Sainsbury's café, Redhill, Surrey, UK

The newly expanded – and vastly improved – Sainsbury's in Redhill has opened and with it comes a strong competitor for other foodservice brands in town, although I'd imagine that the M&S cafe and Cafe Piazza will probably survive because I wonder how many people already in the Belfry Centre, shopping at lunch time, will want to haul their sorry arses over to Sainsbury's unless, of course, they've got to pick up the weekly shop and don't want to pay M&S prices. 

The new Sainsbury's cafe is an impressive establishment. For a start, it's big. There's a variety of seating (round tables, square tables and four booths with padded seating. 

Large mug of tea for just £1.20 and a ham and cheese panini

I'm not sure if the Sainsbury's café has a name, other than 'the Sainsbury's café, but it occupies a large space and boasts a long servery counter offering cakes and pastries and paninis plus a range of main meals (fresh salmon fillet, £6.00; hand-battered cod & chips, £5.50; Yorkshire ham, egg & chips, £5.00; cottage pie, £4.50, Mac & Cheese, £4.00; beef lasagne, £4.50; and a range of jacket potatoes starting at £2.75 (with butter) and ranging up to £4.50 for prawn with mayo). 

I'm intrigued by that 'Mac & Cheese', presumably they mean macaroni cheese, unless they are borrowing from McDonald's, but this, of course, is something I need to investigate on future visits. What is a 'Mac' other than a computer or a fast food burger sold by McDonald's?

Hot snacks include a range of baguettes (bacon, sausage and meat-free sausage) all for £3.00 or £3.50 for hot beef. Omelettes are £3.75 and soup of the day with a roll is just £2.75. 

Specials exploit the Sainsbury's Taste the Difference brand, offering smoked haddock fish cake with peas and mash, £5.50, or sausage mashed potato, peas and gravy, £6.00. 

The usual hot drinks are on offer and a large mug of tea is a respectable £1.20. The cup is huge. So for £3.95 you can have a large mug of tea plus soup and a roll. Brilliant!

When I arrived there was an unacceptable 40-minute wait for food – probably because the place has just opened and people are sussing it out for themselves – so I ordered a cheese and ham panini (£3.85) and a tea (£1.20) which set me back £5.05. Not bad.

The servery counter at the new Sainsbury's café

I was given one of those vibrating pieces of plastic that shake and flash when the food is ready to collect. When it went off I stood up and walked over to the counter to grab my panini. It was good but unlike in Café Piazza, where crisps are offered as an accompaniment, free of charge, at Sainsbury's you simply get the plain panini, all alone on a large white plate. I'm being unnecessarily picky.

It goes without saying that I'll be returning to this excellent foodservice operation – it might prove to be the best in Redhill (if you're talking pure 'caffs'). There are plenty of other dishes to sample. 

What I also like about the new Sainsbury's caff is its huge windows, which let in a lot of light and the fact that, apart from Sunday, it's open until 7pm six days a week.

Postscript: I've been taking maximum advantage of the Sainsbury's caff all week (week commencing 6 November 2017). Foodwise, I've had jacket potato with tuna and sweetcorn, jacket with baked beans twice and today, 10 November, just like on 6 November (Monday) fishcake, mashed potato and peas washed down with a peppermint tea. It's all good, I can tell you, and far better value than the M&S café in the Belfry Centre. The food is fairly well presented too, especially the jackets, which are served in a square, white, deep plate (alright, a bowl) along with a crisp salad. There are sachets, portion packs, of sauces and dressings and yes, they have Heinz Salad Cream – what could be better?

Problems: Not many, to be honest. In fact there's only one problem and this is the occasional time when there's a long wait for the food. Lunchtime, 17 November 2017, I was told there would be a half hour wait so I settled for a cheese salad baguette. On Wednesday 11th October 2018 I gave up waiting and enjoyed liver and bacon at the Pop Inn (this text added 12th October 2018).

Other problems: Sometimes the cutlery is a little dirty.

Plus points: Read the review, but for me it's food quality, the peppermint tea (which is Sainsbury's own brand) and the size of the place, not forgetting that there are 'normal' tables as well as booths and sofas. Also, it's open weekdays (all days except Sunday) until 7pm. I'm planning on leaving work early one of these days and chilling with a book and a cup of tea – perfect!