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Opening hours: Friday, Saturday, Sunday and bank holiday Mondays 9am-4pm
Find out more: Facebook: Chequered Flag Café at Darley Moor
Address: Darley Moor Circuit, Ashbourne Derbyshire DE6 2ET
One of their bike nights brought over 300 bikes to the track
Darley Moor circuit has been entertaining bike race fans for over sixty years, and in that time the 1.5-mile circuit nestled in the Derbyshire Dales has played host to all kinds of high-octane action, including British Historic Racing, the legendary Stars at Darley meeting, and more latterly cycling and even dog agility.
Although there has been a café of sorts open for race days, Darley’s owners spotted that there was an opportunity to be had through opening every weekend of the year, and when Sam and Craig Francis heard about this, they brokered a deal, and now they’re running the café themselves.
A cracking view trackside
“We were given this opportunity just from being really cheeky, really, and it’s just perfect,” says Sam. “But we are loving it.”
The pair have hit the ground running with monthly bike nights, and they’ve been so popular they could hardly believe it. “We’ve come into a community we know nothing about,” says Sam. “My last bike night was amazing. We had around 340 bikes parked all the way down the drive!”
The café works to support the Darley Moor racetrack
“The atmosphere was great,” adds Craig. “It’s a shame I had to cook and face the wall most of the time!”
On the menu is your typical takeaway tuck boxes such as burgers, bacon baps, pastries and chips, but usually there is something on the specials menu to keep things interesting.
The café is open at weekends, and with the exception of race days, you can visit Darley Moor for free to see what other action is happening on the track
But if you come on a quieter event, you can grab a sit-down brekkie too, and the cakes are often homemade as well.
“We always make flapjack and brownies,” says Craig. “We do a fruit cake and lemon drizzle, too.”
Cake anyone?
With the calendar full almost every weekend, there’s always something to watch, and you only need pay for entry on fully fledged race days. So, if you fancy popping down, keep an eye on their socials to
A Winnats Wonder
Head north on the A515, through Ashbourne, all the way to Newhaven and Buxton. Join the A6 then take a right onto Winnats Pass. Enjoy one of the best roads in the Peak District, then turn right onto the A621. At the roundabout join the A619 and follow all the way to Bakewell. Join the B5055 to Monyash and hop on the A515 back to Darley Moor.
For more inspiration for places to go and things to do on your motorbike, head to our interactive map.
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