Where is The Bowl?
The Bowl is located just north of the town of Ampthill, Bedfordshire, along the B530 road. We’ve taken on a country pub that’s been sitting vacant for the last couple of years, and have brought it back to life with a C&M twist. The full address is:
Caffeine&Machine: The Bowl
Ampthill Road
Houghton Conquest
Bedford
MK45 3JP
Unless visiting from the immediately local area, we kindly ask that you follow the route outlined here to find us. This both minimises congestion in local villages, and avoids you being sent through towns that feature narrow streets and speed bumps.
When will The Bowl open?
Like The Hill, The Bowl is open seven days a week, from 9am to 10pm.
Do I need to book?
To manage capacity, we require tickets on weekends between 9am and 7pm. These are bookable as three-hour timeslots, beginning on the hour, every hour. From October, they’ll also be required on Wednesday nights from 5pm for our Cult of Machine evenings.
Tickets are per vehicle. They’re £10 per car (or larger) and £5 per bike, and half of that cost is redeemable on your food and drink order using your order number as a voucher code.
Outside of the hours listed above, no booking is necessary – simply roll in and make yourself at home!
What events will you be holding?
We’ll be running our themed Cult of Machine evenings every Wednesday – click here for a full rundown. We’ll also be introducing weekend events very soon.
Can my brand or I get involved with events and activations?
We’d love for you to. Whether you’re local to the area or not, and would be keen to work with us on our events and brand activations once we’re open, do feel free to drop us a line at events@caffeineandmachine.com.
Can I stay at The Bowl?
Currently, we don’t have any plans for accommodation at The Bowl. Don’t forget you can stay at The Hill, though!
Got any jobs going?
Absolutely, we have plenty of full- and part-time openings. Check our Indeed page for full listings.
Why’s it called The Bowl, anyway?
The Bowl’s name is an affectionate nod to an iconic location in the British automotive industry, which is so close to the new venue that it’s nearly visible from our car park. UTAC Millbrook – more commonly known as the Millbrook Proving Ground – has been a hugely important facility for over 50 years, putting cars through their paces before they go on sale. Amongst its teeming mass of test tracks and facilities is the High-Speed Bowl, a perfectly circular, two-mile banked circuit where cars can hit the upper reaches of their speed potential. Our aim is to add a little extra slice of car culture to this region that’s played such a big role in this country’s automotive history.
I thought your new location was in Derbyshire?
We had planned to open The Knockerdown Inn ('The Knock') near Ashbourne as a Caffeine&Machine location. Our planning application was sadly rejected by Derbyshire Dales District Council in December 2022. We have since revised our plans and submitted a second planning application that is currently being considered.
Whilst we await a decision, we decided to re-open The Knock as a family-friendly country pub offering food, drink and camping serving the local community and tourists. This is not currently a Caffeine&Machine, but anyone is welcome to visit and enjoy the facilities and hospitality from David and the team. Check their website here: https://www.theknockerdown.co.uk/