KATHERINE MacALISTER takes un unlikely friend to sample a healthy community association cafe

THE Oxford Mail’s music maestro Tim Hughes thought it was hilarious that we turned up to the West Oxfordshire Community Association (WOCA) cafe to find it only served healthy food.

Neither was there a whiff of alcohol on the premises to counteract its worthiness, much to Tim’s enjoyment. I know we journos are known for our long, boozy lunches, but those days are long gone, and anyway all party girls need a night off, and healthy doesn’t automatically mean revolting.

There to prove him wrong was Ailsa Youngson, right, who’s been beavering away in the kitchen at this unobtrusive location since last year, cooking her delicious food and mind-blowing cakes. And an hour later when Tim had trawled through a bowl of beautiful soup, a super-food wrap and a slice of her incredible sponge, he was an utter convert, repenting of his misgivings and vowing never to eat a dodgy kebab again.

Why Ailsa doesn’t shout louder about her enterprise I don’t know, because even though the community centre is tucked away before the bridge on the town end of Botley Road, and therefore easy to miss, it does boast beautiful views round the back, parking and a playground, although admittedly all were underwater on our visit thanks to the flooding.

It’s fairly basic inside, but colourful and friendly – full of books and pictures – the day’s menu chalked up on the blackboard. And once Tim had stopped laughing, we ordered at the canteen, collected our cutlery, chose a drink – a superfood fruit smoothie for Tim (don’t tell his groupies), jasmine tea for me, and sat back to enjoy.

The cafe was peppered with solo diners, mums and babies, friends and everyone else who knows what a good thing they’re on to here. The carrot and miso soup – rich, smooth and spicy, spotted with pumpkin seeds – was really filling, served with homemade bread and cost just £3!

We both licked the bowls clean before moving on to the mains – a superfood wrap for Tim (giggle, giggle) stuffed with butternut squash, halloumi and coriander chutney (£4.50) and for me the black bean salad with guacamole, salsa and black tortilla chips, with a piquant dressing (£5). The wrap was really good, and I mean really good.

In fact, Tim was so delighted we’ve renamed him Superfood Hughesy, and although the WOCA cafe isn’t vegetarian, you’ll be hard pushed to find any meat here.

Full to the brim Tim then staggered up to the counter, unable to resist the amazing collection of home-made cakes and biscuits before opting for the ginger stem, while I had the pear and chestnut flapjack. He won, the ginger cake was divine.

Even though it was several days before I could eat again – proving that eating healthily really does fill you up – WOCA cafe was a real feast for a ridiculous price tag. In terms of ingredients, novelty, inventiveness and darn it, some pretty funky food, I defy anyone to do better than this, at these prices. So go and enjoy before the word gets out, or at least before Superfood Hughesy monopolises it.

WOCA Cafe, Botley Road, Oxford, is open Tuesdays to
Fridays from 8am-5pm and on Saturdays from 10am-2pm.

Email ailsa@woca-cafe.org.uk, go to www.woca-cafe.org.uk or call Ailsa on 07810 780820