Plant-based cafe in Brentwood: New menu & new manager!

When you come to see animals in Essex we do hope that Hopefield Animal Sanctuary is top of your picks. Not only do we have 53 acres to explore and over 600 rescued residents to see, but we also happen to have an excellent (even if we say so ourselves) cafe on site, Max’s Cafe! We’re proudly plant-based (so we do ask you to respect this while you are visiting) and we are also proud to introduce a brand new menu AND a brand new team for our 2024 season. We caught up with new Cafe Manager, Liz, and here’s what she had to say…

Liz, tell us about you!

Well, I moved to the south east from Durham in 2002 so officially I’ve lived in the south longer than  I did in the north (but my accent will always stay true to the north!). I’ve lived in Brentwood for two decades now so have always had Hopefield on my radar.

I am mum to two human children and three fur babies, all of who I brought down to Hopefield over the years little realising I would be lucky enough to be part of the team here one day. I have a background in Retail Management, but moved over to catering to fit in with my family’s needs. I did actually want to be a zoologist when I was a child!

I love the theatre, film and food (in no particular order) and I am so excited to be working with Hopefield now as I love animals. I can’t wait to take Max’s Cafe to new heights of success and look forward to meeting everyone!

That new menu…

We also have a large range barista-made, plant-based hot drinks to choose from as well as plenty of fresh baked goods and cakes, so do come down and give us a try! Don’t forget we have a large playground attached to the cafe too which makes things a little easier for those of you looking for easy dining in Essex with kids!

Max’s Cafe is open every Friday to Monday, 10am to 3pm during term time, and daily during school holidays from 10am until 4pm.