Update: Flints has since closed down. Such a shame.
I’d heard whispers of a new ‘froyo’ cafe opening in Hitchin town centre and all was revealed last month when ‘Flints’ opened in all its multicolour glory on Market Place.
I’d resisted the temptation to visit. Then my Instagram feed started filling up with mouthwatering photos of delicious-looking frozen yoghurt, covered in an array of toppings, including Oreo cookies. My son, Ethan, caught sight of the Oreo photo (I was obviously staring at it for too long) and said, “Mummy, I want that one.”
The cafe
So we headed off to Flints on Saturday afternoon and I’m so glad we did. Amanda, the owner, and her team, have done an amazing job.
Flints is bright, clean and colourful and the team are friendly and welcoming, and great with children. The shop is long, with one counter serving fresh fruit smoothies and the other counter displaying the various froyo toppings.
Seating is around the edge of the shop on high stools at a bar, looking out of the windows at passersby. There are clip-on high chairs available for really little ones. My three-year old sat quite happily on the high stool.
Choices, choices
There are three flavours of frozen yoghurt to choose from. You’re then faced with a huge selection of toppings, including Maltesers, Jelly Babies, cookie crumbles, Mini Eggs, sweets…and the list goes on. Oh, and chocolate sauce. To my son’s delight, our froyos were then topped off with an Oreo cookie.
The frozen yoghurt was really tasty, and is completely fat free (although the chocolate toppings and chocolate sauce we had were not!).
Flints currently offers specialist teas and coffees, fresh fruit smoothies, juices, crepes and frozen yoghurt, but Amanda tells me there are plans for waffles on sticks, more options for crepes (including savoury fillings) and ice lollies. “We’re always listening to our customers and tweaking what we offer,” said Amanda. “We’ve had lots of people ask for more savoury crepes, so that’s what we’re looking into now.”
Amanda has lived in Hitchin since she was 15 years old so she knows the town and its people well, and is really enjoying running her own business. Even though Flints opened in winter, business has been good and the cold weather has obviously not deterred froyo-hungry customers.
Our verdict
Flints is a great addition to Hitchin. The cost is roughly the same as going out for ice-cream and even though the frozen yoghurt is fat free, it still tastes delicious. We will definitely be making regular visits from now on.
Please let us know in the comments below if you’ve been to Flints and whether you enjoyed it.
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