Eat My Words: We try Nibbles Railway Café in Newenden, near Tenterden, where food arrives by a toy train

There are plenty of places across Kent to enjoy a Full English - but only one where your toast pulls into the table behind a miniature locomotive.

That’s the delightfully eccentric experience at Nibbles Railway Café in Newenden, near Tenterden.

Just 100 metres from the Kent-East Sussex border, the village is small enough to stroll through in the time it takes to fry an egg. Yet tucked away on the roadside is one of the county’s most charmingly odd breakfast spots. Blink as you drive by and you’ll miss it, unaware there’s a tiny railway rattling around inside.

But follow the sign outside marked “to the trains” and you’re guided indoors.

There’s no platform confusion, no delays, and thankfully no rail replacement buses - though punctuality is still advised. The food on wheels waits for no one.

It was only 5°C outside - but inside, the café is instantly warm and cosy, with two railway lines looping around the rooms.

One cruises past at eye level while the other hums near the ceiling, chugging away even when Thomas and friends are off-duty below.

The menu is short and sweet, exactly what a good breakfast spot needs.

There are veggie and keto options, plus the all-important “create your own” section, which caught our eye.

If breakfast is the most important meal of the day, you might as well build it like you’re designing your dream house.

The staff let you enjoy the spectacle - it’s not every day a toy train ferries your toast towards you.

From the table next to us came excited squeals of “Train! Train!” as a little boy watched his apple juice arrive. It’s no surprise that kids absolutely love this café.

Then came my modest order: Two sausages, two bacon, four hash browns (I promise I ordered two), two fried eggs, black pudding, some toast and a hearty pot of beans to bring the whole plate together.

While waiting, I did the customary nosey diner thing, glancing at other people’s plates - but let’s be honest, the trains were the real stars.

Each time one left its own station, every adult in the room smiled like they were eight again, myself included.

Our drinks and toast arrived with a proud little choo-choo. My main breakfast, however, came by hand, presumably because the tiny railway wasn’t built to haul the mountain of food I’d requested.

What I really wanted to know was whether Nibbles Railway Café was all gimmick and no substance. Did the trains mask the mediocre food?

One bite of the black pudding settled that immediately.

The crispy exterior gave way to a burst of warm spices so good it didn’t need the usual rescue mission of baked beans.

The bacon was thick and slightly smoky without heaps of fat, while the sausages were excellent - meaty with flavour that didn’t disappoint.

This was quality produce, cooked properly - the kind of breakfast where the ingredients do half the talking for you.

I’d wondered how my create-your-own plate would compare to the set breakfasts (£11.90 for standard, £14.50 for large).

But two build-your-owns, the other slightly smaller than mine, a big mug of tea and an apple juice came to under £28.

What struck me most was how the place appealed to almost everyone.

Children were wide-eyed with wonder, adults just as charmed, and two older gents arrived as I left, already grinning at the railway looping above their heads.

The owner, all smiles and enthusiasm, explained the railway was originally built from his children’s old toys. Once they’d outgrown them, he decided to create something fun for the community, especially with so few children’s activities nearby.

Judging by the fully booked tables, including our last remaining 10am slot on a Monday, he’s clearly on the right track.

The cafe is heading into a busy period and, at the time of going to press, the weekend spaces are all booked up until January 17.

Out of five:

Food: Everything on my plate was spot-on, with fresh ingredients. One of the best breakfasts I’ve had in a long time *****

Drink: Fresh apple juice chosen purely because a toddler looked thrilled by it, and honestly, it was very tasty ***

Décor: Where else can you be served by a miniature train and surrounded by Christmas decorations? *****

Staff: The owner and team were really friendly and clearly love the place as much as the customers do *****

Price: Exactly what you’d expect for a full English, but far better quality than most - great value for what you get ****