PJs Transport Cafe, Draycott-In-The-Clay, Staffs

PJs is a fantastic working cafe just off the A50, on the road to Lichfield. It's not fancy or formicad or a design classic or anything. It's not going to have anyone raving about global latte conspiracies in the Sunday papers. But it's still a triumph of British cafe culture. Cheap, decent food, Utility surroundings. Somewhere for a working person to rest and watch Sky before getting back into the cab.

Huge, pale, piping hot chips. An egg with a fascinating alien seed pob vibe. Lovely dark bacon hinting at back-street Eddy Grundy style trading. A brilliant fry-up.

When will English Heritage start lobbying to preserve fluorescent signs?

(a note on the comments below. I originally had this place listed as near Sudbury. Which it is. But Sudbury's in Derbyshire wheras I don't think PJs is. So I've now listed it as near Draycott In The Clay which, as well as having a brilliant name, is more certainly in Staffs)

UPDATE: PJs is apparently under new management, so these pictures are probably way out of date. I've not been back but people tell me it's fantastic.

Comments

[D.Burton]

Just been looking at your eggbaconchipsandbeans site. I think if you care to check, you'll find that PJs Transport Cafe is in Sudbury in DERBYSHIRE not Staffs.

[russell]

Blimey. I'm sure you're right. It's just that I remember driving by a 'Welcome To Staffordshire - the creative county' sign just before you get to the cafe. Which made me think it might be just over the border. Past the railway line. But maybe there's one of those quirks which puts it in Derbys.(while Sudbury is obviously in Derbyshire) Obviously I don't want to credit Staffs with anything it doesn't deserve so I'll double check at the weekend. thanks for the attention to detail.

[czyrko]

Good for you, Russell. We wouldn't want to question your objectivity and creativity just coz you couldn't tell your Derbys from yer Staffs! OK - the site's great too...

[russell]

I've changed it to Draycott In The Clay which I'm sure is in Staffs. To avoid confusion.

[Lee]

Saw your site reviewed in The Times 8/1/05. Couldn't find the site until I realized it's egg singular not eggs plural.
I like my bacon with crispy rind, no time for anything chewy, fatty or hairy... you could extend that to other aspects of my life too.
The lord of sausages, and I'm a sausage man (but straight), is the Powters Newmarket sausage. I pity the man who hasn't scoffed this beautifully seasoned East Anglian delicacy.
As Shakin Stevens would say, "lovely stuff".

[Carole King]

I can't believe that you don't have Frank's Cafe 52 Neal Street WC2H 9PA. It's Italian but in the 25 years that I have been eating there I've never had anything but double egg and chips and tea. I have seen so many cafes close over the yars and whenever I'm nearby I go to Frank's and worry that it's gone only to be replaced by Coffee Republic or similar.
I love your site

Carole King

[Faye]

Hi
Nice site and its good to see someone celebrating honest food, i am a fan of the cafe and hate modern coffee shops and all that stark, cold pretense they hold. I am mancunian and have really missed the cafe culture since moving to Bucks. No-one seems to understand the magic of having a fry up on a sat/sun morning or having sausage chips and gravy of a friday luchtime with a copy of a cheap magazine, sat opposite a man with no teeth. I accept this kind of food isnt exactly health concious but i tastes bloody good, maybe just like your slightly crazy gran would make, and hey its cheap as chips.

[faye]

by the way there is a good cafe in Amersham called Master Chef, a new cafe but they do fry ups and mixed grills thst literally fall off the very big oval plates they have there. Its a step in the right direction.

[jacqui(south wales)]

ULTIMATE GUIDE FOR ANYONE CRAVING THE GREAT ENGLISH BREAKFAST.

[Patrick]

Russell,

As Carole said above, Frank's (not be to confused with Franx- which you've already reviewed)in Neal St is well worth checking out. It's been there since about 1966, when Covent Garden was still a fruit and veg market.

It's owned by nice Italian family, who are being screwed for rent by their landlord - a large Canadian insurance company. As the son told me a few months ago - "basically, we're working for the landlord" .

I can just about remember another old cafe in nearby Floral St, which I only visited about three times, back in the early 80's. Again it must have been a remnant of the old
fruit & veg market. It was situated between two Paul Smith outlets ! I was saddened, but not surprised when I went back sometime in about '83 or '84, to see that it had gone.

[Kevin]

PS: I suspect this is on the road to the Cathederal City of "Lichfield" in Staffordshire, not "Litchfield" as in your article, which is a village in Hampshire.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lichfield vs http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Litchfield%2C_Hampshire

[russell davies]

Yes Kevin you're right. I'm an idiot. Staffordshire has always been a mystery to me. As has spelling.

[kevin]

Just to confrm that pj's is in staffordshire not derbyshire. i have lived in draycott in the clay all my life and although the postal address is derbyshire draycott in the clay is on the right side of the dove (the staffordshire side)

[Nicola, Wendy & Allan]

In Feburary 2007, the cafe changed ownership. Since then many enhancements to both the car park, the outside of the building now providing smoking shelter facilities and inside the cafe with regards to decoration etc has vastly improved the cafe facilities to drivers. Allan & Wendy (new owners) would welcome you to pay a visit and see the changes for yourself. Thankyou :)

[Aubrey Utting]

ActuallyI don't know P.J'sTransport Cafe,but I know Draycott-in-the-Clay very well.the border between Derbyshire and Staffordshire "The Marker" is on the Dove river bridge,Sudbury station and the Boar"s head are really in Staffordshire, I went to school in Draycott,Mrs McBean was one of the teachers,used to live in the house at the top of the cliff. Regards aubrey utting.