Why Mums Love Salt's Mill

I recently had a lunch date with a group of local mums to Salt’s Mill in Saltaire. For those of you unfamiliar with this venue, it’s a beautifully restored, 4-storey mill which houses a large collection of the artist David Hockney’s work, as well as an excellent children’s and adults’ bookstore, designer kitchen ware store, a bespoke jewellers, a diner, a café, an outdoor clothing range and an antique dealers. Retail heaven. Enough said.

Esmé saw her first Hockney there at the tender age of 1 week old as John and I raced around frantically trying to find Christmas presents. Madness I know, but having been put on limited mobility in the last 2 months of gestation (and moving house!), I had left myself 2 shopping days to buy the majority of our Christmas presents. And the one place I knew I would not find endless swarms of  eleventh-hour men frantically rugby tackling their way to the nearest shelves, was Salt’s Mill.

The mill is one of my favourite ‘Me Places’ in Bradford. The calm instantly descends when I walk in, and the first thing to hit my senses is the smell of the freshly cut lilies arranged in over-sized vases throughout each level. After wakeful hours on end at home with a newborn looking at the same walls, the sense of light and space is like a wheatgrass shot for the soul.

But the main reason I am recommending the Mill as a mum favourite, apart from the stationery porn (don’t get me started!), is the space. We arrived at the Salt’s Mill Diner with 5 prams and parked them all up around one of the round tables without having to “Sorry”, “Excuse me”, “Do you mind if I get past” our way through. Not only that but they must have at least 20 high chairs, Oxo highchairs no less- must have cost them a tidy sum, and we managed to pull 3 of those around us too. I cannot think of another coffee shop I have been to in and around Bradford that can so easily facilitate such a large group of mums.

There is also ample free parking to the rear of the Mill with a few hundred metres walk to the side entrance with pram access, which is currently being renovated to improve accessibility.

On the down side, the baby changing facilities are at the other end of the level, and Esmé managed to need 3 nappy changes in the 2 hours we were there! However, it didn’t bother me too much as it gave me the excuse to peruse the poetry section on my way there and back. I just had to remind myself I had come with friends.

(Don’t forget to treat yourself to the chocolate milk shake made only from ice cream and milk. One reason alone to make it worth the drive.)

www.saltsmill.org.uk