Lockett Fuel is a café in a truly unusual location: it runs from inside Ashley Automotive, a classic and used car dealership on Wallisdown Road filled with vintage cars, motorbikes and 4x4s. Brother and sister Ryan Lockett and Kiera Lockett-Chadwick opened the café alongside the showroom in 2020, and the combination has grown into a small local institution, half coffee stop and half car museum.
The menu
The counter sticks to a short list done properly: good coffee, bagels, wraps and other lunch choices, plus seasonal specials that regulars anticipate, from a pumpkin spice latte in autumn to other one-off treats across the year. This is a place to pick up a coffee and wander rather than sit down for a meal, with the showroom's eclectic line-up of cars and bikes as the backdrop.
Local recognition
The Bournemouth Echo named the café "Trader of the Week", and its following extends well beyond people who came in to look at a car; many arrive for the coffee and end up browsing the showroom floor.
Practical details
Because Lockett Fuel is inside Ashley Automotive's premises at 260 Wallisdown Road, combining a coffee with a look round the showroom is easy. Like any small independent café, its hours can change around events and holidays, so check the venue's Facebook page before making a special journey.
Want something more conventional afterwards? Our food & drink guide has more cafés and restaurants, and our things to do guide shows what else is close by.