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“Do you want a rooster?” This was the opening line from the patron to the waitress on a Saturday night at Marley’s Café in Wakefield. It was not meant to be rude or cheeky or funny. It was just an honest and practical, if somewhat unusual question. And the young server took it in stride, in fact she answered honestly and practically that she and her family had enough in the way of roosters and they did not need another, but thanks for asking.

One could witness such an exchange like a slack-jawed tourist and take the time to be perplexed, or one could smile and simply accept that while no farm animals would be changing hands that night, the Wakefield restaurant scene is a true supportive and closely knit community, committed to local produce and collective success.

Marley’s Café is a family-run restaurant attached to the Black Sheep Inn (a.k.a Le Mouton Noir) that opened in February 2008. The view of the river and hills through the large picture windows is spectacular and the food is simple, fresh and inexpensive with a balance of healthy and greasy choices.