EDitorial ± 29-Sep-2026

Ipswich Lunches: Norris Hauz

Any idea who was in charge of the stopwatch when Roger Bannister did the first mile under four minutes? That was Norris McWhirter, a fixture of my TV youth from his days on Record Breakers with the inimitable trumpet-playing Roy Castle. Alongside, of course, his brother Ross until the latter's untimely end. Those McWhirter brothers could answer any sports-related question. They'd already have known about my Park Run 5K PB set earlier that morning on Sat 29th August of 30:30 thanks to Rich's pacemaking skills. Note that he's close to breaking twenty minutes for the same distance.

We now move on, smooth as Tropicana OJ without the bits, to today's eatery. Situated in Norris House -- up past Sainsbury's on Hadleigh Road and keep going up and over the railway bridge but not as far as The Milk Shed -- the cafe itself seems to be called Norris Hauz (I was pleased to have spotted it on one of my cycle round the estates outings, the Triangle in this case). I was on two wheels, naturally, and wet, 'cos the rain it was a-rainin'. Had been there a coupla minutes when Andy's ID hover car descended futuristically down the ramp.

Big sign says "Home Foods, market by Lituanica", offering hot food / deli / bakery / butcher / cafe. Smaller sign pointed left to the cafe where we discovered a locked door. They've moved round the other side, said the helpful woman at the till, and so they had. The large internal restaurant has downsized for the summer, apparently. Squeezed between the large metal shed and the roadside wall is an outdoor area handily covered by clear sheeting, so we were dry. Far end has a bar and the seating is mostly picnic tables. They promise "a blend of Baltic and modern European cuisine in a welcoming atmosphere". Cold beetroot soup wasn't for us but we did share the following:

  • cerubekas -- "meat-filled fried pastry", and
  • kibinas -- "meat-filled baked pastry" to start, then
  • balandeliai -- "stewed cabbage leaves stuffed with meat", and
  • zemaiciu pancakes -- "potato pancakes filled with minced meat served with cream sauce"

All very palatable if a far cry from the usual all-day breakfast, and not often that Andy has a beer (alcohol-free) on the side. Sparking water for YT, BTW, though they tried to sell me on the kvass. That precipitation continued as we tucked into some recognisably sweet chocolate cake to share with our coffee. Absolutely charming service, note. Fella on another table was sitting with his large basket of purchases and was tucking into a sizeable plate of meat and rice. Took me back to a way earlier trip when Ruby's went Eastern European. Next time I'll try the daily special of soup and cheeseburger and roast potatoes, all for a tenner.

If it was a car -- McLaren MCL40 driven by Lando Norris.
If they were passing by -- Mel Giedroyc.