The Lincoln Pantry is a small, much-loved cafe in the Rosemerryn centre at the corner of Eastfield and Edward Streets in Lincoln, Canterbury, serving good food made fresh with love alongside awesome coffee — and doing it seven days a week. Known for its warm atmosphere and superb Supreme coffee, it has grown from a quirky wee deli and a stint as a coffee van into one of Selwyn's most popular brunch spots, backed by a raft of five-star reviews.
The heart of the offer is a thoughtfully crafted brunch menu served until 1.45pm daily, complemented by a cabinet laden with freshly made sweet and savoury fare. Free-range poached eggs, Pantry hollandaise and Grizzly sourdough appear across the board, from The Benny and the ever-popular Smash to the Big Breakfast and a Hash built on 16-hour slow-roasted BBQ beef brisket. Sweet options run from Belgian-style waffles to brioche French toast, with house-made granola for the health-minded.
Coffee is a genuine point of pride: the team pours Coffee Supreme's signature espresso blend, a full-bodied cup with tasting notes of milk chocolate and citrus. Dietary needs are well handled too, with most dishes adaptable for gluten free, dairy free, vegan and keto diners, plus a kids menu and half portions of some mains.
Compact and popular, the cafe is best booked ahead at peak times. Beyond brunch, it opens as a private hire space with catering on request, hosts workshops, and caters for small to medium groups.
The Lincoln Pantry sits in the Rosemerryn centre at the corner of Eastfield and Edward Streets in Lincoln, Canterbury, and has quietly built a reputation as one of Selwyn's most popular brunch spots. The formula is simple and faithfully kept: good food made fresh with love, awesome coffee, and a warm welcome, seven days a week. It's the kind of place reviewers describe as their local that 'never fails' — and the cafe wears its raft of five-star reviews with pride.
Step inside and you'll find a compact, friendly room, recently refitted with more tables, shelves stocked with items to browse, and the hum of a cafe that clearly anchors its neighbourhood. Whether you're after a quick bite, a leisurely brunch or your daily caffeine fix, the team treats each visit as something worth getting right.
The Pantry's story is a short one, but it has already had several chapters. It began as a quirky wee deli, then took to the road as a coffee van while awaiting Council consent after the move to Rosemerryn, before finally settling into the fully fledged little cafe that locals know today. That peripatetic start left its mark: the cafe retains the deli's shelves of goodies and the van's devotion to the perfect cup.
It was a love of coffee that first got the owners thinking about opening a cafe, and five years on they've gathered a community of coffee lovers who trust them for an excellent brew. The Covid lockdown underlined what coffee means to them — not just a drink, but a vehicle for connection, the excuse to sit down with a friend and take time out. That's something they cherish even more now.
The Pantry pours Coffee Supreme's signature espresso blend, simply called Supreme — a complex blend built around Central American coffees and topped up with a seasonal selection to keep it tasting great year-round. Expect a full-bodied richness, a crisp, cradling acidity and a lingering cocoa finish, with tasting notes of milk chocolate and citrus. Sweet and complex, it's the backbone of the menu and the reason many regulars keep coming back.
Brunch is served until 1.45pm daily, and the menu is a thoughtfully crafted line-up of classics done with care. Free-range poached eggs feature everywhere — on The Benny with Pantry hollandaise and bacon or mushrooms on toasted ciabatta, in The Poacher with garlic tomato relish on Grizzly sourdough, and atop the hugely popular Smash, piled with smashed avo guacamole, haloumi, dukkah and chimichurri on toasted multigrain.
Hearty appetites head for the Big Breakfast — bacon, rosti, mushrooms, Cumberland sausage, BBQ beans and garlic tomato relish on Grizzly sourdough — or the Hash, built on 16-hour slow-roasted BBQ beef brisket with potatoes, baby gherkins, toasted cashews and Pantry hollandaise. Lighter and vegetarian-leaning options include the Heavenly Harissa scramble with rosti and seasonal greens, the cream-scrambled eggs, the Mighty Mince on Toast, the Big Om three-egg omelette with your choice of fillings, and a Bacon Butty in a toasted bap.
Sweet tooths are looked after too: Belgian-style waffles with bacon and caramelised banana, brioche Frenchie French toast with wild berry sauce, lemon curd and pistachio crumb, and house-made maple nut and seed granola with blueberry chia compote and coconut greek yoghurt. Alongside the menu sits a cabinet laden with sweet and savoury fare, made fresh daily.
The kitchen is notably accommodating: most menu items can be adapted for specific dietary requirements — gluten free, dairy free, vegan and keto included — and there's a dedicated Herbivore big breakfast with Quorn vegan sausages. Tell the team about any allergies when ordering; they'll always do their best, though the kitchen does handle gluten, dairy and nuts. Families are well catered for with a kids menu and half portions of some mains.
Outside opening hours, The Pantry transforms into a private hire space with catering on request, and it has hosted workshops on everything from health and wellness to chocolate tempering and Christmas wreath making. The premises aren't licensed for alcohol, but a Special Event Licence can be arranged through the Selwyn District Council with sufficient notice. The team also caters for small to medium groups, tailoring options to each event.
One practical note: the space is small and compact, so it's wise to book at peak times — give the friendly team a call and they'll happily help. They can't wait to hear from you.