Café 19 offers a warm, welcoming environment with dedicated staff passionate about both the industry and the local community. Our goal is to create a space that is inclusive for all visitors, whether you're joining us for a meal or seeking a quiet spot to study, complete with our delicious homemade cakes.
We extend our hospitality to our four-legged friends as well, providing dog treats at the bar.
Led by head chef and owner Paul Behan, our team is committed to delivering the highest level of service while also enjoying our work.
We deeply value each and every customer, and we extend our gratitude to our loyal regulars for their ongoing support.
The Behan Family sincerely appreciates your custom.
About Paul:
Paul's passion for cooking was ignited during summers with his cherished grandad, baking cakes and whipping up culinary delights in the kitchen. By his mid-teens, it became apparent that Paul had obvious talent and passion for creating exciting and innovative dishes. His career began locally, at the highly revered Seckford Hall in Suffolk. It wasn’t long after that his culinary skills took him to London in the late eighties.
Paul was selected to join the brigade of chefs at The Savoy, which for every young aspiring chef was the stuff of dreams! He worked incredibly long hours, over two years of intense training. Overall, to become a classically trained chef in French cooking, under the tutelage of the highly esteemed Michelin-starred head chef Anton Edelmann.
With a strong desire to travel and further his education, he took off for Down Under, securing a coveted chef position at the Hyatt in the capital city of Canberra. At this luxury hotel, Paul cooked for many VIPs, senior politicians, and dignitaries.
Spending most of his time traveling around Australia, working with different teams at many of the brand’s other hotels; This is where he discovered a diverse and contemporary cuisine which only served to further his creativity and passion.
In 1998 Paul opened The Volunteer, one of Cambridge’s first gastropubs, creating and designing a well-composed menu using locally sourced produce that proved to be a big hit in the local area (Grantchester residents, Lord Jeffery Archer and Lady Mary Archer, dined there on several occasions!)
Finally settling in Duxford over 20 years ago, his family (wife Sarah and their children, Jessica and Joshua) became his primary focus. He quickly immersed himself in the village community and managed the local pub for a short time.
Paul is immensely proud and delighted at the prospect of running Café 19 on behalf of the village he loves to call home. He hopes it is a place that everyone will feel is an integral hub of the community.
With his fantastic team, he will be delighted to take care of you. Besides a delicious breakfast and lunch offering, Paul will be whipping up some delectable desserts and tasty treats.
And of course, there’ll be some yummy cakes to enjoy with your friends over an afternoon cuppa too, just like the ones his grandad taught him to make all those years ago…
