The Apple Tree, Barton under Needwood, Burton-on-Trent

WE HAVE TO SAY THAT FOR EXCELLENT FRIENDLY SERVICE AND THE WARMEST OF WELCOMES THE APPLE TREE IS THE PLACE TO GO. WE HAVE ENJOYED A VARIETY OF QUALITY FOOD – SNACKS – DRINKS AND SUPERB CAKES ( NAUGHTY ), ON MANY OCCASIONS OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS, AND WE REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO CALLING IN – USUALLY AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK.

MANAGER NICOLA IS TERRIFIC, AND HER BRILLIANT STAFF INCLUDING DANIELLE, KATE, PHILIPPA, DAVID AND OTHERS, ALWAYS SEEM PLEASED TO SEE US AND WE ARE ALWAYS TREATED TO THE BEST ATTENTION FROM A PROFESSIONAL TEAM.

AS SOMEONE WHO IS THE FIRST TO COMPLAIN WHEN THINGS ARE OF A POOR STANDARD, IT IS A PLEASURE TO BE ABLE TO PRAISE THIS LOVELY ESTABLISHMENT WHICH WE CAN HIGHLY RECOMMEND FOR CONSISTANTLY HIGH STANDARDS – LONG MAY IT CONTINUE – A RARE FIND INDEED – Colin & Bev Randle

I’ve visited the Apple Tree on several occasions purely because I’ve been visiting the Marina and it is convenient. My most recent visit being on 11 th November 2011. The shop and payment area is nicely laid out and has a french ambience. The eating area lacks atmosphere – the ceiling is high and echoey, the dining chairs are uncomfortable (puffed up in the middle but do not feel good to sit on), some tables so close to plants the leaves are on the table and too cold to sit in for a length of time unless you were wearing a heavy outdoor coat rather than a jacket like my friend and I as we were visiting the shops. My order was taken but I did not feel made welcome. I was asked for my table number although I’d not selected my table which seemed to annoy the member of staff – perhaps it would be a good idea to give customers a number to take and pop up on their table and this way you could swap tables but still got your order. The latte was cool and small was smaller than I would expect by comparison with other cafes and considering the price The Apple Tree charge. The food was OK. I ordered a second drink and tidily organized my initial order plates, etc to be taken away but had to ask for them to be cleared. No thank you, sorry,etc. It was not at all busy. To summarise I would say that the cafe has a captive audience and I feel they take the customer for granted in providing a weak level of service which is unfriendly and expensive.

Hiya pie man here,
What a place, lovely friendly staff, absolutely lovely setting, peaceful, friendly. We were not rushed and treated so well. I had the bargemans platter and can i say what a platter! The pie was so good i actually persuaded the staff to sell me a pie, result, whoopee.
Certainly will go back, when next in area as it the cafe and marina were such a perfect place, recommend going round the toy store as well!
Loved the place.

This has to be my favourite place to while away a few hours on a rare morning or afternoon I can get away from work! Quality food and drink (I have yet to find a coffee that matches The Apple Tree's standard), exceptional staff and beautiful surroundings, are almost impossible to find all under one roof. The Apple Tree manages to do this seamlessly, always making me feel so welcome and relaxed. I love the music they play, particularly the salsa on a warm summer's day - the only problem is I then don't want to return to work!
As if I don't spend enough time there, they have now started doing breakfasts and afternoon tea, only more temptation! My husband and I visited last Saturday morning and ordered our usual lattes (which the young man behind the counter remembered they were our 'usual' drinks), and an oatcake each. Mine came with local bacon and Staffordshire cheese and was absolutely divine! Whilst standing at the counter I heard a lady ask if they could heat her baby's bottle in the microwave, to which the young man replied their ethics do not support the use of microwaves, everything is freshly cooked. The lady was offered a suitable alternative for heating the bottle, this only added to my delight that everything is cooked traditionally,and that they do not cut corners in anything they do. I can whole heartedly recommend The Apple Tree, prices are very reasonable considering the standards and the national acclaim they have received, and the staff could not be more genuine and willing to help.

I visited this coffee shop last year whilst on a trip with my boyfriend and his mother.
I was initially quite impressed with the lovely decoration, it really does look attractive.
Instantly I was put off by the fake friendliness of the place. Every hello seemed forced and it is really off putting, i find anyway.
The drinks menu was extensive, slightly over priced in my opinion but i had heard many good things from friends and family about how amazing the coffee was. I really don't mind paying £2.40 for a coffee if it's a good one, and it definitely was.
We found ourselves a table as requested by the sign. I did overhear a man complaining that he needed to find a table number. Personally i didn't understand his problem, you do that in most restaurants don't you?
After walking around the marina and its surrounding area we were quite understandably peckish. The menu was relatively basic and expensive! A sandwich costing £6....i could understand if it was served with chips but i was wrong, just a side salad.
I decided on the Greek salad. My boyfriend and his mother selected the tapas to share between them.
Whilst waiting to be served, i noticed the lovely selection of fine foods on offer, totally out of my price range but lovely all the same.
It was whilst i was waiting that i noticed two members of staff preparing the food. The young lady was preparing a fantastic salad in a bowl, it really did look delicious. It was at this point that i saw one member bend down and pull a packet out of the fridge. I noticed that the packet was in fact Morrison's Value salad cheese! Clearly this cheese was supposed to be Feta, which would be part of the Greek salad i, and another customer, intended to eat. I have absolutely no problem with value ranges in supermarkets, i regularly buy them myself, so its not because i am a snob. However when i am paying almost £8 for a Greek salad, i expect a higher quality cheese to be used! I thought The Apple Tree used local high quality products, clearly not.
I opted for a cheese and ham sandwich, probably value products but cheaper than the salad in any event.
The lady who served me was overly friendly, i seriously thought she might jump over the counter and kiss me. I understand there is a reason that staff are made to be friendly however it just made me feel very uncomfortable.
I ordered and went back to my table. And waited.
Eventually, a really tiny, young girl brought our drinks over to us. She was smiley and happy, none of the fakeness at all.
The coffee really was fantastic, just lovely lovely lovely.
Our food arrived a short while later, bringing with it a lovely lad (sorry i don't remember his name) but he was charming and genuinely friendly. My sandwich was okay. I ate it, sitting there wishing i'd had the tapas. It looked delicious but there didn't seem to be much too it considering the price.
Overall, the coffee was fantastic but i felt that the food was overpriced and very basic.

Worth returning for the variety of cakes (different everyday it seems) and the classy décor. Friendly staff and non-intrusive background music. Recommended.

Simply the best coffee shop in Staffordshire, at least the best one I have found. I have only recently discovered Barton Marina, but I am sure to keep going back just for the pleasant service and friendly staff. As a big coffee drinker, I am fussy about my espresso, and it was such a pleasant surprise to find a coffee shop who know their coffee. They even remembered my drink on my second visit! They also have a good lunch menu, and very tasty panini's with Staffordshire cheese. Even better they have a deli attached with a good selection of foods you can't usually find anywhere else, like red peppersweets, black truffles and lovely Mediterranean foods. This is how a good coffee shop and deli is run.

As a local resident to Barton Marina, I have regularly stopped by at The Apple Tree since they first opened. I have watched the owners and the staff work extremely hard to establish this great coffee shop, delicatessen and restaurant it is today. They started as a small family business yet quickly had to expand to accommodate the customers they attracted. Weekends seem to attract a flow of tourists, although you may expect to wait slightly longer when the weather is good, the speed of the staff is remarkable to ensure that every customer is served with the highest standards. Reading the other comments on qype, it is great to see the genuine compliments. Obviously a couple are too impatient and eager to grumble and must be extremely hard to please. Well I have high expectations and yet I have always had a perfect experience every time, the staff always remember my coffee, and are extremely friendly and polite which is hard to find these days. The coffee which is their own blend is better than any other outside of Italy I have tasted, and they genuinely care and put their customers first. Don’t let a couple of rude visitors put you off, The Apple Tree has a great local reputation and they deserve it.

Spent a lovely day at Barton Marina, only spoilt by the visit to the Apple tree deli.
I hope we caught them on an "off day" and this isn't the normal service customers are treated to.
The place is in a fantastic position , it seems to have a good choice .
We ordered 1 tea, 2 Late, 1 Americano and 3 Slices of cake.

After a 25 minute wait the order arrived, The wrong cakes and my wife's americao looked like watery instant coffee or a low grade filter coffe.
We asked for the coffee to be replaced and also pointed out the cake order was wrong.

The young waiter mumbled a bit (I think he said sorry- but not sure)
ANd a few minutes later the right cakes arrived, with a coffee just as bad as the first one.
I should point out that the second cake order arrived without the garnish of 2 mint leaves and a dusting of icing sugar. I can only assume that this intricate work was the reason the first ones took 25 minutes to arrive.

I took the coffee back and pointed out how bad it was, I was told it is the usual beans??? I said "But it is revolting, and there is no "cream" on the coffee (The head)... SHe said , yes I know , it's a new machine and it needs to settle in.. I didn't bother to explain that my wife runs an Italian coffee bar, so we know what rubbish this was - They just had not got the machine set up correctly, or were not using it correctly,,,

I refused another coffe, as I didn't think it would be third time lucky.

We ate the cakes.. they were not the best and a little stale.

Retrned home to get a decent coffee.

All in all , very expensive and a BIG dissapointment.

I love this place! I always try to stop in here when I'm visiting my mum. The deli counter is brilliant - yummy meats, cheeses and olives ...and they do a very tempting selection of cakes too! Friendly staff. Well worth a visit if you are in the area!

The best coffee shop in Great Britain.

I have just tried to book a table for 8 for a birthday party with two coeliacs (gluten free)-wouldn't allow me to book...could only book for 4 and couldn't keep 2 jacket potatoes to ensure the coeliacs had some food...(and one is the borthday girl)...I spoke to the owner too...how appauling? A very disappointed 17th birthday girl...poor customer service and over priced...I am amazed at their approach...

The Apple Tree is a coffee shop and delicatessen which is part of the Barton Marina complex. Friendly and cheerful staff as you enter is always a good start, so the first impression was a good one. A small delicatessen area with interesting looking cheeses and preserves was on one side of the counter, with tempting looking cakes and biscuits on the other. The drinks menu adorning the wall in large regal picture frames, added to the overall classy feel of the Apple Tree. After choosing from the multitude of coffees and teas on offer, we went in to the main part of the coffee shop, which has a great feeling of space. High ceilings, large chandeliers and a good view onto the marina, rounded off with comfortable leather backed chairs. A great cup of coffee too, at a reasonable price, we shall definitely be returning to sample more of the menu!

What a fabulous place. We travel from Tamworth just for the homemade cakes! I chose to go there for a quick birthday treat on Saturday and was not disappointed. Staff were welcoming, atmosphere was friendly and cannot wait for the evening openings coming soon! Such a lovely setting.

another great additon to the waterfront marina!! great food and drinks and the service fairly good however the day me and my family went we found the staff not very friendly and not very assertive!! which we were quite surprised at as we had heard great things from the apple tree!! perhaps it was just a bad day! and will certainly return in the future!!.

I took the family out for a Sunday drive and came across this amazing little coffee shop quite by chance. It was a cold crisp autumns afternoon and after walking around the Marina we were all in need of a hot drink to take away the chill.

We came across the appletree and the place was a thriving hub of activity, all the seats and tables were occupied by a myriad of clientele all happily chatting away, each enjoying this momentary pause to warm their souls and indulge in the many tempting delights the shop had to offer.

The inside of the premises remained full, but a family group seated at one of the many tables just outside on the promenade were making their leave. The owner of the appletree, a friendly-faced young man in his twenties who had been busy interacting with his many customers, gave them a genuine and sincere cheerful goodbye, thanking them for their custom and wishing them a safe journey.

Noticing us standing anxiously on the sidelines, he smiled and beckoned us across to the now vacant table, pulling out a chair in a gentlemanly fashion seldom seen these days for my wife to sit down. Quickly clearing and spotlessly cleaning the table he went on to explain the vast menu of hot drinks and goodies on offer and patiently took our orders.

My good lady wife opted for a pot of Lady Grey Tea, Myself a strong mug of peculated coffee and the children (spying what others were drinking on a nearby table) chose glasses of steaming Mocha cocoa topped with cream and marshmallow pieces.

The drinks arrived quickly and were exceptional. Sitting there watching the many colourful narrow boats sleepily bobbing up and down on the gentle ripples in the water adjacent, I felt at ease and very content.

My two young boys who are normally very boisterous on trips out, hadn’t uttered a word since their cocoa arrived, a quick glance over revealed the reason why (I smiled inwardly). Watching them both completely engaged in the difficult task of chasing small marshmallow pieces around the bottom of the narrow glasses with their long handled spoons.

What a wonderful place the appletree is in being able to re-create the nostalgic and authentic atmosphere of days gone by. Great drinks, Great Food and a genuine customer service that I had thought for a long time had gone extinct.

I plan do take another visit closer to Christmas to include some seasonal shopping in the many individual shops along the front. I will without doubt be stopping in at the appletree to rest up afterwards. I only hope they decide to add roasted chestnuts to the menu closer to the time, now that would be something. I think it would be too much to ask for snow!

Agree with everything said above but must say the cakes are worth travelling for.mmmmmmmmmmmmmm

The only reason I didnt give it 5 stars are there is very little room to sit down and why arent they open in the evenings? Would be fantastic to sit and watch the boats with a great coffee and some yummy home made cakes.

This place is a little oasis in staffs! Great food (the coffee was probably the best ive ever had), the staff were welcoming and friendly. Yes we had to wait a couple of mins for a table but that didnt matter. It was ran by a young husband and wife team who couldnt be more helpful and knowledgeable about their products. If only other places could be as inviting as the apple tree!

We recently visited this coffee shop at Barton Marina, after being recommended by a friend. We have never found such a quaint and welcoming place. The coffee is the best my husband has ever tried, and I can personally recommend the Tapas - we went on a hot day, and had a table looking over the water - it was just like being on holiday! Even though it was busy, we felt we were very well looked after. Definitely returning with my friends!