come away with a set of coffee cups and a glorious-smelling face mist too ****