07754788188
ALL ABOUT DUCKIES
Firstly, hello & welcome to Duckies Cafe!
We serve great coffee, generous portions of freshly made food to satisfy all your breakfast & brunch needs, and always have a selection of locally made cakes & other sweet treats on the counter.
We hope you like what we do here - keep reading to find out out more about our wonderful cafe and the people who make it all happen.
THE CAFE
Our colourful home on Penpol Terrace
Our story started down the road in Old Foundry Chapel in 2015, when Mike took over a small vintage tearoom and inherited the name of Duckies. The name stuck, but he made it his own, and the cafe has been transformed into the vibrant bubbly space you will find on Penpol Terrace today.
We wouldn't be where we are without the help of friends and family every step of the way - even literally helping us build the cafe from scratch, transforming it from the old print shop it once was.
We pride ourselves on using local produce wherever we can; handmade cakes, local sausages, our fish is from Newlyn, and we even grow vegetables on our own allotment in Hayle!
We want Duckies to be a space where everybody feels welcome, where we deliver high quality food & drinks from a great team of staff, and provide a service that feels great value for money.
We have indoor seating & a limited amount of outdoor seating overlooking the Hayle Harbour & South Quay (first come basis only - we don't take daytime bookings!)
Our full menu & seasonal specials are available to sit in or takeaway and we have our new range of frozen Duckies Deli Meals available to purchase in the Cafe too. We also host Dinner Nights (bookings only) when we feel like it!
We hope to see you soon!
INCLUSIVITY
is important to us.
We want everybody to feel welcome in our cafe.
We have a great range of gluten free & vegan food & drink options available, and we are more than happy to adjust our meals around any dietary requirements.
Our cafe does have a step up to the door, but we have a ramp available for wheelchair access. Tables & chairs can be moved to accommodate prams & wheelchairs, and we will take your order at the table. Our bathroom is unfortunately not wheelchair accessible, but there are grab bars fitted on the way. We also have free feminine hygiene products available in our bathroom for those who find themselves in need.
You can view our full menu online if you would prefer a larger font, or would just rather have a digital than physical menu.
Please message or phone us for chat before your arrival if you have any concerns and we will do our best to welcome you.
THE PEOPLE
MEET MIKE
Owner of Duckies
Michael Watton (originally hailing from Wolverhampton), learned to cook as a Commis Chef at a gastropub in Edinburgh. He landed the job not with prior cooking expertise, but by carrying 30kg bags of flour up the stairs! That opportunity was the start of his passion for cooking great food.
He left to start an ill-fated small business selling delicious gluten-free cakes…in a rainy outdoor food market in Scotland. Not finding many buyers for soggy cakes (no matter how tasty!), he moved to the other end of the country and started working at Cornish Deli in St.Ives. After two years of hard work and saving every last penny, he had just enough to buy the little cafe known as Duckies at the back of Old Foundry Shopping Village (formerly Pratts Market) in 2015. The rest, they say, is history!
You can now find Mike in the kitchen at Duckies Cafe in its new home on Penpol Terrace (most likely singing to himself), developing new specials for you, and chatting to the customers.
MEET MEG
Cafe Manager
Megan Barry hails from The Lizard area and now lives in West Cornwall. She joined the Duckies team part-time in early 2022 after we reopened following the end of Covid lockdowns.
Meg quickly went from an impressive to an essential member of the team and we made one of our smartest business decisions when we offered her the full time manger’s position!
Meg’s passion is for excellent customer service and often shows great forward thinking to improve the experience for both the customers and staff alike. She is also keen to turn her hand to anything needed (which in small businesses is both varied and often outside of the usual job description…she’s an absolute whizz with a nail gun!) Meg also brings an understanding ear, great humour and an infectious cackle that can be heard as far as the Isles of Scilly on a clear day!
‘We are very proud to have you at Duckies Meg and hope you’re with us for a long time as we try to improve and grow the business, which will undoubtedly be all the better for having you as an integral part of that’
MEET SOPHIE
Sophie Rogers grew up in Hayle, and started working for Duckies in 2019, but stepped up to the role of second chef after Mike broke his leg in the summer of 2021.
She has a passion for producing great looking meals, and she has become somewhat of a poached egg specialist. Her daughter, Noa, is now the chief food taster and critic in the cafe! Most notably, they put up with Mike’s singing…
She found the open & welcoming ethos of Duckies mirrored her own values, and she has been a fixture here ever since!
WE ARE DUCKIES CAFE
Mike, Meg & Sophie, along with their team of brilliant seasonal staff, are Duckies Cafe!
