Comments on: The Wedge

By: Jo

Jo — Sun, 06 Dec 2015 09:08:56 +0000

I was a student in Coventry from 1985 to 1988 and lived there for a while afterwards. I loved the Wedge both for the bookshop and the cafe. Their tuna and cucumber sandwiches were a regular takeaway lunch once I started work. I don’t remember it being smoky at all but that was probably because everywhere was.Even offices allowed smoking well into the 90s.

By: Catherine Guy

Catherine Guy — Fri, 12 Jun 2015 08:24:34 +0000

They used to give spare food away at the end of the day. It was a brilliant place. We found our housemates on The Wedge’s noticeboard

By: Mohan

Mohan — Thu, 07 May 2015 11:24:18 +0000

I remember going into the Wedge in October 1988. Our A level law lecturer had ordered us a text, which was only available there. I was amazed that they also served food! Great blog and comments.

By: Paul

Paul — Sat, 06 Sep 2014 08:25:59 +0000

I was in Coventry 1976-84 and remember The Wedge with fondness. Great baked potatoes but my favourite was the egg mayo and cress sandwiches on gorgeous wholemeal bread. A different world.

By: Simon

Simon — Wed, 06 Nov 2013 15:01:24 +0000

I used to love the Wedge when I was a student in Cov. If anyone from the staff back then is looking at this then I’d love some of the recipes, esp the kidney bean flan mentioned above.

By: Jon

Jon — Sun, 25 Aug 2013 16:09:07 +0000

This is Jon, who used to work in the Wedge! In answer to Tina’s post, I did move north, back to my South Yorkshire roots to be exact, and ever since I’ve been working as a ticket clerk on the railway.

However, I’m reminded of working there every day, as in 1982 I met an Exchange student from Germany who was one of our customers. We drifted apart as young people separated by distance often do, but by the wonders of google I managed to contact her again in 2007. Ingrid and I were married a year later.

If I could have moved that shop with me up to Sheffield I would have done.

By: CovOx

CovOx — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:18:26 +0000

Thanks for uploading my posts. I can see how the Wedge would have had a niche in the 80′s, as it had a ‘radical’ bookshop upstairs didn’t it? When I first strolled into it in 1995, the menu wasn’t even predominanty vegetarian and because the place was so small then you couldn’t escape the cigarette smoke. Most vegetarian cafes, at the time, if they weren’t fully non-smoking, tried to cater for non-smokers by setting certain tables aside (though granted the smoke would waft over).

I suppose people get nostalgic for the Wedge in the same way as they do other independent businesses that no longer exist. In the mid/late 90′s there were two independent record shops in town weren’t there, one of which was Spinadisc, the other of which I’ve forgotten the name?

By: veggieopolis

veggieopolis — Mon, 14 May 2012 11:02:18 +0000

Thanks for the comments CovOx.

Yes, you’re right, The Wedge wasn’t fully vegetarian: they served the Tuna and Potato salad, Ham Sandwiches and Tuna and Cucumber Sandwiches – but it was predominantly vegetarian. …and wasn’t everywhere smoky in the 90′s : – )

By: CovOx

CovOx — Sun, 13 May 2012 20:30:54 +0000

The Wedge was open when I first moved to Cov back in the mid-90′s but it was neither vegetarian nor non-smoking. It was a smoky omnivorous cafe that was only one step up from a greasy spoon!

By: Bob Brown

Bob Brown — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 12:12:55 +0000

I spent many my formative (student) years in Coventry, and the wedge was always good for a hot soup with crusty bread on a cold winters day between lectures.

Because it was so small inevitably lunch would be accompanied by a conversation with whoever was sharing your table. From Sport to Philosophy, History to Maths.

The Monty Python line ” Would you like a conversation with that?..” was always true at “The Wedge”.

Whatever happened to reactionary restaurants?

By: Elisse

Elisse — Sun, 22 May 2011 18:53:22 +0000

I used to love the Wedge!

By: veggieopolis

veggieopolis — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 18:53:42 +0000

Tina,

Thanks for the comment – I didn’t even remember the mushroom pate sandwiches. Yes, it’s a shame that The Wedge is no longer there.

If you are still in Coventry then Browns is worth a try. Good food, good selection, lots of vegetarian.

Mark,

By: Tina

Tina — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 13:28:52 +0000

I visited Coventry yesterday, for the first time in over 10 years and was upset to see The Wedge had gone.

I lived in Coventry for 8 years and was always in The Wedge. My favourite was their mushroon pate sandwich, – must have consumed hundreds.

You describe the atmosphere well. The staff were all friendly. I remember John who I think moved north and Mike, and I think the chubby guy upstairs was Mike too.(not sure).

So many fond memories. Where has everyone gone?

By: veggieopolis

veggieopolis — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:53:16 +0000

Hi Andrea,
Good to hear from you and thanks for the comment : – )
I think it was Herbs Vegetarian Restaurant in Coventry that eventually became Brooklands Grange.
Mark.

By: Andrea

Andrea — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:17:02 +0000

Hey Mark: It's Andrea from Vegetarian Lifestyle Guide. I vaguely remember The Wedge, I think I may be a bit young!! I do remember a veggie place I used to go to that I think finally became 'The Brooklands Grange' hotel or am I imagining that? Great blog by the way! Will be following from now on!