Breakfast at The Grazing Shed, St Mary St

The Grazing Shed is quite the local success story: its burgers took the city by storm from their little premises on Barrack Lane (no, I didn't know it even existed before they put it on the map) and earned them top spot in a Wales Online poll. This, its second outpost, opened just in time for the RWC 2015 hordes, but we are here for the breakfast menu. It's always 'something' week, this time Breakfast, so it's as good a time as any.

The look of the new branch is recognisably Grazing Shed, with its exposed pipes and wood. 

The daily menu will be familiar to many from Barrack Lane, but this is the only place you'll find their breakfast menu. Served until 11am, it hits all the US diner classic notes. There's bacon a-plenty, waffles and their take on the classic breakfast sandwich. A succession of independent coffee types set up near the door. For later diners there's an enviable beer list, featuring some of Beavertown's greatest hits. There's an array of Grazing Shed-branded milk cartons in the fridge behind the counter: this seems an excellent idea, so we are disappointed to be told this is mere set-dressing. A pint of good creamy stuff with waffles or bacon rolls would be ace though, wouldn't it? 

An avocado bap is tempting but the siren call of sliced and cured pig can only be resisted for so long. Again. The bacon roll ticks all the bacon roll boxes: a light brioche, plenty of streaky bacon and brown sauce. Job done. Their sausage and egg sandwich isn't a million miles away from perennial hangover cure and regrettable weakness the McMuffin, but is clearly playing in a different division altogether. The subtly herby patty and a runny poached egg are in a light bun. Perhaps too light, this one, as I found the composition starting to disintegrate a tad, leaving me with messy fingers. Now, I'm big and ugly enough for this not to be a problem- that's what your mouth is for- but some daintier diners will need napkins on stand by.

Waffles are excellent: they taste light, fresh and airy, even when swamped with bacon and syrup, or slathered with yoghurt and blueberries. Or both in our case: the classic 'can't decide between them, so we'll have both' scenario.

The breakfast burger is a hefty handful, supercharging their house patty with a disc of black pudding and another egg on top of a couple of slices of cheese. Oh and bacon. More bacon. They have basically said, "Sod it. Let's not pamper life's complexities. Let's just chuck everything that's great about breakfast meat in a bun. And let's use one of those house buns that people love." You should never need any second encouragement to stock up on what is now being touted as a superfood (though as ex-Lancastrian this has always seemed self-evident) and this all makes for a substantial start to the day.

Breakfast at The Grazing Shed is ace. The quality shines through and the menu is an unqualified success. Now, if they can just turn those milk carton props into real pintas...