HATCH

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HATCH Open for dine in, takeaway & deliveroo brunch, burgers, lunch & coffee from 9am-3pm Mon-Fri/ 9am-4pm Sat & Sun in central St Albans.

All day dining (20 Holywell Hill) in St Albans.

AN UPDATE ON THE RATES SITUATION. SOME GOOD NEWS!We’re very happy to say that following a visit from the Valuation Offic...
12/10/2026

AN UPDATE ON THE RATES SITUATION. SOME GOOD NEWS!

We’re very happy to say that following a visit from the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) to reassess the premises, it has been confirmed that a mistake was made in the original valuations.

The rateable values have now been corrected to almost exactly where we had anticipated they should be in the first place.

This is a huge relief for both ourselves and Smallford Farm Shop, particularly given the very real uncertainty this has caused over the future of both businesses.

We’d like to say a special thank you to Daisy Cooper 🔶 and her team, who took the time to listen, understand and speak up for us in Parliament. Undoubtedly, this got us heard and saved us a lot of time and money, avoiding the need to go through a lengthy appeals process.

But most of all, a massive thank you to everyone who shared our post, offered advice, sent messages of support or simply continued to visit us. The response from the local community has been genuinely overwhelming and what got things going in the first place.

Whilst this is a huge relief, times are still incredibly tough for independent businesses, and your continued support really does make all the difference.

We’d especially like to ask you to continue supporting Smallford Farm Shop | St Albans Food Hall, Deli & Butchers. They’re a wonderful independent business and an important part of what makes Smallford such a lovely place to visit. If you’re coming to see us at the café, please take a little time to browse the shop too.

The whole saga has been a lovely reminder of just how much a local community can achieve when it comes together.

THANK YOU! ❤️

11/10/2026

The weekend hustle and bustle.

Matching our brunch with autumn 🍂 This is our Buffalo Benedict. Served with a chicken schnitzel and brown butter buffalo...
06/10/2026

Matching our brunch with autumn 🍂

This is our Buffalo Benedict. Served with a chicken schnitzel and brown butter buffalo sauce.

You may know us for our daytime menu. However, we think you’d like to get to know our evening menu too. Wednesday to Sat...
25/09/2026

You may know us for our daytime menu. However, we think you’d like to get to know our evening menu too.

Wednesday to Saturday we are also open at 5pm-9pm to offer you a menu you can’t resist.

Something special (and saucy) this way comes! 🥩 🫗If you fancy a messy, meaty, naughty dinner then pop down to Hatch at C...
23/09/2026

Something special (and saucy) this way comes! 🥩 🫗

If you fancy a messy, meaty, naughty dinner then pop down to Hatch at Christopher Place for something extra special. Aged steak patty, double emmental, steakhouse burger sauce and crispy onion shards. Served on a bed of homemade peppercorn sauce. Oof!

Served all day, from now until we feel like it. Delicious!

THANK YOU!We just wanted to say a massive thank you for the outpouring of support following our last post about HATCH at...
17/09/2026

THANK YOU!

We just wanted to say a massive thank you for the outpouring of support following our last post about HATCH at Smallford Farm Shop. It’s been incredible and genuinely means a lot to us.

We do want to clear up one thing though, as we think our last post may have caused a little confusion.

HATCH HQ at Christopher Place is going strong. There’s no need to worry about us there.

The business rates issue poses a very real threat to our Smallford site specifically. The increased costs could make the site much less viable for us in the future, and there’s also a delicate balance between HATCH and the Farm Shop, the site works because both businesses operate alongside and support each other. So the impact these increases could have on either business ultimately affects the future of both.

But HATCH as a whole is in a strong position. Thanks to 14 years of support from you lot, we’ve grown into a well established business that can weather a storm here and there.

So, while there’s some uncertainty around the future at Smallford, HATCH as a whole remains in a strong position.

Thank you again for all the messages, shares, comments and support. Hopefully that puts a few minds at ease.

Team HATCH

OPEN. FOR NOW, AT LEAST.We’re in a bind and, quite honestly, unless something changes, we may not be able to continue at...
14/09/2026

OPEN. FOR NOW, AT LEAST.

We’re in a bind and, quite honestly, unless something changes, we may not be able to continue at the Farm Shop.

When we took over the café last March, we were told HATCH and the Farm Shop needed to have separate business rates bills.

Fair enough.

While we waited for that to be sorted, we carried on paying what we believed was our share of the existing bill.

We expected the new figures to come through within a few months. We expected and planned for a marginal increase.

They took more than 18 months and more than doubled.

And worse still, the new figures are being backdated by 18 months.

That means HATCH and the Farm Shop could each be facing backdated bills of around £50,000.

That’s the part we simply cannot understand.

How can a business be expected to suddenly find tens of thousands of pounds for a bill it had no idea was coming, especially when the delay was completely outside its control?

Had we known, we could have planned for it. We could have adjusted prices, staffing and made proper decisions about whether the site was viable.

Instead, nearly two years of hard work could effectively have been for nothing.

Unless the backdated element is reconsidered, this could realistically mean the end of the farm shop and in turn HATCH at Smallford Farm Shop.

Two businesses at risk. Around 40 jobs affected. Future plans gone. A community space potentially lost.

During our time here, we have contributed about £400k in VAT and National Insurance alone.

Surely it is better for everyone to keep businesses trading, employing people and paying taxes than land them with retrospective bills they had no chance to plan for.

We’re challenging it and asking for help.

For now, we’re open.

And we very much hope we can keep it that way.

If you think this deserves looking at, please share it.

If you’ve visited Hatch in the past six years, you will know who George is to Hatch. Whether it’s running a missing deli...
10/09/2026

If you’ve visited Hatch in the past six years, you will know who George is to Hatch. Whether it’s running a missing deliveroo order over to someone’s house or unblocking the loo (cheers for taking one for the team, mate), George has helped to make Hatch what it is today

And you’ll never guess what. He’s getting married this weekend! In Toulouse! Félicitations! 💒 🎤🥂

Some of team are attending the wedding, which means that we will not be open for dinner on Saturday at Christopher Place

Last orders on Saturday 12th September will be at 4pm and the restaurant will close at 5pm. This will give those hard at work over the weekend the evening to recoup, and those who’re heading to the shindig a chance to unwind whilst they celebrate. This is the only service that will be effected over the course of the weekend and we are open again at 9am on Sunday

Congratulations to George and Kirsten, and thank you to all those for your understanding about the early closure this Saturday

Chicken Caesar Salad. The Hatch way. We use the finest of ingredients including Cackleberry Farm to ensure you’re presen...
08/09/2026

Chicken Caesar Salad.

The Hatch way.

We use the finest of ingredients including Cackleberry Farm to ensure you’re presented with a golden yolk which is soft boiled for that slight gooey texture.

Our Caesar is available with a chicken schnitzel or a smoky chicken thigh.

See you soon 🥚

05/09/2026

Day of the week. Hatch Edition.

Address

7-8 Christopher Place
Saint Albans
AL35DQ

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 3pm
Tuesday 9am - 3pm
Wednesday 9am - 3pm
Thursday 9am - 3pm
Friday 9am - 3pm
Saturday 9am - 4pm
Sunday 9am - 4pm

Telephone

+441727614708

Website

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