We tried the ‘Full English’ breakfast in a cafe hidden inside a huge builders warehouse

Ever wondered where all the Bristol tradesmen are on a wet and miserable Monday morning?

Judging from the queue for bacon sandwiches and full English breakfasts - not to mention the sea of white vans in the car park - most of them make a detour to Cafe EJ’s.

Hidden within the vast Selco builders warehouse in Filton (a sort of IKEA for the trade), this small greasy spoon cafe is located on a mezzanine overlooking the aisle of skirting, flooring, wardrobe doors and stair parts.

As somebody whose own DIY skills come with a health warning, a First Aid kit and quite possibly a trip to A&E, I feel woefully inadequate as I join the queue of paint and dust-splattered builders.

What if I’m suddenly drawn into a conversation about the best coving or advice on toilet waste pipe connectors? I keep my head down and pretend to take a call on my phone.

With the sounds of Greatest Hits Radio in the background, and some light sawing coming from the timber department downstairs, Cafe EJ’s is certainly a lively place early in the morning.

This is where the tradesmen (and, yes, it was all men on this occasion) come for their building materials but what better alibi for a cheeky breakfast on the way to a job.

“I’m on another job at the moment mate but I can be over in an hour to give you a quote,” shouted one chap answering a call between mouthfuls of bacon and egg.

But when there’s a double breakfast wrap or quarter pounder with bacon on offer, who can blame them?

The cafe itself is spotlessly clean, and the kitchen can be seen through the hatch where you order and pay. It has a five-star hygiene rating and you can tell it’s run with care and pride.

At lunchtime, a few extra dishes are served including chicken wraps and triple fishfinger sandwiches with tartare sauce.

There are quarter-pounder burgers with salad, onions, cheese and burger sauce for £4.80 - or you can ‘make it a meal!’ by ordering chips for an extra £1.95.

You can also order jacket potatoes, sandwiches, rolls and paninis.Bacon sandwiches are £3, four scrambled eggs on toast will set you back £4.80 and the popular double breakfast wraps (two bacon, two sausage, two hash brown, one egg, cheese and red and brown sauce) are £6.

The breakfasts come in two sizes, regular for £5.95 and large for £7.95, with veggie versions slightly cheaper. Tea or instant coffee is included in the price.

I went for the regular breakfast and it was faultless. Everything was piping hot and cooked correctly, from the two juicy sausages, crisp hash brown and glossy beans to the thick bacon, runny-yolked egg and generously buttered triangles of toast.

The large mug of steaming hot tea was strong and definitely in the ‘builders’ category. But then if you can’t serve builders’ tea in a cafe within a builders warehouse, you’d soon hear about it.

‘A lot of people still don’t know we’re here,’ said the woman taking the orders, before adding that the cafe is always busy, especially on Friday lunchtimes ‘when it goes crazy’.

It was packed on a wet Monday morning so the mind boggles how busy it gets at the end of the week.

And if you’re hoping to get a tradesman out for a quote on Friday, you may want to think twice. Or simply call Cafe EJ’s.

Cafe EJ’s, inside Selco Builders Warehouse, Taurus Road, off Gypsy Patch Lane, Filton, BS34 6QD.